Midway Station and The Pony Express Museum -- by Donna Schlachter

Midway Station -- currently

I started talking about Midway Station in February 2024 (click here if you missed that post). And while the book doesn’t release until August 31, 2024, the pre-order is up to order the ebook version here

During the process of writing the book, I came across some interesting facts about Midway Station. One is that Midway Station is actually on private property.

Second, it was a home station, which changed my story a little, and is contrary to what I posted in February. But that’s the joy of research – sometimes, looking deeper reveals new information and new stories. Now I had to account for riders coming through, riding east or west. Which meant I needed somewhere for them to sleep. And a corral for horses. Land to grow feed on. Papa Wes became a landowner, farmer, and rancher.

And third, the station is less than two miles from Gothenburg. Which means a short ride to town for supplies, the law, or a doctor. All of which get worked into the story.

I also learned that the next home station is at Fremont Springs, which is three miles west of Hershey. And in total, there are only about fifty-seven miles between Midway and Fremont. That means a short day’s ride from one to the other, leaving plenty of time for characters to get into trouble.

Gothenburg Station (NPS)

 

Another fact of note: there never was a Pony Express station in Gothenburg, yet it is home to one of the most popular stations along the trail. In fact, another building was moved from a way station to save the structure from demolition. After a number of years, somebody formed the Gothenburg Pony Express Station.

While not much bigger than a small cabin, the museum is bulging with artifacts, stories, and almost-long memories. It receives about 40,000 visitors per year, every year, as it promotes the Pony Express and shares history with folks along the way. You can check out the museum here

About Hearts of Midway:

Cecilia Hammond works for her aged grandparents, but longs to become a lawman—a law woman—like her sheriff father. She prefers riding a horse to sitting in a parlor, and she despises petticoats and such frippery, preferring dungarees.

Denver Jenkins rides into town, looking for a job and hiding a secret. He hires on with the Pony Express, and is assigned to train with a young man named Cec. Denver has good reasons to change his name. One that could get him killed if the wrong people found out. Hoping that riding with the Express will disguise his real reason for being in the Gothenburg area—cattle rustling—he’s also interested in the pretty gal he spots at the Midway Home Station—Cecilia. She’d be a good addition to his new persona. Then he spots her twin brother Cec elsewhere—in town, and, of course, on the Pony Express Trail. Could he use his friendship with her brother to gain her trust?

Cecilia and Denver strive to keep their individual secrets. Will they lower their defenses and enlist the help of the other? Or will they struggle on alone?

About Donna:

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 60 times in books; is a member of several writers groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter. She is taking all the information she’s learned along the way about the writing and publishing process, and is coaching committed career writers. Learn more at https://www.donnaschlachter.com/the-purpose-full-writer-coaching-programs Check out her coaching group on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651



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Resources:

Fremont Springs  https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/poex/hrs/hrs5a.htm#36  

 

https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/nebraska-pony-express-stations.htm 

The Unsolved Mystery of Sheriff Plummer’s Gold

Sheriff Henry Plummer insisted he hadn’t robbed any stagecoaches, that is until a hanging seemed imminent. That's when the sheriff changed his tune, promising to return with his weight in stolen gold if the vigilantes gave him a horse and two hours. History buffs still wonder whether he was guilty or an innocent man desperate to save his own life.

Sheriff Plummer was a man of means. Whether the sheriff gained his fortune entirely by honest means remains open to speculation. He did own a gold claim, but a convicted road agent had named him as leader of the "Innocents," a notorious outlaw band. 

A posthumous trial sponsored by Twin Bridges Public Schools and held in the Virginia City, Montana, courthouse on May 7, 1993 resulted in a six-six vote. The judge declared a mistrial. Plummer would have walked, never again to be tried on the same charges. That's not what happened on January 10, 1864. Plummer's pleas fell on deaf ears, and he swung at the wrong end of a rope.

Sheriff Henry Plummer, Wikimedia Commons; Public Domain

Lost Gold

Plummer took the location of his ill-gotten gold, if it existed, to the grave. The search for it began right after his death and continues today, centuries later. Although some claimed to find the cache, no evidence exists that anyone ever did.

The Innocents, also known as the Plummer Gang, reportedly waylaid stagecoaches traveling between Bannack City and Virginia City, about 25 miles away. At its peak, the Innocents, headquartered about 12 from Virginia City at Rattlesnake Ranch, consisted of about 100 road agents. Some claim that the gang committed other crimes, including over 100 murders, while others refute this idea.

Stagecoach, Library of Congress; Public Domain

Vigilante Justice

The Bannack goldrush began in 1862 and swelled to 3,000 prospectors by 1863. Dance halls and saloons went up at a faster pace than churches. Rotgut whiskey had a terrible effect on the miners, and the rate of crime and theft doubled. This state of affairs repeated across the West, leading settlers to call upon Washington DC for law and order. However, the Civil War raging in the East distracted politicians from the lawless frontier. Frustrated with the lack of response, townsfolk took matters into their own hands. The Vigilance Committee of Alder Gulch, headquartered in Virginia City, sprang into being.

The Vigilantes of Montana; or, Popular justice in the Rocky mountains; being a correct and impartial narrative of the chase, trial, capture, and execution of Henry Plummer's road agent band, together with accounts of the lives and crimes of many of the robbers and desperadoes, the whole being interspersed with sketches of life in the mining camps of the 'Far west.' by Thomas Dimsdale (1886) became the first book published in Montana. Dimsdale, a newspaper publisher, compiled his book from a newspaper series he authored for the Montana Post in 1865. Dimsdale provides a timeline for the activities of the vigilance committee as it doled out “mountain justice.” That usually meant a spur-of-the-moment trial followed by banishment or hanging.

The vigilantes made their first arrest in December 1863 near the Rattlesnake Ranch on the Ruby River and headed back to Virginia city with “Erastus Red” Yeager and George Brown, a pair of suspected outlaws, in tow. Along the way, Yeager confessed to his part in the Innocents gang and provided the vigilantes with a list of names. Yeager named Sheriff Henry Plummer as the leader. Yeager may have hoped to escape death by cooperating with the posse, which makes some wonder about the varacity of his list. We'll probably never know the truth. At any rate, it didn't save him. After a speedy trial, Yeager and Brown were hanged from a cottonwood tree.

Bannack, Montana; by Mr Hicks46, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Over the next several months, the vigilantes lynched twenty men on Yeager’s list, including Sheriff Plummer, and shot another dead in Bannack. It is unknown how many they banished from the territory, on pain of death. Alexander Toponce, a freight hauler and merchant who served Bannack at the time, mentioned the vigilantes in his autobiography: Reminiscences of Alexander Toponce (1923):”I don't think they made any mistake in hanging anybody. The only mistake they made was about fifty percent of those whom they merely banished should have been hung instead, as quite a number of these men were finally hung.”

Some of the men on Yeager’s list left town voluntarily, as might well be imagined. A corresponding drop in stagecoach robberies and crime in general seems to bear out Toponce's conclusions.

More Lost Gold

It wasn’t uncommon for outlaws to bury stolen gold in Montana. Since most of the Innocents died without divulging the locations of their loot, historians believe that lost gold peppers the landscape between Bannack and Virginia City. 

Final Thoughts

I've driven the road between Virginia City and Bannack. It's not hard to picture outlaws riding out to rob stagecoaches in the flat valley cut by the Ruby River. With mountains blued by distance rising in the background, the place has an other-worldly feeling. Bannack, with still stands, is protected as a state park. When I visited, you could walk into the buildings, which still contained the paraphanelia of living. Part of the town isn't there anymore, but I walked that direction to get the lay of the land--part of my research for the books I knew I would write.

Thomas Dimsdale’s Vigilantes of Montana contains his eyewitness account of Sheriff Plummer’s lynching, a resource I used when describing this scene for Hills of Nevermore (Montana Gold book 1). Although a work of fiction, Hills of Nevermore portrays real historical figures and events, including those involving Sheriff Plummer. The novel pits a widow with a dark secret against an Irish circuit preacher trying to leave his own past behind. Both need to make peace with themselves and God. Their romance plays out against Montana’s goldrush, a troubled time in America. The six-book Montana Gold series, explores faith, love, and courage in the Wild West.

About Janalyn Voigt

Janalyn Voigt fell in love with literature at an early age when her father read chapters from classics as bedtime stories. When Janalyn grew older, she put herself to sleep with tales "written" in her head. Today Janalyn is a storyteller who writes in several genres. Romance, mystery, adventure, history, and whimsy appear in all her novels.

Learn more about Janalyn Voigt.

Discover Montana Gold

Hills of Nevermore: A young widow hides her shameful secret from a blue-eyed circuit preacher.

Cheyenne Sunrise: A disillusioned young woman is forced to entrust herself to a half-Cheyenne guide.

Stagecoach to Liberty: To escape captivity, a young woman must trust a mysterious stranger.

The Forever Sky: Can a young widow with no faith in love reconcile with the man who broke her heart?

The Promise Tree: A preacher’s daughter knows she shouldn't encourage a troublemaker, no matter she promised him.

The Whispering Wind: Phoebe can have her pick of suitors but never the man she wants.

Learn More.

LAWMAN BADGES & THE WILD WEST

By Mary Davis

How do you tell a good guy from a bad guy in the old Wild West? Their badge, of course. Unless the lawman is also an outlaw and the outlaw a lawman. The difference between the two wasn’t clear-cut. Lawmen and outlaws dabbled on both sides of the badge.

circa 1873

Law enforcement badges have been around for thousands of years, clear back to 3000 BC. Knights' shields and coat of arms were forms of badges. However, badges didn’t start out as a sign of someone in crime prevention. The insignias announced a person’s official status and allegiance. There was even a beggar’s badge in England for the poor to show they had the right to beg for food and money.

Beggar Badge

Their transition to law enforcement was a natural one, to show who was authorized to administer justice and whom a person might be able to trust. These symbols of authority were traditionally worn on the left side. I found two reasons for this. One, knights carried their shields in their left hand both to protect that most vital organ, the heart, and to leave their dominant arm free to wield their sword.

 

Two, the placement signifies the pledge they took to hold the office and their willingness to serve and protect others, even to the point of risking their own lives.

Not all old west lawmen wore their badge on the left but a lot did. Also, not all old west lawmen wore badges at all, because there wasn’t always one available to wear. They cost money, and often, being a sheriff or deputy wasn’t a paid position.

When badges weren’t accessible or there wasn’t a large governing body to issue badges (as was the case in many old West frontier towns), some were formed out of easy to find materials. Some badges were forged out of coins. Rumor has it that the “tin” stars were made out of can lids, though the sources I came across hadn’t seen one yet, they were still looking. Since some badges were made out of readily available items, it makes sense that someone somewhere would have fashioned one out of a can lid.

Badges came in many shapes: stars, shields, ovals, circles, and various other forms. Each organization wanted their badge to be unique, hence the reason for the variety. Here are a few.

Used during WWI

Though badges have changed in their purpose over the centuries, they still convey status and allegiance.

 

In the latest installment of my Quilting Circle series, The Débutante's Secret, a young man with a badge finds love instead of bandits.

***NOW AVAILABLE***

THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle 4)

Will Geneviève open her heart to a love she never imagined?

Washington State 1894

Geneviève Marseille has one purpose in coming to Kamola—stopping her brother from digging up the past. Deputy Montana has lived a simple life. But when a fancy French lady steps off the train and into his arms, his modest existence might not be enough anymore. A nemesis from Aunt Henny's past arrives in town threatening her with jail. Will she flee as she’d done all those years ago, or stand her ground in the town she’s made her home? When secrets come out, will the lives of Geneviève, Montana, and Aunt Henny ever be the same?

 

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle Book 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (The Quilting Circle Book 3) is a Selah Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; The Widow’s Plight, The Daughter's Predicament, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , Prodigal Daughters Amish series, "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of thirty-seven years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

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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.

Why Nobody Laughed at Smiley's Hanging

I was surprised to learn that written invitations for neck-tie parties were not all that uncommon.  When nineteenth century hangings went from being public spectacles to private affairs, the burden of inviting law enforcement officers, jurors and other public figures to the proceedings was the sheriff's responsibility. What better way to spread the word than sending out printed cards?

These invitations were valued and any community leader not on the receiving end was insulted. For the most part, respectful fonts and paper were employed for the macabre task. Though most invitations were hand-written, a surprising number were engraved. 

Some went over the line in poor taste, but none as much as the invitation sent by Sheriff Wattron of Navajo County who had the task of announcing the hanging of one George Smiley for murder. Here's the actual invitation:

 

Not only did the lawman use paper with a bright gold border, his tacky choice of words stirred a controversy that reached the White House. Somehow the invitation got into the hands of a journalist and newspapers across the country and abroad printed the story. President McKinley was so incensed by what he read he issued Smiley a thirty day stay of execution.    

The Governor of Arizona addressed the issue by writing the following:

"The Sheriff of Navajo County, whose duty it is to execute the condemned and bring about the just expiation of an awful crime, has seen fit to publicly advertise and issue cards of invitation to the execution of the condemned, in unseemly and flippant language, and in terms which have brought reproach upon the good name of this Territory."

Bending under the pressure Sheriff Wattron rewrote the invitation and was careful to include respectful black border. However, he showed his displeasure by mailing the invitations too late for the governor and other critics to attend. 

The second invitation was a vast improvement over the first, but somehow you get the feeling that it was written under protest. 

"With feelings of profound sorrow and regret, I hereby invite you to attend and witness the private, decent and humane execution of a human being; name, George Smiley, crime, murder."

The sheriff ended the invitation by urging guests to "deport yourself in a respectful manner."

So now you know why nobody laughed when Smiley died. 

 

 ~~~~~~~~

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