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.
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