St. Charles, Idaho and Gutzon Borglum, Mount Rushmore Sculpture

St Charles, Idaho is at the south end of Bear Lake in Idaho.  While passing through the area as Mormon Immigrants, his mother gave birth to Gutzon Borglum, who would sculpt Mount Rushmore.  He was a famous sculpture.  He sculpted Stone Mountain and bust of Abraham Lincoln, a couple sculptures of Phil Sheridan, and a sculpture called the Aviator.  He was primarily a sculpture but also painted.  He was intent on promoting American heroes and did so on many occasions.  His family became disaffected with the church and they moved back East.  He was still young so had no real contact with the church.  He grew up in Omaha, and then Fremont, Nebraska  where his father had a medical clinic.  He later returned to Omaha and graduated from Creighton University.  

British Settlers in Bear Lake Valley

 In the town of Bloomington, Idaho there is an informational sign honoring British settlers to the area.

Book Review: The True West

The True West: Real Stories about Black Cowboys, women sharpshooters, Native American Rodeo Stars, Pioneering Vaqueros, and the Unsung Explorers , Builders, and Heroes who Shaped the American West by Mifflin Lowe, illustrated by Wiliam Luong, Bushel and Peck Books, 2020. 

This book is primarily brief biographies of western characters, including minority groups and women.  Some of the stories I was familiar with; but most I was not.  It includes the stories of Bill Pickett, Annie Oakley, Nat Love, Patricia and Martin De León, Bass Reeves, Mamie Hafley and many more.  It talks of women sharpshooters, women wagon and stage drivers, Native Americans and African Americans in rodeo, and persons important important in the westward movement.  It also has general stories such as talks of the Mexican vaqueros, Buffalo Soldiers, Chinese rail workers, western clothing, wagon trains and Jews in the west.  The book provided me some very good material regarding people I did not know about.

Butch Cassidy Bank Robbery Museum, Montpelier Idaho

 This is an actual bank that was robbed by Butch Cassidy and has now been turned into a museum.  The docent indicated it was Butch and Bob Meeks who went into the bank while Elzy Lay held the horses.  Bob Meeks forgot to wear a face covering so was later identified and tried and sentenced to prison.  Cassidy and Lay were not.

Summary of the robbery

artwork in progress

Butch's ghost robbing the bank

Fort Worth picture taken for fun, but allowed detectives to know what they looked like.  Butch lower right, Sundance lower left.  Ben Kilpatrick in middle, Will Carver on left, Kid Curry (Harvey Logan) on right.  Photo lead to the demise of the Wild Bunch.

This number differs from bulletin across the street which says take was $16000

Meeks had a rough time after the hold up.  In addition to his prison time, he also spent time in the State Hospital in Blackfoot.  His detyeriorated mental condition eventually took his life.

New statue unveiled the week we were there.  On corner of Heritage Park.

Laramie Depot Railroad Museum

 There is plenty to see at the museum which in addition to housing a train station also housed a telegraph office.  There is a replica of the golden spike in the telegraph office.