The Vigilantes of Montana: When Justice Rode Ahead of the Law

 

When you write stories set in the Wild West—as I did for my Montana Gold series—you quickly discover that history can be every bit as dramatic as fiction. One of the most fascinating (and sobering) chapters in Montana’s early story centers on a not-so-typical force for law and order: the vigilantes. Their rise wasn’t rooted in hot tempers or hasty rope work, as the dime novels of the era suggested, but in the very real struggle to survive in a place where danger traveled faster than the mail.

Let me take you back to the early 1860s, when the gold strikes in Bannack (July 28, 1862) and nearby Alder Gulch (May 26, 1863) drew thousands of miners to the remote mountain territory, in search of quick riches,

A Land Rich in Gold—and Outlaws

Gold rushes have a way of attracting not only dreamers but also opportunists. Highwaymen haunted the trails leading from the gold camps. Travelers reported ambushes, and sometimes stagecoaches simply disappeared. Merchants were robbed, and miners carrying gold dust walked in fear of the next bend in the road. People whispered of an organized gang called the “Innocents,” responsible for dozens of murders and robberies. The exact number of their victims remains in debate, but contemporary journals agree with early Montana histories that the threat was real enough to paralyze local trade.

To make matters worse, the newly elected sheriff of Bannack, Henry Plummer, was suspected of leading the very criminals he was sworn to stop. Whether the accusations against him were justified remains a point of discussion among historians, but the settlers at the time believed he was the mastermind behind the band of road agents plaguing the area. And when people believe their lives depend on action, they act.

Ordinary Men, Extraordinary Measures

Out of this fear and frustration grew the Montana Vigilance Committee, formed in December 1863. Its members weren’t wild-eyed renegades, but merchants, miners, and community leaders desperate to assure the safety of local communities. Because there were no functioning law courts, they created their own system of justice.

Bannack, Montana Jail; Image courtesy of MikeGoad on Pixabay

The vigilantes set about gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and identifying suspected members of the outlaw gang. Their methods weren’t perfect, and some believed they sometimes hanged innocent men. The vigilantes viewed their mission as the only means of restoring peace. Between January and February of 1864, they executed more than twenty suspected outlaws, including Sheriff Plummer.

The results were immediate. Robberies declined sharply, and residents could travel again without constant fear. The vigilantes didn’t disband right away. They resurfaced several times over the next two decades, including during the 1880s cattle-ranching conflicts, although with less impact. Their earliest efforts became the stuff of legend.

The Human Side of Western Justice

What strikes me most about the vigilantes’ story isn’t the action—and there is plenty of that—but the humanity behind it. These were people living far from home, away from their families, and out of touch with societal structures. With winter snows cutting them off from the outside world and the nearest formal court hundreds of miles away, they pulled together to demand law and order.

This tension—between survival and morality, isolation and community, justice and mercy—echoes through many western stories. It resonates with readers of Christian historical romance, who understand that the toughest questions of life often arise without comfortable answers.

How Montana’s Vigilantes Inspired My Writing

As a novelist, I don’t write to glorify violence or vengeance. My stories explore the courage, conviction, and resilience that shaped the Wild West. The vigilante era, with all its complexities, captures those qualities.

If you’ve read Hills of Nevermore (Montana Gold book 1), you noticed the rise of the Vigilantes of Montana. During this turbulent time, the characters must learn to survive in an era where the line between right and wrong isn’t always clear. I love exploring how faith anchors us in such moments.

A Legacy Worth Remembering

Today, Montana’s vigilantes are remembered through monuments, museum exhibits, and even the famous “3-7-77” symbol painted on Highway Patrol vehicles—a nod to vigilante lore whose exact meaning remains a mystery. Some believe the numbers represent grave dimensions (3 feet wide, 7 feet long, and 77 inches deep). Others suggest that it gave outlaws 3 hours, 7 minutes, and 77 seconds to escape. Whatever the code’s meaning, the Montana Vigilantes used it to warn lawbreakers to leave town or face justice.

Whether you see the vigilantes as heroes or simply products of a harsh time, their story is an undeniable part of the rugged, resilient spirit that defines Montana.

And for me, that spirit sparked the Montana Gold series—six novels where danger meets courage, sin finds redemption, and love grows in the wildest places.

About Me, Janalyn Voigt

I fell in love with literature at an early age when my father read chapters from classics as bedtime stories. When I grew older, I put myself to sleep with tales "written" in my head. Today I'm a storyteller writing in several genres. Romance, mystery, adventure, history, and whimsy appear in all my novels.

Learn more at http://janalynvoigt.com.

If you haven't discovered the Montana Gold series yet, saddle up. The Wild West is waiting — just a page turn away. Start Reading.

Bounty Hunting in the Old West: Fact vs. Fiction

By Jennifer Uhlarik

 

If you’ve watched more than a couple of western movies, you’ve probably noticed that such movies or TV shows would lead you to believe the iconic Old West bounty hunter was as common as a modern-day Starbucks location—at least one in every town, if not one on every corner. But was this actually the case? Let’s dig in and find out the realities of bounty hunting in the Old West!

 

THE AVERAGE BOUNTY WAS WORTH THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS?

 

Westerns of the big and small screens love to portray the bad guys with their images emblazoned on a tattered and yellowed Wanted Poster, and a dollar amount in the thousands as the prize for capturing such a baddy, “dead or alive.” The truth is, the average bounty was more in the very low three-figure range, not four. A typical bounty in the early 1870s was worth about $100. So the bounties shown in western movies of $1,000, $5,000, or $10,000 were extremely rare, if those prices ever actually happened.

Survey says:

 

 

MANY MADE THEIR SOLE INCOME BY BOUNTY HUNTING IN THE OLD WEST?

 

It is true that the Old West was a place where people with nefarious natures could escape from the scrutiny of more populated and civilized places back east, and sometimes, those people carried out all manner of reprehensible deeds. But did that mean that bounty hunters were a dime a dozen, just waiting to search out, capture, and collect on such wanted outlaws? Actually, no. For context, that average $100 bounty mentioned above would equal about $2587 in 2025’s economy. That doesn’t sound bad for one job…until you figure all the time and effort that might go into earning that prize. In cases that I have read about, it often took weeks or months to capture a criminal—and in more than a few cases, it took years! Weeks, months, or years of searching a wide-open countryside, in blazing sun or frigid snow, only to lose the target in the hustle and bustle of a busy cattle town or mining community and have to pick up his trail again. Weeks, months, or years of showing up too late to capture him before he robs another bank, kills another settler, or perpetrates some other kind of evil… I’m sure you can see the problem. The effort expended in chasing down, subduing, and turning in a single bad guy could far outweigh the payoff of a $100 bounty.

 

In fact, many bounties weren’t collected on by “lone wolf” bounty hunters at all. More often than not, when an outlaw was turned in, it was by a local sheriff or marshal, or an investigator for another agency, like a Pinkerton agent, Wells Fargo detective, railroad detective, or the like. The bounties they collected on became supplemental income to their standard wages from their day jobs.

Survey says:

COLLECTING THE MONEY PROMISED ON A WANTED POSTER WAS A SIMPLE MATTER AFTER TURNING IN THE OUTLAW TO THE NEAREST OFFICIAL?

 

Again, going back to the western legends and lore portrayed in movies and television, it would seem that all a bounty hunter had to do was turn in the outlaw to the nearest local sheriff or jailor, and he’d be paid on the spot. But like most things, it wasn’t always so easy. Receiving payment on a wanted poster depended on who promised that money in exchange for the outlaw’s capture. If it was a local sheriff or town council who’d put up the wanted poster, then yes, the bounty hunter would (or should) get paid upon turning that outlaw in to the local authorities. However, often, those bounties were promised by a state government, or even more frequently, by a railroad, a bank, or other investigative organization—like the Pinkertons. So in order to collect on the wanted poster, the bounty hunter would have to transport his capture to the office of whatever organization or person who promised the payment to begin with. This could mean days or weeks of travel with a handcuffed, perhaps injured outlaw who might very well be looking for any means of escape—or transporting the corpse, in the case the outlaw was killed during his capture. And according to some of my research, even upon delivering the outlaw to the proper authority, the money wasn’t always readily available. It just depended on who it was. Well-funded banks and railroads would pay quickly, as did the Pinkertons and large government agencies like the Secret Service. But in some cases, smaller, more fly-by-night entities might promise a reward for capturing an outlaw to draw people in—then not have the funds to pay all they’d promised when the bad guy was presented, or not pay in a quick manner. 

Survey says:

 

 

IT’S YOUR TURN: What surprised you most about the facts and fictions of Old West bounty hunters?

 

Jennifer Uhlarik discovered western novels at twelve when she swiped the only “horse” book from her brother’s bookshelf. Across the next decade, she devoured westerns and fell in love with the genre. While attaining a B.A. in writing from the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. She has finaled in and won numerous writing competitions and appeared on various best-seller lists. Besides writing, she’s been a business owner, a schoolteacher, a marketing director, a historical researcher, a publisher, and a full-time homemaker. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband and fur children.

Love and Order: A Three-Part Old West Romantic Mystery (Coming April 1, 2025)

 

Wanted: Family, Love, and Justice

One Old West Mystery Solved Throughout Three Short Romantic Stories

Separated as children when they were adopted out to different families from an orphan train, the Braddock siblings have each grown up and taken on various jobs within law enforcement and criminal justice.

 

Youngest child, Callie, has pushed past her insecurities to pursue a career as a Pinkerton agent. Middle child, Andi, has spent years studying law under her adoptive father’s tutelage. And the eldest and only son, Rion, is a rough-and-tumble bounty hunter. 

 

When the hunt for a serial killer with a long history of murders reunites the brother and sisters in Cambria Springs, Colorado, they find themselves not only in a fight for justice, but also a fight to keep their newly reunited family intact. How will they navigate these challenges when further complicated by unexpected romances?

 

 

The Last Stage Robber--and It's a Woman!

You've probably never heard of Pearl Hart, but she committed one of the last stage robberies in the Old West. Pearl was born in Lindsay, Ontario, to affluent and religious parents, who afforded her with the best education available. She was enrolled in boarding school at the age of sixteen, where she met her future husband, who seemed to have various first names, but most often was referred to as Frederick Hart.

By Unknown photographer (Historian Insight) [Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons

Frederick Hart was known to be a drunkard and gambler. Pearl eloped with Hart, but quickly learned he was abusive, so she returned to her mother's home. They reunited and separated several times, resulting in two children, which Pearl left with her mother.

Pearl's husband worked a stint at the Chicago World's Fair, where Pearl developed a fascination with the cowboy lifestyle while watching Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. After the fair, the couple moved to Colorado. Hart described this time in her life: "I was only twenty-two years old. I was good-looking, desperate, discouraged, and ready for anything that might come. I do not care to dwell on this period of my life. It is sufficient to say that I went from one city to another until some time later I arrived in Phoenix." During this time Pearl worked as a cook and singer. There are also reports that she developed a fondness for cigars, liquor, and morphine during this time.

Hart ran into her husband again, and they lived in Tuscon for a time. But things went badly, and the abused started again. When the Spanish-American War broke out, Mr. Hart signed up. Pearl shocked observers by declaring that she hoped he would be killed by the Spanish.

Pearl Hart in Cosmopolitan in 1899

Pearl resided in the town of Mammoth, Arizona in early 1898. Some reports say she was working as a cook in a boarding house. Others say she operated a tent brothel near the local mine. While she did well for a time, the mine eventually closed, and her financial status took a nosedive. About this time she received a message asking her to return home to her seriously ill mother.

Hart had an acquaintance known as "Joe Boot" (most likely an alias), who worked at a mining claim he owned. When the mine didn't yield gold, Hart and Boot decided to rob the stagecoach that traveled between Globe and Florence, Arizona. The robbery occurred on May 30, 1899, at a watering point near Cane Springs Canyon, about 30 miles southeast of Globe. Pearl had cut her hair short and dressed in men's clothing, and she was armed with a .38 revolver.

The trio stopped the coach, and Boot held a gun on the robbery victims while Hart took $431.20 and two firearms from the passengers. Reports say Pearl returned $1 to each passenger to aid them in getting home. Less than a week later, a sheriff caught up to them and both were put in jail. Boot was held in Florence while Hart was moved to Tucson since the jail lacked facilities for a lady.

The room Hart was held in was not a normal jail cell but rather made of lath and plaster. Taking advantage of the relatively weak material, Hart escaped on October 12, 1899. She left behind an 18-inch hole in the wall. Just two weeks later, she was recaptured near Deming, New Mexico. After their trials, both Hart and Boot were sent to Yuma Territorial Prison to serve their sentences.

Pearl Hart in prison

In December 1902, Pearl received a pardon from Arizona Territorial Governor Alexander Brodie. After she left prison, Hart disappeared from public view for the most part. She had a short-lived show where she re-enacted her crime and then spoke about the horrors of Yuma Territorial Prison. Tales from Gila County claim that Hart returned to Globe and lived there peacefully until her death on December 30, 1955, other reports place her death as late as 1960.

Hart's exploits have been popular in western pulp fiction. The musical The Legend of Pearl Hart was based upon Hart's life, and her adventures are mentioned in the early 1900s film Yuma City. Pearl Hart was the subject of an episode of Tales of Wells Fargo that aired on May 9, 1960, played by Beverly Garland. She was also the subject of a Death Valley Days episode from March 17, 1964, titled "The Last Stagecoach Robbery", with Anne Frances playing the part of Pearl.

No One Is Too Tough to be Loved 

Join seven Texas Rangers on the hunt for a menacing gang, who run straight into romances with women who foil their plans for both the job and their futures.

In Partners in Crime by Vickie McDonough
Micah McCullough, a Texas Ranger working undercover in the Markham gang, is tasked with guarding Laurel Underwood, a silversmith, who was kidnapped to create plates for printing counterfeit money. Laurel knows she doesn’t have the expertise. Her only option is to stall and seek escape. What will the outlaws do when they learn her secret?

Bestselling author Vickie McDonough grew up wanting to marry a rancher, but instead, she married a computer geek who is scared of horses. She now lives out her dreams penning romance stories about ranchers, cowboys, lawmen, and others living in the Old West. Vickie is an award-winning author of nearly 50 published books and novellas, with over 1.5 million copies sold. Song of the Prairie won the 2015 Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Gabriel’s Atonement, book 1 in the Land Rush Dreams series, placed second in the 2016 Will Rogers Medallion Award. Vickie has recently stepped into independent publishing.

The Vigilantes of Montana

Boot Hill, Virginia City, Montana. Outlaws were buried separately from the town's decent folk. By Basenjik [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons

Men came to Bannack, site of the first discovery of gold in present-day Montana, in 1863 for a number of reasons. Many hoped to make their fortunes in gold, find adventure, and enjoy the freedom of the American West. Others were fleeing justice or on the take. Greed sparked crimes.

The Civil War focused the government’s attention away from the settlers’ pleas to tame the West. Those living in the Wild West felt justifiably abandoned. The dearth of law-and-order was never more keenly felt than in the gold camps, where gold dust, prostitutes, and rot-gut whiskey combined to lead men astray. Bannack was one of the most notorious. The first-hand accounts I read while researching the Montana Gold series confirm this. Lucia Darling, who established a school for the town’s children in 1863, gave a scathing report in her diary. “Bannack was tumultuous and rough. It was the headquarters of a band of highwaymen. Lawlessness and misrule seemed to be the prevailing spirit of the place.”

Word-of-mouth held that a gang of road agents known as “The Innocents” had murdered one hundred men. Some believed that the leader was none other than Bannack’s Sheriff Henry Plummer and that several of his deputies were among the outlaws. This naturally did not instill in them feelings of security. The gang was said to operate out of the Rattlesnake Ranch, twelve miles from Virginia City, another boomtown that in 1865 would steal the title of territorial capital from Bannack.

People were fed up with the scourge of road agents who held up stagecoaches carrying gold between Bannack and Virginia City and robbed riders who dared to venture onto the roads. After the brutal murder of a well-liked Dutch miner named Nicholas Tbalt, matters came to a head. Nicholas had ridden off with a bag of gold and simply vanished. On December 21, four days after the discovery of the unfortunate man’s body, a group of vigilantes tried and hanged George Ives for the crime. Two days later, prominent citizens of Bannack and Virginia City formed the Vigilance Committee of Alder Gulch, headquarted in Virginia City.

A slew of lynchings followed as the vigilantes hunted down at least 20 suspected road agents. They left a scrap of paper with the numbers “3-7-77” on each hanged man. Many theories have been ventured as to what these numbers meant. Some claim it gave the dimensions of a grave. Whatever their meaning, the warning these numbers gave was well understood by anyone who found them painted on their tents or cabins. Today, members of the Montana Highway Patrol still wear these numbers.

On January 10, 1863, vigilantes hanged Sheriff Henry Plummer alongside two of his deputies. I used first-hand accounts to paint this scene in Hills of Nevermore (Montana Gold, book 1). Some feel that justice was served; others that the vigilantes hung the innocent. Today, historians disagree over Sheriff Plummer’s guilt or innocence. On May 7, 1993, Montana’s Twin Bridges Public Schools initiated a posthumous trial for Henry Plummer. It ended in a hung jury and the declaration of a mistrial.

The lynching of Jack Slade on March 10, 1864 in Virginia City raised eyebrows. Jack hadn’t actually murdered anyone, although he’d terrorized the entire town by riding his horse down the main street with his guns blazing while drunk. Not long after Jack’s death, government-sanctioned law and order came to Montana. Vigilante violence continued sporadically until 1867, but it became an increasing cause for concern. Miners in Bannack asked the vigilantes to desist, promising to return any judgment they meted out five-fold. 

About Janalyn Voigt

Janalyn Voigt's unique blend of adventure, romance, suspense, and whimsy creates breathtaking fictional worlds for readers. Known for her vivid writing, this multi-faceted author writes in the western historical romance, medieval epic fantasy, and romantic suspense genres.

Janalyn is represented by Wordserve Literary Agency. Her memberships include ACFW and NCWA. When she's not writing, she loves to garden and explore the great outdoors with her family.

Explore Janalyn Voigt's interactive website.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

By Miralee Ferrell

I'm celebrating outlaws of the old west this month. Okay, so I'm not REALLY celebrating the outlaws, but rather the re-release of an older title of mine late this month under the new title, Outlaw Angel (first publ as Love Finds You in Sundance, Wyoming). And since it's set outside of Sundance, famous for the Sundance Kid, I thought it would be fun to explore the backgrounds of Sundance and his pal, Butch.

Did any of you ever watch the movie starring Robert Redford and Paul Newman? It's one of my all-time favorite westerns, truly a classic. And fun, to boot! I realize the writers probably took a bit of creative liberty with the historical aspect of that movie, but hey, it's entertainment, right? In fact, here's a fun short clip from the movie from YouTube. 

Butch Cassidy was born Robert Leroy Parker in 1866 as the oldest of 13 children. His parents and

grandparents were Mormon, and settled in Beaver, Utah where they started farming and raising cattle.  The story goes that his Parker's (Butch) first run-in with the law was at the age of 13. He'd started working for a neighboring ranch to help bring in money for his large family. He rode to a nearby store to buy a new pair of overalls for work, but the store was closed. He broke in, took the overalls, but left a note explaining he'd come back when they were open to pay. The storekeeper had him arrested, and this left Parker holding a grudge against authority, possibly the trigger that set him on the wrong side of the law. 

Here's a mug shot of Parker (Butch Cassidy) after one of his run-ins with the law. As an older teen he worked for a rancher who taught him to ride and shoot, but the man, Mike Cassidy, got into trouble with the law and fled the area. Several years later, at the age of 23, Parker took part in his first train robbery, where he and a couple of cohorts got away with the tidy sum of $20,000.00, a huge sum during that time period, Parker changed his last name to Cassidy, whether to protect his family name, honor his mentor, or both, no one knows. The nickname of Butch may have come a little later while working at a butcher shop in Wyoming.

Used from/www.history.com/news/history-lists/6-things-you-might-not-know-about-butch-cassidy

The Sundance Kid was born Harry Alonzo Longabaugh and got his outlaw start along with his nickname and an 18-month jail term in 1887, after stealing a horse near Sundance, Wyoming. Sundance met the woman who would become his companion, Etta Place, and later became affiliated with the Wild Bunch, which Butch Cassidy had also joined. Sundance and Etta lived in a tent near Butch at Robber's Roost, a remote outlaw hideout in SE Utah for a time while pulling off train robberies and other crimes. 

Although the academy-award-winning movie depicted Sundance and Cassidy as best friends, they actually weren't. They worked together, but Cassidy's best friend was another outlaw member of the Wild Bunch, William 'Elsy' Lay. Ten years later, during a train robbery in 1899, Lay killed a sheriff and was given a life sentence, but was released in 1906 after helping stop a prison riot. 

At the turn of the 20th century, outlaw Butch Cassidy surrendered his Colt .45

while seeking amnesty from the governor of Utah. His request denied, the famous robber continued his life of crime—without his trusty revolver.

A gun once owned by the legendary train and bank robber Robert LeRoy Parker, better known as Butch Cassidy, fetched $175,000 at auction. According to reports, the Colt .45 went to an anonymous online bidder. Owned by the famous bandit in the late 1890s, the revolver was described in a video released by its auctioneers as “the most fully documented Butch Cassidy gun in existence.” Along with its strong paper trail, the amnesty Colt’s unique characteristics have piqued the interest of collectors and historians. Most intriguing are numbers scratched inside the gun’s right grip, which some believe are the combination to an undiscovered safe in a Denver bank.

With the Pinkerton Detective Agency on their trail, both Butch and Sundance

The Wild Bunch--Cassidy Far Right

fled to Bolivia in 1901. The Pinkerton Agency sent a notice to banks there to be on the lookout for the two men. Eventually, their hideout was discovered and a battle ensued. However, when a man later identified the bodies, there was speculation whether the two men killed were actually Sundance and Cassidy. 

Although descriptions of the deceased bandits bore some resemblance to the legendary robbers, no photographs of the bodies were ever taken to provide proof.

With no conclusive evidence to confirm the deaths of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, rumors took root that the pair had once again eluded the long arm of the law, and sightings of the duo in South America, Mexico and the United States continued for decades to come.

Family members fueled the stories by insisting that the men had never been killed and instead returned to the United States to live into old age. Cassidy’s sister, Lula Parker Betenson, wrote in her 1975 book “Butch Cassidy, My Brother” that the outlaw had returned to the family ranch in Circleville, Utah, in 1925 to visit his ailing father and attend a family wedding. According to Betenson, Cassidy told the family that a friend of his had planted the story that one of the men killed in Bolivia was him so that he would no longer be pursued. She claimed that Cassidy lived in the state of Washington under an alias until his death in 1937. Betenson said her brother was buried in an unmarked grave in a location that was kept a family secret.

Coming the end of July--Outlaw Angel--previously Love Finds You in Sundance, Wyoming, with an epilogue added not in the original book

Angel Ramirez is tired of living a lie.
But can she learn to live like a lady?

On the run from a dangerous outlaw, Angel works her way across several states disguised as a boy and working as a varmint tracker and horse wrangler. After taking a job on a Wyoming ranch owned by a bachelor and his widowed sister, she finally reveals her true identity and must fight to prove her worth as a ranch hand while somehow discovering her role as woman.

Hiring a woman doesn’t sit well with Travis Morgan, and the dark-haired beauty is causing a ruckus among his cowboys. Just as Angel decides she’ll never be able to please her boss, an unexpected surprise arrives from across the ocean and makes trouble on the ranch. Will Angel leave with the person who’s come so far to claim her?

Miralee Ferrell is a best-selling and award-winning author with 19 books to her credit and another releasing this year. She lives in Washington state with her husband, two dogs, 2 cats, and 14 chickens, and loves traveling to various places for historical research. You can connect with Miralee, learn more about her books, and sign up for her newsletter at her website, or join her author group on Facebook.

Outlaw Trails and Hideouts

by Linda Farmer Harris

Since the January 2013 launch of Christian Fiction Historical Society, now Heroes, Heroines and History, several writers have posted about robbers, thieves, and outlaws. 

Most recently, Nancy J. Farrier blogged about "Billy the Kid" — http://www.hhhistory.com/2015/07/billy-kid-and-giveaway.html

Ramona K. Cecil wrote about the "First Train Robbery & The Reno Gang" — http://www.hhhistory.com/2013/09/worlds-first-train-robbery-reno-gang-by.html

It was fascinating reading about the people, but I wondered where they went after the shoot 'em-up, bang, bang was over.

What's the first old West hideout that comes to your mind? 

One of the best-known is Robbers Roost in southwest Utah. This hideout was home to Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch. There were only five women known to have been allowed inside Robbers Roost: Laura Bullion, Maude Davis, Etta Place, Ann Bassett, and Josie Bassett.

Upper Robbers Roost Canyon, aerial photo by Doc Searls

Robbers Roost Plat Map

Did you name Hole-in-the-Wall? Surrounded by imposing rock formations, there are few entrances to this remote pass in the Big Horn Mountains of Johnson County, Wyoming.

Hole in the Wall, Wyoming

Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch, Black Jack Ketchum, Kid Curry, the Sundance Kid, and the Hole In the Wall Gang are among the outlaws who used this hideout. Cassidy and Sundance really got around!

The Hole in the Wall is actually a pass

Robbers Roost and Hole-in-the-Wall were remote, secluded, and easily defended. Both places made it impossible for lawmen or anyone to approach without alerting the outlaws.

I'm a fan of Brown's Hole, now known as Brown's Park, located in Colorado on the border with Utah. It's also an isolated mountain valley along the Green River in Moffat County, Colorado and Daggett County, Utah.

Entrance to Brown's Hole

Brown's Hole was the birthplace of Ann Bassett, romantically involved with Butch Cassidy and Ben Kilpatrick. She is also the alleged girlfriend of Sundance Kid. Her occupations were western rancher and cattle rustler. Rustlin's one way to stock a ranch!

Initially considered a favorite wintering place for Shoshoni and Ute tribes, it became a frequented by fur trappers and mountain men including Kit Carson, Jim Bridger, Joe Meeks, and Jack Robinson.

By the 1860's Brown's Hole became a haven for outlaws, horse thieves, and cattle rustlers. It's interesting to note that the Brown's Hole code of ethics allowed for most "outlaw deed" except murder.

Ann Swinger wrote in her book Run, River, Run: A Naturalist's Journey Down One of the Great Rivers of the West (New York, 1975, p. 141), that Brown's Hole was "a more or less permanent hideout for many who found total honesty a personal encumbrance."

Part of the charm of this area is little has changed from those wild west frontier days. However, I'm confident you'll see more fishing rods than six guns should you have the opportunity to visit Brown's Hole.

If you were a desperado, where would you hide? 

Does your state have any famous outlaw hideouts?

Blessings,

Linda (Lin) Farmer Harris

Lin and her husband live on a ranch in Chimney Rock, Colorado. She writes historical fiction for adults and children. Her enjoyment of genealogy and family history adds unique elements to her stories.