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.
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.
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