BUTCH CASSIDY'S BOYHOOD HOME? . . . NOT SO FAST

 

Have you read, or been told that this was “Butch Cassidy’s boyhood home?” For over fifty years, ever since Lula Parker Betenson started showing the cabin to visitors in the mid 1960’s, it has been known as such, possibly even earlier. But did you know that Butch (Robert Leroy Parker) never lived here?

The tale of Butch Cassidy’s early life is fascinating with Butch growing up in Beaver, the family moving to Circleville, Butch working on various ranches, Butch raising and racing thoroughbred horses,  Butch learning the outlaw trade from his mentor Mike Cassidy, Butch having to leave home one step in front of the law. But through it all, Butch never lived here.

Research into the land records indicates that Max Parker, Butch’s father did not even settle on the land where the cabin stands until somewhere between August and October of 1885, over a year after Butch left home in June 1884.

Other records indicate that the family lived first in Beaver, Utah, where Butch was born, then moved to some property Northwest of Circleville in 1879. When Max Parker lost this land the family lived for a while on the James Marshall ranch, twelve miles South of Circleville. When Max was unsuccessful in buying that ranch in 1884 he later settled in 1885 on the property later known as the Parker Ranch and where many people think Butch lived.

Since Butch left home in June of 1884, he never lived in that cabin.

OUTLAW BEGINNINGS Butch Cassidy and Frisco Utah.

OUTLAW BIGGININGS - "He was hard on the horse on which he was mounted"
BUTCH CASSIDY AND FRISCO, UTAH Part 1

Frisco Main street 1880

Of the many places in Southern Utah that have been associated with the early childhood and youth of Butch Cassidy little mention has been of the wild mining camp of Frisco, Utah.  However Frisco played a small, but integral  part in the early life of Robert Leroy Parker later known as "Butch" Cassidy.  Frisco now a ghost town is located some 30 miles west of Beaver, where Bob Parker as he was known then, was born. What little is said in the annals of Butch was that his father, Maximilian (Max) Parker worked occasionally in Frisco, or cutting and hauling wood to Frisco, for use as railroad ties, for charcoal  to be used in the smelters, or as mine timbers. A typical story, as told by his sister Lula Parker Betensen, goes like this:

"Dad got work at Frisco, a mining town west of Beaver, cutting ties for the railroad and studding for the mines. He traveled back and forth between Frisco and the ranch, according to the work available, and he freighted and hauled timber for charcoal."

Frisco Smelter 1880 

Frisco was much more than just a mining town. west of Beaver. By 1879 when young Bob Parker started work at the Hay Springs Ranch, 20 miles away, Frisco was a rip roaring mining camp of over 2000 miners and camp follower.  It had at least four hotels, five general stores twenty saloons, two of the largest smelters in Utah,  But what made it somewhat unique was that Frisco had own horse racing track, complete with a half mile track, grandstands and a judging booth.

Horn Silver Mine ca. 1910

Frisco was also the home of the fabulous Horn Silver Mine dubbed by the Eastern press at the time as the "richest silver/lead mine in the world." The Superintendent of the Horn Silver mine was none other than Pat Ryan, one of the owners of the Hay Springs Ranch. Ryan, as the Superintendent of the mine and leader of the town was the driving force in building the track. Almost weekly, races were held with hundreds, sometime thousands of dollars changing hands. Local horses, as well as prominent horses such as "Blue Dick," "Kentucky Bill," "Jack Rabbit", and "Prince" raced regularly at the track. Another local horse that also raced in the area, was "Markmore," owned by Parker family neighbor Jim Marshall.

Frisco Charcoal Kilns ca. 1990

The constant need for wood, to be turned into Charcoal for the smelters, and for timbering in the mines, is what attracted Max Parker to Frisco. Parker was able to make a few hard earned and needed dollars. Cash money was a scarce commodity in Southern Utah in 1879 and the Parkers needed every penny they could get. But another draw to the area for Max Parker would have been the races as Max had ambitions of being a successful rancher and horse raiser.

As the oldest boy n the family, Bob Parker would have been taken along on many of Max's trips delivering wood into Frisco. Though only 13, he was expected by his family to do "his share of the work," and that included helping his father cut and deliver the cord wood to the mines.

While in Frisco, after selling his load, Max would have attended any race possible. While Lula Parker Bentensen downplayed the role of horse racing in her book, Butch Cassidy, My Brother, horses were a big part of Parker family life and Max would have been impressed with the size and layout of the Frisco track. Sitting in the grandstand, he would have dreamt about the money his horses could bring in, if he could just train them properly. Young Bob, also watching the races would have had his own fantasies.

So when Pat Ryan took an interest in young Bob and Bob's interest in the horses, Max Parker readily agreed to have the boy work for Ryan out at the ranch at Hay Springs for a season working with the horses. Bob, with his enthusiasm for the horses was just the kind of boy he needed to help around the stables. And with Bob's build, not tall, a little lean on top, with most of his weight around his hips and thighs, the thought could have crossed Ryan's mind that Bob had the body of a jockey.

Not much is known of Robert Parker's time at Hay Springs. It lasted perhaps a year. The ranch was primarily a horse ranch. Pat Ryan built an additional race track there at the ranch to train both his and other's horses. Regular trips would have been made between the Frisco and the ranch, and if Bob was helping with the horses he would have gone along either way.. It may have been at Frisco where young Bob could have gotten his taste for the wild life.

Pat Ryan would say of Bob Parker's time working for him that: "when a young man the fellow gave no signs of the desperate career he subsequently adopted, but on the contrary he was quiet and inoffensive, . . . .  he was hard on the horse on which he was mounted, that was the only offense for which he was rebuked"

JOE CHANCELLOR ALIAS "KID" JOHNSON "Kid" Johnson's" partner Charlie Ross Escapes Jail

JOE CHANCELLOR ALIAS "KID" JOHNSON
"Kid" Johnson's" partner Charlie Ross Escapes Jail

Just over a month after the killing of Albuquerque town Marshals McGuire and Henry "Kid" Johnson's partner in crime, Charlie Ross, along with another prisoner Peter Trinkhaus escape the Bernalillo County jail and make good their escape on the night of Jan. 4th, 1887. It was believed to be an inside job. Posses were immediately sent out to apprehend the miscreants. Just two weeks later both Trinkhaus and Ross along with Joe Chancellor alias "Kid" Johnson would be involved in a train wrecking that would rock New Mexico.

OUTLAW BEGINNINGS

Butch Cassidy and the Hay Springs Ranch
“when a young man the fellow gave no signs of the desperate career he subsequently adopted”

Some of the earliest recorded events of Robert LeRoy Parker’s aka “Butch” Cassidy’s life revolve around what was known as the Hay Springs Ranch and Pat Ryan. According to the stories Young Parker’s first job away from home at age 13 was with Pat Ryan at the Hay Springs where he worked for one or two seasons from 1879 to 1880. Most authors have assumed this meant ranching and herding cattle as a young ranch hand.

Hay Springs is about fifteen miles Northwest of Minersville and fifteen miles South of Milford on the eastern edge of what is known as Milford Flat, a broad area between the Mineral Mountians on the East and the Picacho, or Star Mountains range to the West. The Beaver River in the 19^th century meandered its way through the middle providing lush grass and meadows on either side.  The first settlers in the area were Joseph Clements and Rufus Stoddard. Clements a small time rancher had a dugout in the willows next to the springs. Rufus Stoddard homesteaded just south of Clements; also close to the springs. Both settled there in 1870 – 1871. The two adjacent homesteads became a camping spot for freighters and other travelers between Beaver and the eastern Nevada mines at Pioche. The heavy growth of natural grasses and plentiful water found in the area during the pioneer freighting days. Stoddard also operated a small saloon which provided travelers with liquid refreshment.

The Ryans came into the area sometime after 1873 when rich silver mines were located in the Star Mountain range, just west of The Springs. Brothers Dennis (Denny) and Pat Ryan invested heavily in several small mines. They were attracted to the springs as a spot to build a smelter and an excellent spot for ranching. A small smelter was built at the western edge of the springs, and for a time in 1875 and 1876 a small smelter town was established near the smelter with Stoddard’s saloon as the center of town.  The Ryans purchased 400 acres of prime grazing land just to the west of the springs for their ranch and John Ryan, the third Ryan brother was put in charge of the ranching operations.

The Ryan ranches eventually took up a large part of western Beaver County. During the 1880s the Ryan-Ream company for a time was the largest cattle operation in the State running over 20,000 head of cattle at a time throughout Beaver County in several ranching locations.  When young Bob Parker went to work on the ranch, Hay Springs was primarily the Ryan’s horse ranch. All of the Ryans, but especially Pat Ryan were heavily involved in horse racing, and in raising purebred horses. An 1887 Salt Lake Herald article described it as a “perfect oasis in the desert, consisting of 400 acres. Here are kept hundreds of excellent cattle and a fine stable of horses.” The reporter then went on to describe the stables with its prize racing horse “Black Pat,” a speedy 4 year old, which the Ryans had trained with their experienced horse trainer Bob Branton. Ryan horses were regularly raced locally, at the Sale Lake races, and elsewhere in Utah.

John Ryan managed the ranch, with his brother, Pat Ryan helping, that is when Pat was not in Frisco, Utah helping to manage the famous Horn Silver mine or at the Ryan saloon. In addition to the ranch house, corrals and stable, John Ryan also built a complete horse racing track. While the ranch was used for raising the family’s fine race horses, they also raised and trained horses for their cattle operation and for freighting.

It was here at the Hay Springs Ranch that Bob Parker learned to love and train horses. It is doubtful that as a small 13 year old Parker was always out herding cows as many have claimed. Rather he was probably mostly employed at the ranch in the stables as a stable hand, grooming, training, and riding the Ryan’s racing horses, an occupation and past time that Parker pursued for many years in Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming before becoming an outlaw. These skills also proved useful in many of Butch’s getaways.

There is some evidence that Parker may have been used and trained by the Ryans as a Jockey for some of their races at the ranch and elsewhere. In 1898, commenting on Cassidy for the Salt Tribune, Pat Ryan told the reporter that: “when a young man the fellow gave no signs of the desperate career he subsequently adopted, but that on the contrary he was quiet and inoffensive. . . . and while he was hard on the horse on which he was mounted that was about the only offense for which he was rebuked when he was in Mr. Ryan’s employ.”

OUTLAW BEGININGS:
Beaver, Utah in 1872
Robert LeRoy Parker aka “Butch” Cassidy spent his early childhood growing up in Beaver, Utah. According to his younger sister Lula Parker Betenson, and other sources he spent most of his time living with his mother and siblings at their Grandmother, Jane Sinclair Gillis’ home in Beaver as “Butch’s” father Max Parker was often away from home making a hardscrabble living. Beaver, Utah in the 1860’s was like most Mormon settlements along the Mormon corridor, small, sleepy and closely controlled by the Mormon Church. In 1872 when “Butch” was six years old all of that changed. Five events happened in 1872 that changed Beaver from a sleepy Mormon village into a vibrant multi-cultural burg. These changes had a great impact on the Parker family.
These changes were:
1 The attempt to establish the “United Order” in Beaver by the Mormon Church.
2. The establishment of the Territorial Second District Court making Beaver the legal headquarters of Southern Utah and rendering the local legal system obsolete.
3. The establishment of Fort Cameron by the Federal Government, ostensibly to protect the local citizens from the local Indians, but also to protect the judges and other offers of the new Second District Court, and to keep an eye on supposed Mormon rebellion.
4. The establishment of a local federal government Survey office which effectively ended the old process of land allocation by the LDS Church and Territorial Government.
5. The opening of the silver mines west of Beaver near present day Milford bringing in even more “gentiles” to the area.

OUTLAW BEGININGS
BUTCH CASSIDY BIRTH HOME?
Definitely Butch’s Boyhood home - Joseph Bohn House, Beaver Utah

It has been claimed that the original old black basalt portion (right side) of this home built by Thomas Frazier in Beaver was the birth place of Butch Cassidy. Butch, born Robert Leroy Parker was born 13 April 1866. Records show however that Thomas Frazier did not move to Beaver Utah until 1868.The earliest this home could have been built was in 1869/1870 when Thomas Frazier first started building homes in the area. So no, this is not the house that Butch was born in. That home probably no longer exists.

But, could Butch have lived in this home during his growing years? Records show that this is probably the case, that Butch was born on the adjoining property in either a small log or adobe house (no longer extant) which preceded the building of this home. Joseph Bohn who owned the house and had it built did not live here. He actually lived across the street in an old adobe home. He rented this home and property out until he sold it in 1876 to David and Christina Gillis Levi. The Levis probably rented the property for several years before buying it as a home for Jane Gillis, Christina’s mother (Butch’s Grandmother), and her family. David and Christina usually lived on their farm, west of town. Max Parker did not buy his first property in Beaver until 1877. Records show that Anne Parker lived with her mother, Jane Gillis most of the time before the family moved to Circleville, as Max Parker was away from the family much of the time. Lula Betensen, in her book Butch Cassidy, My Brother also states that her brother Butch was born at the home of Anne’s mother, Jane Gillis.

So this was probably Butch Cassidy’s Boyhood home until he was 13 and already working away from home.

OUTLAW BEGINNINGS:

: Butch Cassidy in the 1870 Census
The 1870 U. S. Census for Beaver, Utah, the first recorded evidence of Birth Cassidy’s existence.

Robert Leroy Parker, better known as “Butch” Cassidy was born 13 April 1866. This date comes from family records kept by the Parker family. No official record of Parker’s birth exists. Utah did not start keeping birth records until 1898. Similarly L.D.S. Church records for Beaver, Utah, which served as a semi-official record for Utah, did not record his birth either. Lulu Betensen. Butch’s sister, claimed that Beaver’s early LDS church membership records were not preserved thus not recording Parker’s birth. This is curious because the Beaver LDS Church records are full of recorded births, baptisms and deaths for the church members in Beaver, some born as early as the late 1700s. Every faithful member of the Church in Beaver In 1877 seems to have had their information recorded. So, why not Robert Leroy Parker? Why not his parents, Max and Annie Parker? The Gillies family, Annie Parker’s family are all there, including Uncle Dan Gillies, Ann’s brother, who moved to Circleville with the Parkers. Some of the younger Parker children are recorded, even after the family moved to Circleville in 1879.
The answer comes from Lulu Betenson, Butch’s sister who claimed that Max Parker, Butch’s father was disaffected from the Church. Her version is that he became angry at the Church over a land dispute while in Circleville. (The subject of a future post). This is only partly true. Max Parker probably did become dissatisfied, if not antagonistic with the Church, but not over a land dispute. Max’s disaffection probably came much earlier than that, and is the reason that his family was not recorded in the early LDS Church records of Beaver.