Pioneering on the Cheyenne River: Part 6, Biographies

BIOGRAPHIES

THE FOLLOWING biographies were written by Mrs. Tom Wilson and Mrs. James Marchant, members of the Robber's Roost Historical Society. They are indebted to Mrs. Chris Christensen and the many others who have written their own biographies and furnished other valuable_ information.

NELSON SPENCER

Nelson Spencer was born in 1844, and his wife, Susan Baskin, was born in 1856. They were married on September 30, 1875, in Jewell Center. Kansas. To this union were born five children: James Nelson, who married Blanche Kuhne and was in the livestock business in this community until he passed away in Edgemont, So. Dak. on May 22, 1942 (his wife has now disposed of the ranch and is operating the Lusk  Hospital in Lusk, Wyo.); Jane, who married Edgar Huddleston· and they reside in Kansas; Samuel L., who married Bessie Eppe and was in the livestock business here for many years before moving to Colorado, where he now operates a farm; Hattie, who married Peter Peterson, and they now reside in Utah, and William Lee, who married Della B. Alioth.

Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Spencer came to the State of Wyoming to live on March 17, 1903, following their eldest son, Jim, who preceded them in 1901, and filed on a homestead. Mr. Spencer filed on a homestead on the Cheyenne River, near the mouth of Lance Creek, where he was engaged in agriculture and livestock raising. Mr. Spencer organized the first Sunday School in this end of the county. He passed away at St. Joseph, Missouri, on January 3, 1923.

The Spencer postoffice was established at their home on September 6, 1906, and Mrs. Spencer served as postmistress from that date until she passed away on November 30, 1928. Her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Wm. Spencer, served for several years after that. This was one of the first postoffices established in this community. It has since been discontinued.

Sam Spencer, wishing for the life of cowboy, worked for the MW ranch in 1904 and 1905.

Will Spencer was a veteran of World war I. He left Lusk on July 4, 1918, and was inducted into the Army at Denver, Colo. He was with the 163rd Infantry, Company F, 41st division of the AEF, in France for six months during the war. He was discharged from the Army in Denver, Colo., on March 6, 1919. He and his wife still reside on the home place, where they are engaged in the sheep business.

 A.H. BEEM

A. H. Beem was born at Hampton, Iowa, in February of 1872. He came to the West in early manhood and worked for some of the cow outfits in Wyoming and Montana. On November 12, 1895, he married Minnie Copper, at Whitney, Neb. Later they moved to Ledyard, Iowa, where Mr. Been was engaged in stockraising and agriculture.

In 1904 he homesteaded on Lance Creek, east of the Ray Harris ranch, and resided there until 1921, when they moved to Whitney, Neb. They lived there a few years, then moved to Lusk where for eleven years he was cus­todian of the Grade School building. Later on they moved to Casper, Wyo., where Mr. Beem operated a poultry ranch. Their last move was back to Lusk, where Mr. and Mrs. Beem purchased a home in the south part of town. Mr. and Mrs. Beem are the parents of three children-Eva (Mrs. Arthur Hitchcock), Jessie, deceased, and Fay, deceased. Mr. Beem died in 1944.

Mrs. Beem makes her home in Lusk at present.

WILLIAM BLAIR

Mr. and Mrs. William Blair came soon after the turn of the century and took up a homestead on Mule Creek. This he later sold to Billy Marking and it is now the home of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Rennard. 

Billy Blair was a man of musical taste and was always seen and in demand at the country dances, playing his violin.

When leaving their homestead they resided in Edgemont a few years and then moved to Oregon. They are the parents of five children: Lee, Mary, Wayne, Allen and Ruth. Wayne and Allen were veterans of both Atlantic and Pacific campaigns in World War II.

TOM RENNARD

Tom Rennard came to the United States from Skipton, Yorkshire, England, on the Celtic, in April of 1905. He worked for John Wilkinson at Pine Bluffs, Wyo., for two and a half years. In October, 1907, he and Ted and Joe Rumney bought the old Bridle Bit ranch on the Cheyenne River in Converse County, now Niobrara County, and ran sheep. That same fall Tom filed on a homestead joining the Bridle Bit on the east.

In 1910 they sold the Bridle Bit ranch to Ed Lindsy and the sheep to McKeon of the 7L ranch, and the Rumney Bros. and Rennard partnership was dissolved.

In 1911 Tom went to England and brought his wife here. She was formerly Mary Jane Earnshaw, also a native of Yorkshire. They continued to live on the homestead until 1915, when they moved to a place on Mule Creek owned by Albert Herman, which they bought later. At the present time they are living on Mule Creek, on the place homesteaded by William Blair, and later owned by William Marking. They have built up a ranch here and now control 7,000 acres of land.

Tom carried the mail from Spencer, Wyo., to Edgemont, So. Dak., making two trips a week with horses from 1914 to 1918. He again carried it for a period of eight years, 1922 to 1930, with a motor vehicle, making three trips a week. The route then started from Edgemont. Again he carried mail from 1934 to 1938.

The Rennards have three sons, Robert, Tom and Samuel. Robert is now living in Cheyenne, employed by the Veterans Administration. He received his BA degree from the University of Wyoming in 1931 and his MA degree in 1934. In 1933 he married Shirley Brummett of Mitchell, Neb., and they have two children, Francis Jean and Robert Scott. In July, 1941, he was called into the Army, having taken the ROTC work in school and later by correspondence. He was then a captain. He was never overseas and was released from the Army in December of 1945, attaining the rank of colonel.

Tom is now living in Casper and works as field man for the AAA in six of the northwestern counties of the State. He graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1936 with a BS degree and received his master's degree at Madison, Wis., in 1939. In 1938 he was married to Shirley Kyne of Ther­mopolis, Wyo. They have one son, Robert William. Samuel graduated from Edgemont High School, and after taking a two-year course in auto mechanics at the trade school in Laramie, he settled on the ranch at Mule Creek. . He married Vivian Griffith of Manville, Wyo., in 1944, and they have two children, Cheryll Ann and Stanley Bruce.

W. D. WEBSTER

W. D. Webster, a native of South Dakota, came to what is now Niobrara County about 1900 and homesteaded land at the junction of Lance Creek and Cheyenne River. He was the first settler on the Cheyenne River after the close of the last century. He also established the first postoffice (Webster) and opened the first store in that community. He built two dwelling houses­ one a two-room house of hewn logs for himself and household, the other house consisting of five rooms, built of rough lumber, for his foreman, Louis Parotte, and the help.

Mr. Webster was engaged in the sheep business. He lived here about two years, then sold his holdings to Edward M. Arnold and moved to Custer, So. Dak., where he became president of one of the banks. -

GEORGE BLAINE

George Blaine was also a sheepman, a resident of Douglas. He was an uncompromising leader in the temperance movement and was nominated for the office of Governor of Wyoming on the Prohibition ticket. Prior to World War I he was returning to his ranch from Douglas when he became quite ill. He stopped at the home of Pete Peterson, where he died of a heart attack.

KELLY ROBISON

An early settler on the Cheyenne River was Kelly Robison, and many of the old-timers have partaken of his hospitality. He moved to South Dakota from Missouri in 1885 in a covered wagon and trailed 37 head of cattle, taking nine weeks for the trip. He moved to the Cheyenne River area in 1902.

He took an active part in the Iife of the community in which he lived, and was instrumental in getting the first school established in his community. This was all District No. 1 at that time, with the School Board members all residing in the vicinity of Lusk, and it was mighty hard to get action on anything.

In 1902, he, together with 0. E. Shay, made a trip with a team and wagon to the Jacob Mill ranch, near Hat Creek, to attend a school meeting. After a lot of strong argument they were allowed a school, the district furnishing the material to build the schoolhouse and the patrons doing the. work. Mr. Robison had four children of school age, 0. E. Shay had two, and Matt Brown one, so between the three of them they located the site and built the schoolhouse just across the river from the Robison ranch. It wasn't very pretty, but the kids were proud of it. It was built of old railroad ties, stood on end, and the cracks chinked and daubed with stucco. It had four small windows and a door. It served the purpose and several of our good citizens started their education in the old railroad-tie schoolhouse. At present this district has one fine consolidated school, suitably furnished. Competent teachers are employed nine months in the year and the pupils are taught the rudiments of an English education.

Mr. Robison was married to Cora G. Murphy on November 2, 1876, and to this union eight children were born-George Lee, deceased; James Roy, who married Clara Parkin; Fred Leslie, who married Cora Cook; Frank Murphy; Homer Clare, who married Mable Blaine; Cora Grace, who married Claude Gerard; Ida Ruth, who married A. T. Beebe, and Annie Laurie, de­ ceased, who was married to Francis Walsh.

Mr. Robison lived with his son Fred for nineteen years previous to his death at Lusk, Wyo., on August 2, 1943.

CHARLES RICHARD ZERBST

Charles Richard Zerbst was born in Germany. He came to America at the age of ten years, in company with his parents. He first lived north of Harri­ son, Neb., in Sioux County, but being dissatisfied with the country, and of the adventurous type, he soon left home to make his own in the school of hard knocks.

When he was a young boy he came to Wyoming to work on some of the different ranches. He was known by the fellows who worked with him to be a fairly good hand with a horse, and is said to have always kept his string in good shape, though he covered many miles in a day. After several years of working for various ranches he settled on Snyder Creek, in the Cheyenne River vicinity. He still resides there, having lived at the present location for a period of about forty years. "Dick," as he is better known by his many acquaintances, runs quite a few head of cattle with the help of his two sons, James and William. They have had several large dams built from which they irrigate their fields and meadows.

Dick is still actively engaged in the stockraising business, but due to ad­vanced years he makes his home with his son James, wife and children. Al­ though he is a good cook, he thinks he has had his share of batching, but many women have paid him the compliment of being a good cook.

In 1909, Mr. Zerbst married Helen Julia Giselmen of Omaha, Neb. To this union three children were born-William R., who resides at home; James E., and one daughter, Marjorie M. Marchant. Mrs. Zerbst died at an early age in 1926 at Douglas, Wyo.

William R. was married to Edna Butholff. They are parents of three children-Robert, Irma and Glenn. James married Nancy Buthoff, and they have two children-James, Jr., and Ruthie. Marjorie was married to Pat Marchant, and to this union was born one son, Jack William, who is a senior in the Lusk High School. Jack is a member of the Lusk High School Band and an honor student of his class.

CLARENCE SHELDON

Clarence Sheldon came to Wyoming from Crawford, Neb., where he was engaged in the furniture and hardware business. In 1902 he purchased the William Piper ranch on Lance Creek. Here he was actively engaged in the sheep and cattle industry.  Mr. and Mrs. Sheldon were the parents of one son, Harry. They sold their holdings to Lawrence Johnson and moved to Crawford, Neb.

J. M. MARCHANT

J. M. (Mike) Marchant was a native of Texas. At the age of 15 he went to work for the Magdalena Cattle Co. in Arizona, near the Mexican border, and worked there for one year. From there he went to the northern part of Arizona, near Globe, and worked for the Three Circle cow outfit. In 1896 he struck out for the Northwest, and reached Belle Fourche, So. Oak. Here he secured work at various cow outfits, among them the VVV and Mill Iron. Some of the old cowpunchers he recalls were: Dick Boswell, "Hobo" John Lloyd, Billie Maine, Bill Mermitt, Jim Robison, Dave Drake, "Howdy" Tom and Tom Wilson. He worked in South Dakota for two years, then went to Calgary, Canada, and worked for P. Burns cow outfit.

In 1902 he came to Edgemont, So. Dak., and got work at the SP horse ranch on the Cheyenne River and worked there four years. In 1907 he married Sylvie Hogg, daughter of John T. and Harriet Lucy Hogg. They are the parents of two sons, James A. and Patrick Henry.

James married Pauline Sedgwick and they have one son, Anthony. The holdings of James are on Boggy Creek and Cheyenne River. Patrick H. married Marjorie Zerbst, and they are the parents of one son, Jack William. Their ranch holdings are south of the Cheyenne River.

Mrs. Marchant related that when a girl in her teens she went to visit the Lindsy girls at the Bridle Bit ranch, about five miles away on the north side of the Cheyenne River. It rained in the afternoon and she stayed all night with the girls. The following morning the Lindsy girls came home with her. The Cheyenne River was about half-side deep to the horses, and when they arrived at Lance Creek it was running about bank full. They plunged in, but the bottom was hard, the current was swift and the horses were swim­ming, nothing but their necks and heads being out of water. The swift current carried them some 200 yards below the crossing. It was a vast relief when they landed on good footing on the opposite side.

In the fall of 1903, Sylvie was visiting her sister, Mrs. Logan Brewster, while Mr. Brewster was away on business. Mrs. Brewster asked her if she would stay another night until Logan returned. Sylvie said she would have to go down to the ranch, a distance of about eight miles, and no neighbors between, to inform her father. She had covered about half the distance when she saw a lone horseman looking in all the draws at the mouth of Greasewood. When the horseman noticed her, he met her at a fairly good gate. When he drew near she recognized him as an Indian. He said, "How, How." She replied "How," and he handed her a paper. She read it. It was a note from the Indian Agent on the Sioux Reservation, saying "These are good Indians, going after their dead, and if they want you to go with them to show them the way, you must go and go peaceably." She told him she did not know where there dead were. She started on toward the ranch. The Indian turned and followed her. She started out at a fair pace, but he was keeping up. The country was rough at this particular place and there was a steep hill just ahead. As she was on a hot-blood and had heard her brothers mention how fast they could go, she made up her mind that when they got to where the going was good, she would give the Indian a race to see which horse was the best. She was just warming up her horse for the big event when she spied about 25 Indian wagons and about 30 Indians on horseback. She had rather a narrow place to go by them-the Indians on one side and a steep bank on the other-and it looked like she was in a tough spot. She thought, "Oh, this is it-here's where I lose my scalp and they steal my horse." After all, it turned out to be a dull affair, and the Indian just escorted her by the procession. They had sent this Indian on ahead as a scout at dangerous places. She went on down to the ranch and asked her father if it would be safe for her to go back to Brewster's. He said, "Yes, that will be all right, they won't hurt you." She went back to Brewster's, the Indians being camped about three miles from there.

The Indians had threatened to go on the war path if the authorities at Douglas didn't release the ones they had in jail, and at this time they did not know whether they had been released. That night Mrs.. Brewster and three small children and Sylvie were alone. They nailed up the doors and prepared for war in time of peace. They took the axe and other fighting tools in with them. The following morning when they woke up they were quite at ease when they discovered their scalps were intact.

The following morning, after the Indian battle on Lightning Creek, Otto Rohlff (later Mayor of Douglas) came from the fracas to the Hogg Brothers' ranch looking for a wagon and team to haul the bodies of the dead (white) to Newcastle. The Hogg ranch was the only place before the fight where he found any of the men at home. The other ranchers living on Lance Creek were on their way to the shipping point with beef cattle. This was the first information the ranchers on Lance Creek had of the Indian trouble.

LINCOLN E. BALTZLY

Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln E. Baltzly came to Wyoming in the spring of 1903 and located at the mouth of Robber's Roost Creek on the Cheyenne River. Mr. Baltzly spent his time raising stock and irrigating meadows for hay land. Mrs. Baltzly, besides doing a good job of taking care of her work around the place, always had time to help her neighbors in time of sickness or accident, and also taught school for two terms m 1906-07. This was the first school established in this community and was located about half a mile east of where Highway 85 now crosses the Cheyenne River. Mrs. Baltzly-. (Aunt Fannie, as she was fondly known) presided when the stork arrived atmost of these pioneer river homes, and earned the gratitude of the early settlers, who were so far from the doctor.

Mr. and Mrs. Baltzly were the parents of one son, Dwight, who passed away in 1891 before he was seven years old. They raised a nephew, Fred B. Campbell, who was left motherless when . a very young boy. He married Maude Dale, daughter of one of the pioneer neighbors, and they have one son, Dale.

Mrs. Baltzly became the victim of arthritis and spent twenty-two years in a wheel chair. She bore her intense suffering bravely and continued enjoying life and giving a helping hand to others.

She spent her last years at the home of her nephew, Fred Campbell, who still operates the old Cheyenne River ranch, which he has added to by the purchase and lease of additional lands. He has added many improvements, including a fine large modern house.

Mrs. Baltzly passed away at Lusk, Wyo., on August 26, 1944.

FRED DALE

Fred Dale was a pioneer horseman of this section of the country. He first located a horse camp just over the line in South Dakota and was there for several years. About 1900 he came to Wyoming and filed on a homestead on the Cheyenne River, at the mouth of Alkali Creek. Soon after this he was instrumental in establishing a postoffice in this community which was called Dale in his honor. Mr. and Mrs. Dale are the parents of one daugh­ ter, Maude. Mrs. Dale and Maude who spend the summers on the ranch and return to Edgemont in the fall so Maude could continue her studies. Maude was married to Fred Campbell and they still reside on the Cheyenne River and are the parents of one son, Edward Dale.

The old. Dale ranch has changed hands several times. John Phillips, another pioneer from South Dakota, owned this place for a number of years. He was in the cattle business and seeded the ranch to alfalfa and improved the place considerably. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips and their daughter, Mary Ann, made this their home for many years. Mary Ann is married to Stanford Brewster and has four sons. They still reside in Niobrara County. In later years Mr. and Mrs.· Phillips sold the ranch to Mr. and Mrs. Allie Manke and moved to Edgemont, where Mr. Phillips passed away.

Allie Manke, the present owner, has extended the alfalfa acreage and used more scientific methods until this place has become one of the best irrigated hay ranches in this locality. They have also modernized the house. Mr. and Mrs. Manke are the parents of one son, Franklin. Mr. Manke has a good herd of white-face cattle and also some hot-blood horses. His horses won first and second in the endurance race run on October 3, 1947, from the State line to Edgemont, a distance of 16.7 miles, in 45 minutes. So you see this chap has other ideas in his head besides flanking hay and branding calves.

HENRY H. COOKSEY

Henry H. Cooksey was born in Indiana on July 5, 1851. In 1872 he was married to Mary Jane Spencer. To this union nine children were born­ John, deceased; Nathaniel, Newcastle, Wyo.; Henry, a veteran of World War I; he enlisted at Camp Lewis, Wash., and was discharged at the same place; he is now living at Sacramento, Calif.; Collet R.; Clara (Mrs. Wm. Glasby), deceased; Emma (Mrs. Clyde Bailey), of Entiat, Wash.; Mary (Mrs. Hans Anderson) of Burdock, So. Dak.; Edna (Mrs. Starkweather) of Pacific Grove, Calif., and Hattie (Mrs. Nelson Holwell) of Upton, Wyo.

In 1896 the Cookseys came to Fall River County, South Dakota, where Mr. Cooksey devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits.

In 1903 he filed on a homestead on the Cheyenne River. His ranch home was within a few yards of Burnt Station, burned by the Indians in 1879. Here Mr. Cooksey made his permanent home and was engaged in stockraising and agriculture. He was very active in community affairs, having served as Justice of the Peace, and for many years served on the local school board. Mr. Cooksey passed away in August, 1920, and Mrs. Cooksey on January 1, 1927. Collet, who still runs a stock and hay ranch on the Cheyenne River, was a veteran of World War I. He was inducted at Fort Logan, Colo., and was discharged at Fort Riley, Kansas. Collet was married to Irene Bennett and they are the parents of two children, John Bennett and Mary Jeannette. John was a graduate of the Edgemont High School, and at the age of 21 he enlisted in World War II at Northfield, Minn. From there he went to various training schools, including Ames, Iowa, and the U. S. Navy Pre-Flight School at Iowa City, Iowa. Near the end of the war he left cadet school and enlisted in the Naval Air Corps. After leaving boot camp at Great Lakes, he went to machinist school at Norman, Okla. After completing this course he was sent to Honolulu, where he spent 18 months as an aviation mate 3/c. He returned to the States in August, 1947. He has two more years in the Navy before his enlistment ends in 1949.

Mary Jeanette was also a graduate of Edgemont High School. She was married to Lee R. Burton on June 16, 1945. Mr. Burton was an aviation instructor in World War II. Mr. and Mrs. Burton are the parents of two little girls, Delores Ann and Barbara Jean. Their home is at Hyanis, Neb., where Mr. Burton operates his own air field and training school.

EDWARD RUMNEY

Edward Rumney was born in Yorkshire, England, March 8, 1881. He came to Wyoming in 1905 and soon afterward engaged in the sheep industry with Anthony Wilkinson, locating on .the Bridle Bit range. Later on, he filed on a homestead on Lance Creek joining the 9 9 9.

In 1909 Mr. Rumney was married to Annie Wilson of Rochdale,' England, the ceremony being performed at Hot Springs, So. Dak.

In 1910 he disposed of his sheep and went into the cattle business. Various leases and grazing homesteads have been added since, so that the holdings now comprise about 10,000 acres of deeded land and 4,000 acres of leased land. The Rumneys irrigate about 100 acres of alfalfa from the floodwaters of Lance Creek and Jacoby Draw. 

Mr. and Mrs. Rumney are the parents of two children-James Edward and Mary. James Edward is married to Gladys Black, daughter of Mrs. Julia Black. To this union four children were born-Raymond, James Edward, Elizabeth Jean and Dean. His ranch joins that of his father and he operates both of them.

Mary married Julius Peterson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Pete Peterson. They are the parents of three children-Paul Edward, Clyde Julius, and Stephen Lee. They live 25 miles southwest of the Rumney ranch on Lance Creek.

In 1944 Mr. Rumney purchased a comfortable property in Lusk. There he and Mrs. Rumney are enjoying a long-needed and well-earned rest.

CHARLES COOK

Charles Cook was born Marc:& 6, 1855, in Germany. He left Germany, coming to the United States with his parents, where they settled on a farm in Wisconsin. Here he finished his public school education. Following that he spent a few years in Iowa, where he was employed at various odd jobs.

In the early '80's, he married Inez Walken of Sioux City, Iowa. The spirit of the West had gotten into their blood, so in 1883 they left for Dakota Territory and settled 25 miles southeast of the present site of Edgemont, which was then away out on the frontier. The Cooks lived here a number of years, then homesteaded north of the S&G ranch and lived there until 1901, then located on the old S&O ranch and lived there until 1912.

Mr. and Mrs. Cook were the parents of twelve children-Walter A., Arthur L., Amos H., Laura Belle, Cora Mae, Carrie Delila, Angela Cleo, Harold E. (deceased), Inez Viola (deceased), Charles Deo, Cecil C. and Anna Loraine.

Mrs. Cook died at Yakima, Washington, and is buried there.

Mr. Cook resided with his son Arthur at Dewey for a number of years and died at his home on January 2, 1921. He is buried at Yakima, Wash., by the side of his wife.

WILLIAM O. HANSON

William 0. Hanson was born March 29, 1881, son of Isaac Newton and Lavina Miley Hanson, of Loup City, Neb.

When Billy (as he is known to all of us), was three years of age his mother died, leaving him and three other small children alone with their father. Mr. and Mrs. Conners, friends of the family, took Billy and he stayed with them until 1896, when he went to Cheyenne, Wyo., where his father resided. He worked with his father as a carpenter on the Union Pacific Railroad.

In 1903 he came to what is now Niobrara County and filed on a homestead on Alkali Creek. From time to time he has purchased more land and now has a fine, well-stocked ranch on which he has made his home for 44 years. His home was the scene of many an old-time country dance, neighbors coming from miles around to enjoy Billy's hospitality.

On June 29, 1929, he was married to Essie Elizabeth Johnson at Whitney, Neb., thus ending his bachelor days and making his life much happier.

Mr. and Mrs. Hanson are the parents of one son, Milton. He is a graduate of the Newcastle High School and a Navy veteran of World War II, having enlisted for service on May 29, 1943. He left Newcastle on November 1, 1943, and entered Colorado College, where he stayed 14 months, was sent from there to Great Lakes, was graduated from this training school on July 20, 1945. Then he was sent to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, then on to San Francisco. He left the United States on September 18, 1945, and was in the Pacific campaign. At one time he was on the battleship Kermit Roosevelt, Captain Watt, commander. He received his discharge on June 25, 1946, at Bremerton, Washington, with a Y 3/c rating. At present Milton is chief bookkeeper at the Seattle First National Bank, Wenatchee, Washington.

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