Bluehair
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Actually more than one, but WTF is a good start.
This Is The Single Craziest Thing You Never Knew Happened In Wyoming
Wyoming has quite a wild past, and there are always fascinating stories of outlaws, rangers, and early frontiersmen to be told. By far, though, the strangest story in Wyoming history involves Wyoming’s first governor, outlaws, doctors, and an angry lynch mob.
We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/
The story began in 1878, when Big Nose George Parrott and his gang murdered two officers in Rattlesnake Canyon, near Elk Mountain.
Facebook / Wyoming Through The Lens
Parrott was a well-known outlaw, but the murder of two officers put a bounty on his head. After a robbery in Montana, he was identified and located by western authorities.
Parrott was eventually captured in Montana and brought down to Rawlins to stand trial.
Flickr / Kevin Baird
In Rawlins, he tried to escape the jail and was caught trying to strangle the jailer. When the town found out, they stormed the courthouse, took Parrott from his cell, and hanged him in a public lynching.
The area's most respected doctor, John Eugene Osborne, was in the audience. After seeing Parrott hang to his death, he took possession of the body.
Wikimedia Commons
He claimed he would use the body for medical experiments, and nobody really cared enough to question him.
It was only after Osborne made a pair of shoes out of Big Nose George's skin that people began to think twice about the Doctor's intentions.
Facebook / WyoHistory
It didn't really matter much to the people of Wyoming, though, who later elected Dr. Osborne to be Wyoming's first ever democratic Governor. Osborne wore the skin-shoes to his inauguration.
Lillian Heath was Dr. Osborne's medical assistant at the time, and he gifted her the top of Parrott's dismantled skull.
Facebook / Carbon County Museum
Heath kept the skull, which she used as an ashtray, door stop, and paperweight for some time. Heath later became Wyoming's first ever female doctor.
Today, you can find evidence of this strange Wyoming crime story at the Carbon County Museum, in Rawlins.
This Is The Single Craziest Thing You Never Knew Happened In Wyoming
One outlaw learned the hard way that you don't want to mess with Wyomingites.
www.onlyinyourstate.com
This Is The Single Craziest Thing You Never Knew Happened In Wyoming
Wyoming has quite a wild past, and there are always fascinating stories of outlaws, rangers, and early frontiersmen to be told. By far, though, the strangest story in Wyoming history involves Wyoming’s first governor, outlaws, doctors, and an angry lynch mob.
We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/
The story began in 1878, when Big Nose George Parrott and his gang murdered two officers in Rattlesnake Canyon, near Elk Mountain.
Facebook / Wyoming Through The Lens
Parrott was a well-known outlaw, but the murder of two officers put a bounty on his head. After a robbery in Montana, he was identified and located by western authorities.
Parrott was eventually captured in Montana and brought down to Rawlins to stand trial.
Flickr / Kevin Baird
In Rawlins, he tried to escape the jail and was caught trying to strangle the jailer. When the town found out, they stormed the courthouse, took Parrott from his cell, and hanged him in a public lynching.
The area's most respected doctor, John Eugene Osborne, was in the audience. After seeing Parrott hang to his death, he took possession of the body.
Wikimedia Commons
He claimed he would use the body for medical experiments, and nobody really cared enough to question him.
It was only after Osborne made a pair of shoes out of Big Nose George's skin that people began to think twice about the Doctor's intentions.
Facebook / WyoHistory
It didn't really matter much to the people of Wyoming, though, who later elected Dr. Osborne to be Wyoming's first ever democratic Governor. Osborne wore the skin-shoes to his inauguration.
Lillian Heath was Dr. Osborne's medical assistant at the time, and he gifted her the top of Parrott's dismantled skull.
Facebook / Carbon County Museum
Heath kept the skull, which she used as an ashtray, door stop, and paperweight for some time. Heath later became Wyoming's first ever female doctor.
Today, you can find evidence of this strange Wyoming crime story at the Carbon County Museum, in Rawlins.