Alfred James Mokler’s History of Natrona County, Wyoming, 1888–1922 provides a colorful look at the formation, development, and growth of one of Wyoming’s most significant counties during its first thirty-five years. Published in 1923, the volume documents the transformation of Natrona County from a wild, sparsely settled frontier, to a central hub of Wyoming’s industrial and civic life.
Drawing from a wide array of primary sources, including county records, newspapers, personal diaries, and interviews with early settlers, the author presents a factual record of political, economic, and social developments across the county. Key subjects include the founding of Casper, the rise of the oil industry, the organization of public institutions, and numerous accounts of early law enforcement, tragedies, and frontier justice.
The book also places local developments within the broader context of Western expansion, referencing early explorers such as John Colter and John C. Fremont, and the use of migration trails that passed through the area. With over three years of research, Mokler’s work captures both major milestones and everyday occurrences, offering a resource intended for both reference and education.
This volume reflects the language and perspectives of its time. Readers should be aware that some terminology or characterizations may not align with modern standards. Nonetheless, the book remains a significant resource for understanding the early history and rapid development of Natrona County and central Wyoming.
For individuals researching ancestors who lived in Natrona County between 1888 and 1922, this book offers valuable context and potential leads. It includes names of county officials, war veterans, pioneers, and individuals involved in notable local events, as well as detailed accounts of institutions such as schools, churches, newspapers, and civic organizations. Descriptions of towns, industries, and public records provide insight into the communities where ancestors may have lived or worked. While not a genealogical record in and of itself, the book’s extensive local detail can help place family histories within the broader social and economic framework of the time. And who knows, perhaps your ancestor was one of the more colorful citizens portrayed…
Table of Contents
Organization of Wyoming as a Territory and State, p. 1
Organization of Natrona County, p. 6
Natrona County’s Officers, 1888-1922, p. 17
Natrona County’s Senators and Representatives in the Legislature, 1888-1922, p. 17
Natrona County’s Judges of the District Court, p. 17
Natrona County’s Assessed Valuation, p. 18
Earnings in the County Clerk’s Office, 1917, p. 21
County’s Budget for 1922, p. 21
The County Poor Farm, p. 22
The Banks of Natrona County, p. 23
The Newspapers of Natrona County, p. 28
Natrona County’s Two Court Houses, p. 34
Natrona County’s Public Library, p. 39
Natrona County’s Public Hospital, p. 44
Railroads in Natrona County, p. 46
Some Hot County Politics, p. 55
Federal Census for Thirty Years, p. 58
Natrona County Pioneer Association, p. 59
Spanish-American War Veterans, p. 61
Natrona County Boys in the World War, p. 65
Natrona County’s Three Earthquakes, p. 72
Nitro-Glycerine Explosion, p. 74
The Pathfinder Dam, p. 74
The North Platte River, p. 81
Powder River, p. 83
Wild Horses, p. 84
The Lost Cabin Mine, p. 85
Mining on Casper Mountain, p. 96
The Soda Lakes, p. 103
Tom Wagner’s Fake Mine, p. 105
The Rainmaking Fake, p. 108
Bridges Across the Platte River, p. 109
Casper Village, Town and City, p. 115
Churches of Casper, p. 128
Casper’s Officers from 1904 to 1923, p. 129
Lodges and Clubs of Casper, p. 138
Casper’s Water Supply, p. 146
Casper’s Fire Departments, p. 153
Some of Casper’s Fires, p. 157
Casper’s Postoffice and Postmasters, p. 161
Early News Items of Interest Today, p. 166
Casper’s Old Town Hall and New City Building, p. 168
Casper’s Electric Light Plants, p. 171
Casper’s Telephone Service, p. 173
Casper Wanted the Capital, p. 177
Horse Racing in the Early Days, p. 179
Lost in a Cloudburst, p. 182
Cerebrospinal Meningitis, p. 183
Indians Dance in Casper Streets, p. 184
When Casper Was a “Sunday School Town”, p. 185
Sheep Shearing Plant, p. 188
Some of Casper’s Hotels, p. 189
Gambling Was a Lawful Profession, p. 191
A Walk to the Pathfinder Dam, p. 192
Casper Has Millions in Automobiles, p. 194
Airplanes in Casper, p. 196
Casper’s Wireless Telegraph Systems, p. 200
Assessed Valuation of Casper Property, p. 201
Retrospective and Prospective View of Casper, p. 202
The Schools of Natrona County, p. 209
Natrona County’s Towns, p. 221
Bessemer Town, p. 221
Alcova’s Bright Prospects, p. 225
Town of Bothwell, p. 229
Rise and Fall of Eadsville, p. 230
Hogadone’s Trail, p. 233
The Town of Wolton, p. 234
Arminto Incorporated, p. 235
The Town of Mills, p. 237
Teapot Town, p. 239
The Town of Evansville, p. 240
Our Oil Fields and Oil Refineries, p. 242
Tragedies of Natrona County, p. 264
Hanging of “Cattle Kate” and Jim Averell, p. 264
The Killing of Henderson, p. 273
A Dance Hall Murder, p. 275
Hodge Kills Warren, p. 279
Boy Shoots and Kills Ranch Foreman, p. 280
Dunbar Murder Case, p. 281
Hurt Kills Milne, p. 282
Robert Gordon Killed on the Range, p. 283
Dee Blair Murdered, p. 285
Vigilance Committee Hangs Woodard, p. 286
Murphy Murder Case, p. 291
Death of James Carey, p. 293
Justifiable Homicide, p. 293
George Edwards Kills Two Men, p. 294
Cut His Wife’s Throat with a Razor, p. 295
The Bess Fisher Tragedy, p. 296
Gamblers Commit Murder, p. 297
Bootleggers Murder an Officer, p. 297
John J. Corbett Slain, p. 299
Murder and Suicide, p. 301
Another Murderess “Not Guilty”, p. 302
De Wald Shoots Rosenberry, p. 303
Peckham Kills His Wife, p. 304
Convicted Murderer Escapes Jail, p. 305
Mysterious Death of Joe Reeder, p. 306
Mexican Kills His Partner, p. 306
One Woman Convicted, p. 307
Homicide on the Range, p. 307
White Woman Shoots Negro, p. 308
Would-be Hold-ups Are Killed, p. 308
Hole-in-the-Wall Gang and Other Bad Men, p. 310
Deputy Sheriff Watson and Other Horse Thieves, p. 310
The Hole-in-the-Wall, p. 312
The Wilcox Train Robbery, p. 318
The Currie Gang, p. 323
Rode Out of Town on a Rail, p. 326
“Driftwood Jim” McCloud, p. 326
Horse Thief Tom O’Day, p. 327
Otto Chenoweth, the Gentleman Horse Thief, and “Stuttering Dick”, p. 329
Tom Horn, the “Killer”, p. 332
The Trout-Biggs Kidnaping Case, p. 334
Lincoln Morrison Shot, p. 334
Deputy Sheriff Ed Lee, et al, Steal Horses, p. 335
Frank Davis, Alias “Black Mike”, p. 337
Country Postoffice Robbers, p. 337
George W. Pike, p. 338
Tied on the Railroad Tracks, p. 338
Would Blow Up the Refinery, p. 339
Bill Carlisle, the Train Robber, p. 340
Mexican Shoplifter Attempts Murder, p. 341
Tragedies on the Range, p. 344
Cattlemen’s Invasion of Johnson County, p. 344
War Between Cattlemen and Sheepmen, p. 362
Guide Murders Two Men, p. 368
Phenomena of the Plains, p. 371
The Chinook Winds, p. 371
The Mirage on the Plains, p. 372
“Hell’s Half Acre”, p. 374
Some Severe Storms in Central Wyoming, p. 377
Casper Mountain Cave, p. 385
Grand Canyon’s Rock Cabin, p. 385
Sheepherder’s Lonely Grave, p. 386
Brooks’ Lake Haunted, p. 387
“The Deep Sleep”, p. 388
Basil (Cimineau) Lajeunesse and the Seminoe Mountains, p. 388
Thrilling Events of Early Days, p. 390
Adventures of John Colter, p. 390
The Battle of Platte Bridge, p. 395
Indians Burn Rock Ridge Station, p. 407
Robert Stuart Built the First Cabin in Wyoming, p. 410
Thrilling Events of Early Days
“Absaroka,” the Land of the Crows, p. 414
A White Indian Woman, p. 417
Chief Red Cloud in Our County Jail, p. 421
Lou Polk’s Wild Ride, p. 426
Dr. Joe Benson Cremated, p. 429
“Calamity Jane”, p. 431
Landmarks of the Old Oregon Trail, p. 436
Casper’s Pioneer Monument, p. 447
Caspar Creek Named, p. 450
Emigrant Gap, p. 450
Horse Creek Named, p. 541
Independence Rock, p. 451
Masonic Meetings on Independence Rock, p. 457
The Devil’s Gate, p. 460
Illustrations
Map of Natrona County, Wyoming, p. 6
Natrona County Newspapers, p. 30
“Tribune” Office, on Center Street, 1900, p. 32
“Derrick” Office, 1893, p. 32
Casper’s First Jail Building, 1890, p. 36
Natrona County’s First Court House, 1893, p. 36
Natrona County Court House, 1908, p. 36
The Jameson Freight Outfit Bound for Lander, p. 50
Members of the Natrona County Pioneer Association (1906), p. 60
Freight Team and Wagons with Supplies, p. 76
South Side of Main Street in 1888 “Old Town” of Casper, p. 116
North Side of Main Street in 1888 “Old Town” of Casper, p. 116
A Busy Day in the “Old Town” of Casper, 1888, p. 118
First Store of the Richards & Cunningham Company, 1888, p. 118
Two Views of Casper in 1894, p. 126
Congregational Tabernacle, Casper’s First Church Building, p. 130
Business Houses on West Center Street, 1892, p. 130
St. Mark’s First Episcopal Church, Built in 1890, p. 134
Casper Churches in the Early Days: First Methodist Episcopal, 1893 and 1906; St. Mark’s Episcopal; St. Anthony’s Catholic, p. 134
Officers and Members of Casper Lodge No. 15, A., F. and A. M., 1897, p. 140
Casper Fire Department, 1913, p. 154
Eighty-five Thousand Barrels of Oil Burning, p. 160
Oil Tanks Struck by Lightning – A Million-Dollar Fire, p. 160
Loading Up the Freight Wagons, p. 166
Indians on Second Street, Casper, Come to Town for Supplies, 1892., p. 166
West Side of Center Street, July 4, 1901, p. 170
Casper Band Marching Down Center Street, 1908, p. 170
Indians Entertaining Casper Palefaces in 1894, p. 184
Center Street, Casper, 1890, p. 184
Same Street in 1900, p. 202
Same Street in 1922, p. 202
Second Street, Casper, Looking East from Center Street, 1922, p. 208
Town of Bessemer, 1890, p. 222
Bessemer Postoffice, 1892 George W. Johnson, Wife and Son, p. 222
Goose Egg Ranch House, p. 224
First Oil Derrick in the Salt Creek (Shannon) Field, Erected in 1889, p. 244
Casper’s First Oil Refinery, Built in 1895, p. 246
Hauling Supplies from Casper to the Salt Creek Oil Fields, 1900., p. 248
Spring Creek Canyon. Inset: Ella Watson’s Cabin, p. 268
The Tree upon which Ella Watson and James Averell Were Hanged, p. 268
The “Hole-in-the-Wall” Cabin, p. 314
The “Hole-in-the-Wall” Ranch, Red Bluffs in the Distance, p. 314
“The Monument,” in Memory of I. Morris Waln, p. 370
“Monarch of the Plains”, p. 370
“The Sentinels,” a Portion of “Hell’s Half Acre”, p. 376
Old Fort Caspar and Platte Bridge, p. 406
Members of Casper City Council and Committee from Chamber of Commerce, p. 404
Excavating a Log from the Old Platte Bridge, p. 406
Masonic Memorial Service at Independence Rock, Wyoming, July 4, 1920. Inset: Commemorative Tablet Affixed to the Rock, p. 458
Sweetwater Valley. Inset: Close View of the Devil’s Gate, p. 462
The Devil’s Gate and the Tom Sun Ranch, p. 462
Second Street, Casper, Looking East from Center, 1920, p. 462
Source
Mokler, Alfred James, History of Natrona county, Wyoming, 1888-1922; true portrayal of the yesterdays of a new county and a typical frontier town of the middle West. Fortunes and misfortunes, tragedies and comedies, struggles and triumphs of the pioneers, Chicago : R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, 1923.