Colonization of Wyoming Big Horn Basin

COLONIZATION OF WYOMING BIG HORN BASIN

The following is taken from the codymural.com website.  It was created to show the murals in the beautiful Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints  in Cody, Wyoming that is in part a historic visitors center with a small museum dedicated to the Mormon Pioneer colonization of the area. 

By 1900 the Latter-day Saints had established over 500 individual communities from Canada to Mexico. Thousands of families were called by Church leaders and sent by assignment to establish these communities. It was a planned, purposeful colonization on a massive scale. It was, in fact, one of the largest and most successful colonization projects ever undertaken. But Brigham Young, the Church's President at the time, refused to take credit for it.

He said, "I do not wish men to understand I had anything to do with our being moved here: that was the providence of the all mighty; it was the power of God that wrought out salvation for this people. I never could have devised such a plan." (Journal of Discourses 4: 41.")
 
Portraits of Richards, Chatterton, and President Snow:
Knowing of the Latter-day Saints' success in colonization, the Governor of Wyoming, DeForrest Richards, and Secretary of State, Fennimore Chatterton, came to Salt Lake city in January of 1900 and called upon Church President, Lorenzo Snow. The Governor asked that a colony of Latter-day Saints be sent into the northern part of the Big Horn Basin to assist in settling this part of Wyoming. The Governor was assured that a colony would be sent. In February this group, representing the colonizers, investigated the area offered by the Governor and reported the project as feasible, and a group started for Wyoming in April of 1900, just three months after Governor Richards met with President Snow.

Over a hundred families responded to the call of the Church, sold their homes, and took only what they could carry in their covered wagons. They were sent under the direction of Apostle Abraham 0. Woodruff. These families regarded their call as the will of their Heavenly Father.


Leaders of Big Horn Colonization Company
These are the leaders of the original Latter-Day Saint Pioneer Company that came to the Big Horn Basin. All eleven of them were sent to report on the feasibility of the proposed settlement in the Cowley, Byron, and Lovell area along with the construction of a canal.

Mormon Pathfinders of the Big Horn Basin

Front Row: George H. Taggart, Byron Sessions, Abraham O. Woodruff, Wm B. Graham, Brigham L. Tippetts, S.P. Sorensen Back Row: Charles A. Welch, Hyrum K. North, John Stevens, William G. Simmons, John J. Simmons

Picture taken in Bozeman, Montana, on the groups return from the Big Horn Basin February 1900

Mormon Pathfinders of Wyoming Big Horn Basin

Front Row: George H Taggart, Byron Sessons, Abraham O Woodruff, Wm B. Graham, Brigham L. Tippetts, S.P. Sorensen, Back Row: Charles A. Welch, Hyrum K. North, John Stevens, William G. Simmons, John J. Simmons.  Picture was taken in Bozeman, Montana, on the groups return from the Big Horn Basin February 1900.

Map of Trail Into Big Horn Basin

After they returned, and gave a positive report, it was agreed that the immigrants would meet at Ham's Fork, Wyoming by April 25, 1900, and from there travel together to the Big Horn Basin.

Photos of Wagons Camped at Ham's Fork

These photographs show two of the pioneer companies camped at Ham's Fork in April of 1900. Several days out from Ham's Fork, the colonizers encountered a blizzard, which continued for three days. The wagons were forced to travel through snow over two feet deep. A two-year-old girl, the daughter of John and Avilda Dickson, was taken seriously ill with pneumonia. Despite efforts to save her, she died one night during the storm.

Building Coffin For Little Girl

No boards could be found in the camp, so parts of wagon end gates were used to fashion a small coffin, and the little body was sent back to Utah for burial. The company, though saddened by the death, moved on. After nearly a month of travel, they arrived at their destination with only tents to live in.

Buffalo Bill Cody

The well-known Buffalo Bill Cody met the pioneers at Eagle's Nest and offered them land on the South Fork of the Shoshone River. He told them of his project on the South Fork of the Shoshone River and, of course, any development there would help him and his partner. But the group decided on the area around Lovell, Cowley, and Byron where Governor Richards had suggested.

William Buffalo Bill Cody

Ground Breaking

Knowing that irrigation water would be essential to the growing of any crops, on May 28, about 200 of the colonists met at the head of the proposed canal, which was later known as the Sidon Canal. A hymn was sung and then all knelt on the ground while Elder Woodruff dedicated the land and the future canal to the Lord for his people. Elder Woodruff then outlined the task that lay before them.

Map of Canal Route

The canal, he told them, would be 37 miles long and would irrigate from twelve to fifteen thousand acres. The work was to begin the next day. He told them that it would require a united effort, for they were few in number. Then he said, "As an Apostle of the Lord, Jesus Christ, I call each of you upon a mission to help build up this country. If you will do this and keep the commandments of God, the Lord will bless you forever." In the group were some who were only visiting family. Feeling that they had been called on a mission, they went home got their affairs in order and returned to help.

Ground was then broken for the canal. Byron Sessions, the construction superintendent, drove the team while Elder Woodruff held the plow to make the first furrow.

Canal stock Certificates

Actual stock certificates were issued to help finance the canal. The certificates were signed by Byron Sessions. As I stated, the families had no homes, but lived in tents and wagons while work progressed on the canal. Rattlesnakes and wood ticks were frequent visitors, while dust storms and flies made housekeeping and cooking extremely challenging. A bowery was built for meetings, Church services, and dances, all of which were needed to maintain their morale under their pioneer hardships.

Byron and Garland Oil Fields

Prophetic happenings occurred numerous times to those pioneers. Elder Woodruff made an interesting prediction as he looked east over the land to be irrigated by the canal, near the Byron town site. "Hold onto your 1and" he said. "Do not 1et it fall into other hands. There are treasures under the ground." Several years later, in this very area, oil was struck as well as natural gas, and has proved to be a source of much revenue to those who owned the land. Hundreds of oil and gas wells now dot the area referred to by Elder Woodruff.

Men Working on Canal

Work on the canal was hard using the implements of the day, which consisted mostly of hand tools such as shovels, picks, and, horse-drawn, plows, fresnos, and scrapers. It was slow and very discouraging.

Pioneer Family Sculpture

This project would not have been completed without the determination and dedication of strong, hard-working families. The families supported one another during trying times and had great faith in God. Stan Johnson, of Mapleton, Utah, created this original bronze sculpture showing a fresno pulled by four horses. It depicts a family working together with a fresno to build the canal to carry the life-giving water essential to the very existence of those pioneer families.

 

Burlington Railroad

However, in spite of their dedication, it soon became apparent to these hardy settlers that the canal was going to take much longer to complete than originally expected--perhaps years longer. They had no homes, no money, and they were running out of food. Discouragement began to set in. A special prayer was held imploring the Lord to open a way for them to complete the canal. What occurred shortly thereafter was termed "modern manna" by these early settlers. They were suddenly and unexpectedly contacted by the Burlington Railroad officials, who offered them $80,000 to construct 23 miles of railroad grade through this area. The money provided the food, clothing, and capital needed to continue work on the canal.

But despite this special aid, work on the canal progressed slowly through the winters of 1901 and 1902. Miles of digging still loomed ahead. The directors of the project wondered if the canal would ever be completed. Elder Woodruff heard of their discouragement and made a special visit to the area.

After hearing their doubts about completing the canal, Elder Woodruff said, "If you brethren feel you cannot do it, I will go back to Salt Lake City and ask President Snow to excuse me from my labors for six months as an Apostle, and I will buy some overalls and heavy boots and will come back here; and we will either finish the canal or we will lay down our bones in it together." Inspired by the dedication of this young Apostle, the directors committed to finish the work and were ably supported by those faithful pioneers.

Celebration at Completion of Canal

Finally, two years later, after much sacrifice, the project was completed! On April 23, 1904, at 5:00 p.m., water reached the end of the canal. A resident of Cowley recorded, "A number of shots were fired. The joy of the people is great."

Apostle Abraham 0wen Woodruff

1872-1904

Two months after the completion of the canal, Elder Abraham 0. Woodruff, who had inspired and directed the project from the beginning, died suddenly at the age of 32, a victim of small pox. Charles A. Welch, one of the original colonists, wrote of Elder Woodruff, "He was a wonderful man...He had a lovable disposition which drew all people toward him. He would come out to the Big Horn on his visits and go from tent to tent, calling every man and boy by name, without the least hesitation. He loved the Big Horn people with a father's love and wanted them to succeed in this land." The settlement of this area by the group that was sent by the Church in 1900 would not have been successful without the encouragement and urging that they received from Apostle Abraham 0. Woodruff. It is suitable that we should honor the memory of Apostle Woodruff with this lovely bronze. Without his continual leadership and encouragement, this 1900 group could have failed in their efforts to get water on the land.

And succeed they did. Today, the Basin is covered with thriving communities, oil fields, agriculture, and industry, in large part as a result of the dedication and faith of strong, hard-working families, past and present, living here in the Big Horn Basin.

Otto-Burlington Early Settlers

We have talked of the hardships endured by the group coming in 1900, but the early settlers who came on their own to the Otto-Burlington area in 1883 and 1884 had even greater problems.

The first group left Ashley Valley early in the spring of 1893, their wagons loaded with their possessions and enough supplies to last for some time. Extra horses and some cattle were herded along with the wagon trains. Some miles of their route led them over the same trail followed by their parents in the fifties, headed for Utah by wagon train or handcarts. After crossing South Pass in Wyoming, they passed Lander and finally reached the Greybull River, a few miles above Meeteetse. They went down that river, stopping at a site about seven miles west of the present town of Burlington. This spot became known as Mormon Bend.

It had taken them two months of difficult travel, with streams to ford and mountains to cross, to reach their destination. Until homes could be constructed, they threw up temporary shelters of cottonwood branches and slept in their wagons. Cooking was done in the open. They busied themselves building rough cabins of pine logs hauled from the mountains or of the more easily available cottonwood logs, which grew along the river. These cabins and roofs of poles and willows were covered with dirt and had dirt floors. As well as building the cabins, the men immediately began work on a canal for irrigating their crops.

The winter of 1893-94 was cold and stormy. This was rough going for those settlers who had left fairly comfortable homes in Utah. It was apparent that the Burlington flat would not be an easy land to bring under cultivation. It was covered with sagebrush and salt sage, with much cactus, and there were gravel ridges running through it. But, water was available, and the people who had arrived began working at once on various irrigation systems. The first two projects failed because they were too hard and expensive, but without water there could be no crops, so canal building was of prime importance in the Big Horn Basin. On May 10, 1895, the Farmer's Canal Company was incorporated at Burlington, as the new settlement was called.

They needed all their determination to build that canal. Teams and slip scrapers were their only equipment, except for their shovels. The diversion dam was built of trees, willows, and boulders. During high water the dam often washed out, entailing the job of rebuilding it, but the necessity of water for their farming operations spurred their determination to carry on. Success finally rewarded their efforts. In three or four years fifty Mormon families took up land under this project.

After the first house in Burlington was built, land was donated for the first Mormon meetinghouse. It was built with a dirt roof. It is said that the first Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints church services were held in a field with the congregation sitting on wagons, plows, or anything that was handy.

The settlement of those first families had not been under the auspices of the church, but in 1894, following the advice of President Wilford Woodruff, a Branch was formed at Burlington, and in 1901 the Big Horn Stake was organized.

These first years were at a time of a national depression, and money was a scarce item. Barter was a way of life with people trading produce and services among themselves. There was no doctor in the area, but those pioneer women knew how to cope. When a neighbor needed help, someone was there.

Social life centered on church activities and the school. Dances were a popular form of entertainment with the women and girls in their calico dresses and the men in their overalls. A brass band was organized for music.

Grain threshing time was a busy season for the women as well as the men. They prepared big dinners with lots of good bread, meat and potatoes, and usually there would be both cake and pie. Getting help for threshing was no problem--the women were sure many men were willing to help because of the good meals served. Work was exchanged among the farmers of the community.

In those earlier days horsepower ran the grain separator. A number of teams were hitched to long arms extended from central gears, which powered the separator. All day long the horses walked around in a circle to keep the machine going. Otto and Burlington suffered from the same problems as the settlers in the Lovell-Byron-Cowley area. Transportation was difficult then, and businesses offering employment to its citizens were rare and of little consequence. However, the Big Horn Basin has produced many outstanding individuals who did not hesitate to settle any place where employment was available. Our own stake president, Adrian Preator, is related to a pioneer family. Today Otto and Burlington have two wards and one branch with a total membership of approximately 700 faithful Latter-day Saints and are taking leading positions in temporal and spiritual matters.

Otto Wyoming

Burlington Wyoming

Without the Latter-day Saint families that settled in the Otto-Burlington and the Lovell-Cowley-Byron areas, the history of the Big Horn Basin would have been completely different. Development most likely would not have occurred until many years later

Cabin Model with Family

This next exhibit is not typical of any pioneer home. Our Church, however, places a major emphasis on families. We believe that the family is the basic unit of society and that a community and a nation will only be as strong as its individual families. To strengthen the family, each Monday night the members of the Church are counseled to get their families together as is depicted here, and read the scriptures, sing songs, or just play games. Each member of the family participates, even the very young.

A previous president of our Church, David 0. McKay has said: "I know of no other place than home where more happiness can be found in this life. It is possible to make home a bit of heaven; indeed, I picture heaven to be a continuation of the ideal home."

The information contained in this discussion was gathered from the following sources:

Charles A. Welch, History of the Big Horn Basin, Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1940.

Mark N. Partridge, With Book and Plow: History of a Mormon Settlement, Lovell, Wyoming: Mountain States Printing Co., 1967.

Melvin M. Fillerup, Sidon, The Canal That Faith Built, Cody, Wyoming: The Ptarmigan Company, 1988.

John W. McIntosh, History of Burlington. 1893- 1963.

CODY MURAL VISITOR CENTER • 17TH STREET • CODY WYOMING • 307.587.3290

Prayer Rock

Byron Session kneeling in Prayer

Prayer Rock

When the canal had progressed two miles along its surveyed course, an enormous rock, the size of a house, was encountered directly in its path. It was partially buried, and the more the men dug around it to find its base and free it by a powder blast, the further it seemed to extend into the ground. One night the supervisor, Byron Sessions, could not sleep fearing that some of the workers would be crushed beneath the rock, if it unexpectedly broke loose.

He arose early in the morning, went to the rock, and knelt in prayer beside it. He asked the Lord for wisdom to know what to do that no accident might occur. Later that day, when the workmen began expressing doubt that the rock would ever be moved into the hole being dug for it, Byron Sessions replied emphatically, “I prophecy, in the name of Israel’s God, that rock will be in there tomorrow at this time.” One of the workmen, James George quietly said to a companion, “Let’s test him out.” Looking at his large pocket watch he said, “It’s just 4:00 p.m.”

The next afternoon as Byron Session was supervising construction along the canal; he came to the men working in the hole with picks and shovels. He told them to pick up their tools and to get away from the rock. Quickly they climbed out of the hole. Five minutes had not passed when the rock suddenly split from top to bottom, the larger half rolling over into the hole where the men had been working. James George looked at his watch again, and somewhat dumfounded exclaimed, “Five minutes to four!” Today the canal flows quietly through the two halves of what has become known as “Prayer Rock.”  Uncle Will Simmons was an eyewitness to the "Miracle of Prayer Rock."

 

Life Story of William Henry Simmons

William Henry Simmons (Will)

Daddy's favorite Uncle

The Life History of William Henry Simmons (Will)

as told and compiled by Roland E Simmons,

 son of Vernal Simmons and nephew of Will Simmons

William Henry Simmons was born October 14, 1884, in Morgan, Utah. He was the oldest child of William George Simmons and Clara Alice Olpin Simmons. He was named after his father, being the oldest child and his middle name comes from his grandfather on his mother’s side, Henry Olpin. To distinguish his name from his father’s he was most often called Will, though to his nieces and nephews he was always known as Uncle Bill.

Being the oldest child in the family, and a boy, Will was no doubt at his father’s side helping with the farm work as well as helping out with the family business. Will’s father and grandfather had a business called “Simmons and Sons” that did building construction in the Morgan area. The family also built and operated a community amusement hall “Simmons Hall) where dances and other social events were held. Will probably helped build the hall as well as helping with the operation and upkeep.

Schools had been established in Morgan in 1864, by the time Will would have been of school age, in 1890, certainly adequate schooling was available. It is likely that Will attended the first eight years of school in Morgan.

In 1900, when Will was sixteen years old, his parents accepted a call from the church to settle a new land in Wyoming. The first part of April 1900, Will said goodbye to his friends and the only home he had ever known and with his parents, brothers and sisters headed for Wyoming. The family traveled in a covered wagon, which held all their possessions and a sheep wagon, which Will drove and the family slept in. It took about a month to make the trip from Morgan, Utah to the family’s new home that would become Cowley, Wyoming.

Cowley did not exist when they arrived in the Shoshone River Valley. The first order of business for the families that had come to this new area was to build a canal. It would be known as the Sidon Canal. Will and his father would spend all summer working on the canal. Will’s job was to operate a slip scraper, which was pulled by a team of horses and was used to move dirt from the canal. This was heavy manual labor and each man put in ten hours per day, six days per week. Though only sixteen, Will worked right along with the older men. It was during the construction of the Sidon Canal that Will was an eyewitness of “The Miracle of Prayer Rock”.

Horses could work about 2 hours before needing rest

Along with helping build the Sidon Canal, Will helped work on the railroad north of Frannie. From this work he earned Canal Stock, which entitled him to farmland that would be watered by the canal when complete. During the fall of 1900, Will helped his father build a log home for the family. They hauled the logs from the Pryor Mountains and the family moved into their new home February 1901. For the next three years Will was kept busy completing the 30 mile long canal as it wound its way slowly around the sand hill, several miles west toward Deaver, then north and east again above Cowley and finally on out east of Cowley to its destination.



Mary Ellen Wilson circa 1904
just prior to marriage

 The year 1903 was a good one for Will. A new family moved to Cowley from Escalante, Utah. The father’s name was George Boyd Wilson and the mother’s was Ellen Matilda Young Wilson. The best part was they had a daughter named Mary Ellen. She was born September 22, 1886, in Escalante, Utah. She was sixteen when the family moved to Cowley, and drove a team and buggy all the way from Escalante to Cowley. Also during the trip she took care of the team, assisted with the younger children and helped with the cooking. It probably was not long after Ellen’s arrival in Cowley that she and Will met. They probably courted during the next year and chose each other for eternal companions by being married in the Salt Lake City Temple October 5, 1904. We are not sure where in Cowley they lived as a married couple, but we do know that soon they were expecting their first child. The arrival date of the first child was June 1, 1906, however, complications developed during childbirth and the baby and Mary Ellen both died. Will’s heart was no doubt broken with the reality that his lovely bride of only eighteen months and his child were not going to be able to help, love and support him through his mortal days on earth. Though Will was only 22 when he lost his wife and child, he never remarried.

Mary Ellen Simmons Monument
Cowley Cemetery

In the fall of 1907, Will and his friend Charles H. Tucker left Cowley on October 4th for Provo, Utah. Their plans were to enroll at Brigham Young University and take the Commercial courses offered there.

Unfortunately, three weeks later Wills mother was taken sick with Typhoid and died on October 30th. Will had to cancel his plans for attending college and returned home for his mother’s funeral and to help out. His father was taken sick at the same time so Will operated the meat market in his absence. Will remained in Cowley to help his father and soon the “Simmons Meat Market” took on the name of “Simmons and Sons”.

During the next ten years, along with helping at the meat market, Will spent his time farming, working with the sheep, and had several other different jobs. Several accounts of his activities and comings and goings were recorded in “The Cowley Progress” and are as follows. July 9, 1909, “Will Simmons (and others) returned home from Big Timber, Montana, where they were working for Tebbs and Taggart on a canal project.” October 10, 1913, our old friend William H. Simmons, who has been away from Cowley for over a year, the greater part was spent in California, arrived home Tuesday evening. We are indeed glad to welcome the good scout home once more and hope he will stay with us. Mr. Simmons is one of the Progress Editor’s particular friends and it pleases me very much to see his genial smile on our streets again.” August 21, 1914, “Will Simmons came down from Mann and Johnson’s sheep camp Sat. long enough to take a spin to Billings for a little recreation, pleasure and business.” May 15, 1915, “Our old friend W.H. Simmons “blew into town” on Thursday, after several weeks spent in the lambing pens of some of our local wool growers. Bill, as usual, looking mighty fine and dandy for one who has been so long among the woolies.”



William Henry Simmons Monument
Cowley Cemetery

Will was undoubtedly my father,Walter Robb's favorite Uncle. He is the only one I recall him mentioning regularly,  and he always referred to him as "Uncle Will."  On Memorial Day, as we visited the gravesites at the Cowley, Lovell and Penrose Cemeteries, daddy would always remember and find Uncle Will’s. He would often tell me of Will’s wife Mary Ellen, who had died in childbirth, mother and baby laid to rest  together with the babe in the arms of its mother. It has left a strong image in my mind and heart of Uncle Will and Aunt Mary Ellen.  Their gravesites are nearly hidden by an overgrown bush in the northwestern section of the Cowley Cemetery.
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Source: "In the Shadow of the Big Horns" One Families Story, William George and Clara Alice Olpin Simmons, authored and compiled by Roland Simmons

William Henry Simmons (Will) in WWI

Will Simmons in Germany

at the close of WWI 1919

Continuation of history as compliled by Roland E Simmons, great-nephew of William Henry (Will) Simmons.

“At the beginning of World War I, Will enlisted in the army and served nearly one and one-half years in France and Germany. He was wounded and carried a piece of shrapnel in his back several years.” Will served with the 148th Field Artillery unit, which included a group of young men from Cowley. His unit was in the middle of the combat that was involved in the intense fighting in France and Germany. Because of their excellence they were chosen to be a part of the allied occupational forces that were first to enter Berlin.

In a conversation with Walter Robb, Will’s cousin nephew, it was revealed that during one of the battles of the war that Will saved the life of Arza Welch, one of the Cowley men. A letter appeared in “The Cowley Progress” from W.A. Bowlen, one of the Cowley men on February 14, 1919, which told of life in the battle zone. He mentioned that Will was a machine gunner and also that the fear next to being shot was that of being gassed. “Gas would be in the grass and as we passed through it the gas would get into our lungs. It caused dysentery and as many soldiers were taken to hospitals for that as wounds.”

In closing out Will’s war experience we are lucky to have a copy of the letter hat he wrote to his friend Emil Vaterlaus the editor of “The Cowley Progress.”

“Cowley Progress April 4, 1919

“Billie” Simmons Writes to Progress from Chermany.

Mr. Emil Vaterlaus, Cowley, Wyoming.

Dear Old Pal:

It is with great pleasure I sit down to drop you a few lines and let you know how we Cowley boys are getting along.

We all feel well and fine, but get terribly homesick at times, for now that “it’s all over, over here,” we’d all like to go back to peter the good people “over there,” that is some of them but not those that though we were only good enough for the Boche to shoot at. But believe, dear pal, the Huns did shoot at us and that a whole lot too as a result of which we had the sad misfortune to lose one of Cowley’s best soldiers and one wounded -- Everett and Alvin Maxwell respectively. But the Maxwell’s can feel easy for Everett received a much better burial than many of the high officers. He was buried very decently, and his grave was dedicated and we put a nice cross at the head of it.

Well, Emil. I will come home much wiser and a whole lot poorer, physically, than when I left home. I weigh barely 150 pounds now. I got loaded up with a bunch of that poison Hung gas and it hurt me considerably. It happened while in our last position, but I am sure feeling fine now.

We are located in a little town called Hoehr, a great pottery and pipe manufacturing town. Will be able to tell you many things when we get home, as we were in all the battles from July 5 clear thru to the end. Were at Chateau, Thierry, St. Miehlel and in the Argonne Woods, all for a long period, and believe me, us toughs from Cowley gave the Boches some of our “black angel” zip and we all gave an accounting of ourselves that Cowley need never be ashamed of us. The 148th certainly made a good record, else we wouldn’t be in the army occupation now..

Best regards to you and all inquiring friends.

As ever your loving friend, W.H. Simmons

Hoehr, Germany, March 19, 1919

After the war Will returned home to Cowley where he continued to farm and ranch. During the years that Will lived in Cowley there were always articles showing up in “The Cowley Progress” of Will’s hunting and fishing expeditions with family and friends. His favorite places to hunt and fish were Yellowstone National Park, Beartooth Mountains, the Jackson Hole area, Deep Lake, Devil’s Canyon and the Big Horn Mountains.

As Will got older his health got worse and he had to discontinue hard physical labor. His wounds suffered during the war caused him to spend time being treated at various Veterans hospitals. He spent time at the Veterans Hospital in Fort Harrison, Montana as well as in Denver at Fitzsimmons Veterans Hospital. In between treatments he would return to Cowley to be with old friends and family.

Will Simmons, Casper Wyoming 1961

 Finally, Will’s condition required permanent hospital care and he was admitted to the Veteran’s Care Center in Hot Springs, South Dakota and later to the Veteran’s Hospital in Sheridan where he died September 14, 1975, at the age of 90. His funeral was held in the Cowley, LDS Chapel and he was buried in the Cowley Cemetery next to his wife and baby.

Aerial View of Robb Ranch circa 1963

(click on image to enlarge)

(Old Jensen Farm enlarged Robb Operation)

Cowley Jaguar School Rally Songs

School Rally Songs

Neath The Crest of Big Horn Mountain

Neath the crest of Big Horn Mountain,

With its glorious view,

Proudly stands the school we honor,

Cowley Hail to you!

Swell the chorus ever louder

Echoes never die,

Hail to thee, our Alma mater,

Hail to Cowley High.

*************

We Are From Cowley High

We are from Cowley High

Cowley High are we,

Happy go lucky,

Honest and free,

Rah, rah, rah,

We are the Jaguars,

We make the best scores,

Fight on for dear Old Cowley High.

Cowley Wyoming

Cowley High School formerly the Big Horn Academy

Cowley Community Center formerly

Cowley High School Gym

Cowley was settled by part of a group of 450 Mormon pioneers led by Byron Sessions (who was also instrumental in founding the nearby town of Byron). Cowley was named in honor of LDS Apostle Matthias F. Cowley. That original group of settlers worked with the Sidon Canal Company to dig the Sidon Canal, a 37-mile-long project to carry irrigation water from the Shoshone River to the area, a project that wasn't completed until 1904. Until the canal was in operation, the settlers at Cowley were hauling all their water from the nearest potable source, 6 miles away. In 1907, oil and gas were discovered in the area.

The settlers first arrived in early May, 1900. By the next winter, 18 log homes had been built in Cowley. January 1901 saw the opening of the first school in the area in one of the log homes. On September 26, 1910, the Big Horn Academy (the first high school) was opened in Cowley. In 1916, the Big Horn Academy was moved into a newly erected rusticated sandstone building. In 1925 that name was changed to Cowley High School, a school that was in operation until 1983 when the last class was graduated from the old building. As enrollment had been declining for years, the next year saw Cowley's high school students moved to the consolidated Rocky Mountain High School in Byron, a school for students from Deaver, Frannie, Byron and Cowley.
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Source: http://www.sangres.com/wyoming/places/bighorn/cowley.htm

Images of the Robb Brothers Box-H Brand

(Double Click on Images to Enlarge)

Children of the Rock: Robb children: (Parents-Adam Franklin Robb and Sarah Permelia Holyoak)#links

Children of the Rock: Robb children: (Parents-Adam Franklin Robb and Sarah Permelia Holyoak)#links

Hole-in-the-Rock Remembered: Robb, Adam Franklin and Sarah Permelia Holyoak

Hole-in-the-Rock Remembered: Robb, Adam Franklin and Sarah Permelia Holyoak