https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/9a3693978812f3357833f5a17c551fbc.pdf daaa56b202a242dd20e268cc5dd3b7dc PDF Text Text getting "hirri drunk. Seeing that j to move to the Eastern Star Home * than the present-day water well. Charlie was usually an obliging j in Arlington, where she is affec- f? A number of people both in Bes­ friend and his home conveniently I tionately known as Grandmother r semer and in Nebraska joined in nearby, the citizens rolled the and is one of the oldest of the lodge' partnership with Charlie in his oil drunk official over to the Peterson home residents. She has been a; placer mining claims. Among those home and deposited him in Agnes’ member of the lodge for 52 years, filing with him in the Bessemer bed. Upon finding him there. Ag­ being very active in the organiza- ? area were; His wife, Agnes, John nes naturally objected most stren­ tion wherever she lived. In her A. O’Brian, P. T, Hoxiet, Frank uously and ran the crowd—com­ new home, she enjoys the numer- ' Rider and Amanda Rider (Agnes’ plete with drunk—out of her house. OUS parties which are held and the si.ster), E. M. Searle (his Ogallala Another celebrating drunk mean­ popular wrestling matches avail- S banking friend) and Eliza Searle, while,, resentful of the new femi- able on TV. When the weather perC. W. Wixcey (St. Paul newspaper nine regime at the polls, beat up mils, she visits members of her x editor who married Charlie’s niece the electioneering Mrs. Rhode—^her family in Dallas and Houston, but^ Amelia Frederickson). Another husband being ill in bed and unable refuses to make visits “permagroup of partners consisted of: W. to take care of her. Despite all this nent,” preferring the “hotel’’ at-,' A, and M. A. Blackmore, W. and confusion, however, Agnes Peter­ mosphere of the lodge home. C. N. Blackmore, A. and M. Reas- son will still proudly tell you she When her son Howard returned ner, L. M. and J. E. Line, C. E. managed to go to the polls three from Bessemer this summer with, Frederickson (possibly Charlie’s times and vote for her favorite Dr. bits of household articles he found j Amelia), and H. M. Jones. Also: Barber, who was elected the first at the site of the old home cellar, A. H. Swigart, J. E. Sims, L. A. governor of Wyoming. she quickly recognized the chips ot­ ! Wiley, George H. Johnson and " Other excited voters followed Ag­ her wedding china, long lost or Prances Johnson, John Hilton, Lew nes’ example, and when the re­ broken up Also among the sou-' Anderson, C. H. Ford, M. M. turns were counted, Bessemer had venirs were the base of a heavy • Neaves, F. C. Powers (from Ogal­ won the county seat over Casper. glass, turned pale violet by expo-Ai lala) and E. R. Brisch—an anoth­ Unfortunately, the county commis­ sure to the sun, and the brown' er group. sioners court Investigated the re­ glass of a wine bottle which Char­ PILED CLAIMS sults more thoroughly and discov­ lie was wont to stock in the cellar. Claims were filed for 160 acres ered that Bessemer had more votes A child’s crushed play tea pot of each (one quarter section) of “oil and citizens—thereby invalidating tic was still recognizable, as were J placer mining ground situated in returns and sending the county seat the metal wick parts which Agnes Casper mining district. Carbon to Casper, thought came from the kerosene County, Wyoming Territory.” Typ­ Along in 1890, Indians in the area, lamp with its huge round chimney. ical names given claims in the who were allowed off the reserva­ After their move to Texas, Agnes Bessemer area were’.Dandy, En­ tions to hunt in spring and fall, never went back to -Wyoming—but terprise, Elkhorn, Dan Stone, became increasingly bitter at see­ she looks back often. ■ Moonlight, Star No. 1 and No. 2, ing their hunting grounds destroyed “Those were the happy days,** Julesburg, Snowbird No. 1 through. by the cattlemen and, along with. she sighs, “we had so much fun.** No. 8, Dansk Oil Placer, Edison, ’ their %ther grievances, brokT^uJ^ ! Blue Stone, Dag Oil Placer, Den- of the reservations on the warpath. ! mark Oil Placer, Standart, and Big The government issued guns and stone Stone Placer. Placer. am.munition to settlers in the In another grouD oneration the threatened areas and warned them Salt Creek Oil Co. <con^sted of- to prepare for attack. 'The Besse7 Charles Schultz, Patrick O’Rourke nier settlers decided to move to I and J. J. Worley. This company the stone-housed Goose Egg Ranch had claims to the north of Besse- and there be in position to throw I m.er, in the area which now in­ up barricades for protection. SincoJ cludes the famous Salt Creek Field. was away on one of his] ! Claims in this area were called; Charlie business expeditions, Walter BlackD-errick Eagle, Abbot Lode, Graph- more wired him advising that Ag-i ! ite, Empire, Splendid, Platte, Take and their children should bes I 759, Boss, Deer Lode, Rapid Claim, nes sent back to C®a,ha for safety andS i Proof and Bell. that Mrs. Blackmore might go alsoB ! The settlers continued to flock if thesituation became worse. ' to Bessemer as long as it appeared The Peterson horses were near­ ! the railroad spur was going there. ly all turned out on the prairie, When, instead, it headed westward which was lush with grazing grass?’ from Casper, the latter town be­ Agnes pony, however, was ‘ gan flourishing at Bessemer’s ex- given ’ toriding her close friend, Minnie [ pense, and a heavy rivalry devel- Blackmore. sold some of the ' oped between the two towns. Elec- furniture toAgnes her neighbors for : tion fever was running high when ready cash to travel since Char­ • Wyoming held its first state elec­ lie was still too faron, away to help tion, and both Casper and Besse­ Those goods that were pack­ mer fought to get the county seat. her. able were made ready for ship­ The women’s suffrage movement ment. Most of their belongings,' was in full swing with Mrs. Rhode of Bessemer running for one of however, were left with friends, including Charlie’s old roll-top desk , the county offices. Election poll headquarters were and the wagon which were given Walter Blackmore. Early one in a new frame building, sched­ to uled to be a saloon. Some of the morning, Agnes went to the livery , " “suffering” husbands, worried as barn and paid “Daddy” Eads $1# ■ to how the new vote would be used, or $15 to drive the family, now to­ i d’scovered a loose knothole in the taling four children, to Casper. building and promptly pushed it From Casper she traveled by train out in order that they might as­ tack to Omaha, where Amelia Fre­ certain how their wives voted. Ag- derickson joined her. Shortly aft- ■ res and Charlie Peterson disagreed erwards, the soldiers arrived to upon the livery stable owner, Eads, protect the Wyoming settlers and who was granting free rides to the the situation was put under control ' polls in anticipation of a county before much damage was done, at office. Agnes respected Eads, but least in the Bessemer area. felt that his education was short of From Omaha, the Petersons that needed for the office. As she moved very shortly to Texas, prepared to mark her ballot for, where Charlie resumed his land the opposing candidate, she heard brokerage business and followed a muffled voice groan, “Uh, the early salt dome boom along UNH!!”, and each time she bent the Gulf Coast. He passed away in . down to her choice, the groan was Houston in 1925, almost as well;^., . repeated. Since she was alone in known there as in his earlier^,^,^ the room, she could not understand towns. it until she spied an eye peeking LIVES IN TEXAS ■ at her through the knothole—where­ Agnes is now a spry young upon she marched into the election nearly 94, living near Gallas. After judges and demanded that they her husband’s death, she lived for^,,' ' (cover the hole so Charlie would not many years with one of her daugh-i ” . ters, but tiring of this, she decided be there instructing her vote! : UNWELCOME GUEST 1 ’j/A4 This election was a very festive one, with some of the celebrators fe". \ ‘ * fl o fl o fl ® co co o oS to O\ co WCO ® fl oj m fl s fl O fl o a Cli o ra CO in 2 > o3 <t-t in ® oj W fl tfl o fl ® fl fl o [x, cb o c o3 co I to-fl fl fl ® ® ® o (fl ra co cb to o o o a! E E co O.X of <-> E I E �By HAZEL AGNES PETERSON terrinciT—nr-550 nidTaSs sTanamfT^ ,, ' , .—77-------------------- •‘rpHAT’S my wedding china!” she I idly about the station and, as she Ogallala, then the C. H. Ford fam-ways of a corner of the room? exclaimed, reaching for the small stood there petrified, the train Omaha, and the George then she carefully pulled down the glass chip with its delicate brown pulled out leaving her alone with "lohnson family also from Ogal- shades and locked the door behind laia. Another settler was a livery her—so that stray Indians would pattern—and time rolled back 67 her babies—and several -----yet stable owner known as “Daddy” not see the children left alone in years for petite, gray-haired Agnes to await Charlie’s arrival.hours The In-Eads —Mrs. Peterson remembers the house. Coming back from the Peterson. She was an attractive dians stared admiringly at the his daughter, Fannie, whom she Goose Egg Ranch with a heavy ; young matron with three small chil­ long, blonde hair piled upon her thinks married a ■very fine young bucket of. milk, Agnes heard the dren when her husband, Charles head and, she was due to cattleman from the east named children laughing gleefully. CautiPeterson, decided to forsake bank­ be scalped,certain dashed for the Spears. Since the Peterson home ously opening the door, she noted ing for "prospecting” in Wyoming. only shelter Agnes in sight—the station iw'.s at Broadway and Fifth Streets a chair piled on the table beside Dissatisfied with the family’s master’s private office and tele-many of the other Nebraska fam-the cupboard, and all three boys choice ot a shoemaking career, graph desk. ’There, despite all pleas ilies also built on Broadway. A at individual tasks. The oldest had ! “Charlie” Peterson left Copenha­ from the distressed agent and nu- postoffice was eventually built on her fine cedar bucket with the gen at about 14 and began sailing 1 merous quotations of railroad reg- the lot adjoining the Petersons. brass bands (out of which he had ; around the world on a Danish ship, | ulations forbidding the trespassing, c. H. Ford arrived in Bessemer dipped the water) and was rugged­ working his W’ay, Tired of .ship! she refused to budge until Charlie to find no empty beds available ly stirring fresh eggs, shells and work and curious about the New! ^came_^ the rescue.------------------- so he went to Eads’ stable to pro­ all. The second oldest had man­ World, he came to the States as In Glenrock, all accommodations ®dre a bale of hay and slept on it. aged to get a fire going in the wood an immigrant late in his teens and was peeking into the about 1869, and began working on were crowded, but they located a I^o later built a home against the stove new apartment building, its frame- side of a hill, braced with timbers oven at his share of the eggs lust■ ■ . The youngest was a large Iowa farm and rcduy ready lUi for bricking, “"o topped by dirt—so it was cool “Y cooking. ■■ir,, — Al. near Davenport. **' b. work WUIIS. up Udllu Ml -------------------------------------------xin the summer and snug in the sprawled on the floor, the wash farmer’s wife, buflhe irts'ida 5111ti<5iently basin between his legs, beating taught Charlie his English and the cd for occupancy. “ The Petersons H'inter. continne^^V”’’^®^ education. He Stayed aa week, then men traveled in George Johnson, who had a res- eggs with his hands and ripping •man-,7 T.? educate himself in their wagon to .. Mrs.-. Gothberg’s taurant in Ogallala, eventually the mess all over the carpet. Mrs. many ways, however, having an place on the south side ot North opened one at the Goose Egg Blackmore arrived in time to resseveral for- ^latte River, luver, where wuere they mcy spem me Ranch, where his son helped him. cue the youngest and carried him spent the and fnn frequently act- pigiit. The next day they. drove to His wife passed away after only off to her house for a bath. The ing as internrptz>r tnIng interpreter for the govern­ Eufus Rhode’s place, also bn the a short time in Bessemer. others were soundly spanked, and ment. south side of the river (and near Walter Blackmore had been own­ then Agnes started working on the I- , Bouin Union ^®"^®sent for the present-day Goose Egg Inn), er of a large drugstore in Ogallala, carpet with soap suds and broom­ vember laid mjS?’‘^*’0 spring wagon used for this so he built one in Bessemer also. using the precious water hauled vember, persuading several trip was a type of buckboard drawn --ne The xcai rear ux of me the amre store provinea provided asas- from the river in barrels. (Not long bnaf In n 1884, « o rSrs ’dC-ing s.,v<,i„l enme families by two horses—no top. but with saying quarters for Charlie Peter- afterward, the town dug a com­ .r “x®?. settle two seats across it in front, Charlie son. This ex-banker W’ould come munity well, which allowed freer the ..“UP” .lands . of- the midwest. ■■ ■ p5ed it later to take men out sight- back from the mountains with a use of water for the townspeople.) He tlien Joined H. L McWilliams seeing in the Bessemer area. ’The sack full of rocks and hand them The Goose Egg Ranch stood near and E. M.. Searle in a -partnership. two horses were driven from Ogal- one by one to Blackmore for test- the present-day Red Buttes stone monument, erected in 1930 to mark, which liuilt the First Keith County laia. and two more w'ere later ‘ing. National Bank in Ogallala, Neb. bought in Wyoming. “You think this one Is gold—yes, the Oregon Trail. Mrs. Clark, th'* The First'National Bank was also The melting sncws and spring ‘Doc’?” Charlie would ask, “Or owner’s wife, always had a won­ derful dinner party at ’Thanksgiv­ built, but one of the bank officials rain made the Norf. Platte too tt**? one?” No, Charlie,” Blackmore would ing and Christmas for the Ogallala developed typhoid fever, thereby full ferry or skiff was delaying the opening and divert-,usually - used, • - *but■ a wooden ’ «bridge — sold, and would drop families and the Fords—too long she had lived in the wilderness V crosses it.) There were othlast sample onto the table. without neighbors and she wel­ • ws at the Rhodc’s house, however, discovered COAL On was one of the “Roa’ Ranches’ “ one of these excursions, how- comed the newcomers. She always and was the 22nd member and a It taking paying guests, and the Pe- ever, Charlie uncovered a coal vein made a huge cake topped with Master Mason. As a result of his tersons acquired t.ie living ■ room. which provided fuel for the Peter' v/hipped cream which she served many successful business activities Charlie and family ■■were the sons and the Blackmon s. Its loca­. to th^-guests,. In _the wintertime, and his friendly personality. Char- ranch a 'iw : lonths, during at her two daughters were away at which tion is now forgotten. lie became both wealthy and well- time Agnes decided she had to The lime kiln still standing inI Cheyenne in school, but summers kno'wn, prior to leaving Nebraska have more rooi for three active the side of the mountains beyondI they went to the various homes of ' for Wyoming. iChildren. Mr. Rhode then white­ Rhode’s place was built about thisi Bessemer to help their neighbors, His wife was Agnes Willman washed and fixed up a bunkhouse, time—even now it is ready for use, iicluding Agnes, with household Lawrence, bom 1861 in Steelville, 'since it was off-season for the cow- with wood placed for the next user.. tasks. 111., one of the younger of a large iboys and W'a unoccupied. * Contrary to popular tradition, iti DRILLED FOR OIL pioneer family, but orphaned at an [BUILT FIRST HOUSE was not a natural kiln—Peterson Charlie Peterson''^s interests In early age. She attended school in The Petersons at last crossed the and Blackmore were among thoseI! Wyoming lay in more than prosIllinois and Neola, la.—in addition went up the bluff, and about responsible for its construction,. pecting for gold. Just previous to , to traveling weekly to a nearby river, a mile from the Goose Egg Ranch W'ith Ford among those actually' the move to Bessemer, Charlie was ; town for oil painting lessons from they the first house in Besse­ doing the labor. Agnes PetersonI sent by a group of railroad offij a well-known Dutch artist. Agnes mer built townsite. Charlie had visions remembers Charlie paid the crew' cials to represent them ana .superand her sister finally went out on of a great town, with the railroad of laborers and furnished three' vise the very secretive drilling of I their own and started their dress­ spur due to come to Bessemer. : -lonths of food supplies. including! an oil well in the mountains—probmaking and millinery business. After him came other hopeful set­ $100 worth of sardines of every' ably the earliest in Wyoming The Then, acquiring a little “Western tlers, many of them his friends variety to feed the men. :For some' Ogallala newspaper’s editor and fever,” Agnes went with Hugh L. from Omaha and Ogallala. reason, however, Charlie never got■ his son-in-law, an official of the McWilliams and his family to Ogal­ homes were all log structures,’Their save any lime out of the kilnI after its' railroad, persuaded Charlie to hanlala—^where both Agnes and tlie perhaps for some stone houses — completion—perhaps he was too' die this work, for which he was McWilliams family took out home- w'ithout the railroad, no lumber busy prospecting. well-paid. The well, however, was steads. Hugh did Agnes’ plowing in -w'as available. In the mountains Sardines were part of the foodI dry. (With so shallow a hole, who 1' exchange for her helping his wife tliere were many trees which could staples regularly ordered by Char­■ knows what lay beneath with presI with the family sewing. McWll- be felled and left to season — a lie twice a year from St. Louis.. ent-day depths for drilling?) Alter I liams became good friends with imark in each one to identify the When the supplies reached Casper,, settling at Bessemer, Charlies fre1 Charlie Peterson and joined him owner. j it took a drayman two trips to get in a real estate firm and the tnuxk 1 Not long after the Petersons, the ! them all delivered to the Peterson: quently took Agnes out to the I mountains for a ride—the children previously mentioned. .^Valter A. Blackmores came from : home. placed in the rear of the spring Charlie courted Agnes for some | i The Blackmores were particular!I wagon on a feather bed, where they time and, over the protests of a! I ly close friends of the Petersons^• could sleep, and Agnes riding her wealthy wholesaler also courting, : and frequently entertained theI own pony alongside the wagsa. On [ became engaged to her. ’They were youngest child at their home. When' one of these trips, they rode west' married at the Paxton Hotel in i Charlie was gone on his trips, the! ward about an hour when they I Omaha; in 1883, and eventually [. -Blackmores came over, and slept■ came to a large pile of rocks. Unmoved to Ogallala. j at the Peterson house, so that Ag­' derneath them, Charlie showed her Although Charlie had traveled •. nes would not be alone. Minnie’ a box ot documents belonging to extensively, the young couple was I Blackmore v/as well-known for her the railroad officials, carefully hardly prepared for Indian terri-p^ ; ability as a pianist—but frequently placed in a hole and covered with I tory. Charlie’s enthusiasm for the j played hooky with Agnes to go fish-' dirt and rocks to blend w'ith the wild, un.settled country was bound- i [T. ’ ing in the North Platte. scenery. (One wonders what man­ less, however. Soon after their Every house had hunting guns, ner of deal was so secretive that as game of all types was abund­■ it needs be buried in the moun­ marriage, he persuaded Agnes to : ant, but having small children tains, rather than placed in office sell her homestead, rather than be ’ forced to work at farming and be " meant that the Winchester and' files!) tied to one town. < shotgun in the Peterson house had Charlie’s second well was, ac­ to be put high on the walls. Along cording to Agnes drilled quite LEFT FOR WYOMING with the guns, deer heads and pol­ close to Bessemer .ownsite. R. B. In the spring of 1888, the young ished buffalo horns (used for hat­ Blackmore of Casper, Walter’s son, family, now five in number, left t racks) adorned the walls. has an old picture thought to be their Ogallala homo and started Just before Christmas one year, that of the second well—this phofor Wyoming. Agnes and the chil­ Agnes secured two dozen eggs and) tograph showing an old cable too! dren rode the train all night to Annpc Glenrock, while Charlie drove ^9"®^ Peterson in Omaha a few pounds of butter from the jig and various Bessemer people through more slowly in his spring­ before the family moved to Goose Egg_ JRanch, intending to, interested in the well—which was bake cakes. The supplies’-were put also* dry.^This well was driiied onb' board wagon. On descending to the Bessemer in 1888. high in the cupboard (built cross--------------------------------------------platform at Glenrock, Agnes was � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Letters and Scrapbook of Walter A. Blackmore Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1973 Description An account of the resource Historical information on Bessemer, Wyoming, including ranches. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource William A. Blackmore Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Mrs. Robert Blackwell Papers, NCA 01.v.1974.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context NCA 01.v.1974.01_BlackwellLandS_Bessemer Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Print document Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource An Account of the Town of Bessemer, Wyoming Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Walter A. Blackmore Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Mrs. Robert Blackmore Collection, NCA 01.v.1974.01. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context NCA O1.v.1974.01_LandS_Bessemer_02 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Text Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1964 Extent The size or duration of the resource. 2 pages