History of the Medicine Bow National ForestOriginally Written in 1909

by J. H. Mullison, Forest Ranger and P. S. Lovejoy, Acting Forest Supervisor

Compiled by Al Walsh

PUBLICATION INFORMATION

The original title of the 1909 History was “History of the Cheyenne National Forest” as that was the name of the forest at the time.

The information used to produce this ebook was drawn entirely from the Medicine Bow National Forest Collection. Collection Num-ber 3654. American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Compiled and formatted as an ebook by Al Walsh

Edition 1.0

ISBN: 978-0-9893423-2-2

This edition was published in 2015 by Just Trails LLC, Laramie, Wyoming.

Neither Al Walsh or Just Trails asserts any copyright over the original material as placed in this ebook format or the notes added by Al Walsh. This 1909 report is part of our collective history and because of its rarity and unique character, we want as many people

to read and share it with as few barriers as possible.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction and NotesCoughlin’s MemorandumOriginal IndexReport for Forest Atlas

Physical FeaturesNatural Resources and IndustriesForest CoverSources of Timber SuppliesAgricultureGrazingMiningLeading IndustriesFurther Development of the ForestDerivation of Name

History of the Cheyenne National ForestPrehistoric WorkEarly Inhabitants and Explorers

GameBuffaloBig Horn or Mountain Sheep

Fish

INTRODUCTION AND NOTES

I came across this report while going through the Medicine Bow National Forest Collection at the University of Wyoming’s American Heritage Center. I couldn’t put it down, especially the history that was written by John H. Mullison. I was struck by the stories told and the general turn of the 1900s perspectives on the proper role of the forest, the future of the Laramie valley, Native Americans, and wildlife, among other things. I felt that more people should read this report. Republishing the information as a free ebook seemed like the best way to accomplish this.

I don’t know if the original report was ever published for the general public on its own or as part of a larger compilation of several of the National Forests. My impression is that it was an internal document for the Forest Service.

Everything in this book written in italics are my words, everything else is a direct quote from the original document. Except for the publication information and the table of contents preceding this introduction. My goal was to recreate the original report as perfectly as possible including spelling imperfections that were contained in the original. However, I am sure that I’ve added my own errors along the way. For that I apologize in advance and promise to correct them if they are brought to my attention. There are several copies of this report scattered throughout the Medicine Bow National Forest Collection at the American Heritage Cen-ter. I relied on two copies that I found to be the most complete.

A note on the name. You’ll notice that throughout the report the forest is referred to as the Cheyenne National Forest. This is in fact what today we call the Medicine Bow National Forest, but at the time this report was written, it was called the Cheyenne National Forest. Even so, I used the Medicine Bow National Forest in my title to avoid confusion and make it easier for people to find the book and know what to expect from it.

No project like this happens without a lot of help. I would like to thank my wife Rebecca for her support while I worked on this. Also, I would like to thank the staff at the University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center. It is great to have such a resource open to the public and everyone I had the opportunity to work with was very helpful, professional, and kind. Finally, I’d like to thank Debora Person, Librarian at the University of Wyoming College of Law. She helped me to figure out what to call the worked I did in putting this book together. That may sound like a trivial thing but in fact it caused me a lot of angst until I asked her for help.

Please direct any questions or comments to me, Al Walsh, at al@justtrails.com. I’d love to hear them.

COUGHLIN’S MEMORANDUM

NOTE: The following memorandum was written by Forest Ranger Louis E. Coughlin on March 23, 1943. It contains some brief background information on the report itself and the Forest at the time the report was written. It is attached inside the front cov-er of one of the versions of the report in the collection at the American Heritage Center. I have quoted it in it’s entirety here.

The writing “History of the Cheyenne National Forest” by P. S. Lovejoy, the third supervisor and John H. Mullison, one of the origi-nal Forest Rangers inherited from the Dept of the Interior in 1902 or when the National Forests were turned over to the Department of Agriculture, covers what is now the Medicine Bow Division of the Forest. At the time the Supervisor’s office was in Saratoga. Under its jurisdiction was also the Crow Creek Division (or originally the Crow Creek Nat’l Forest) now the Pole Mountain Division.

[Signed By Louis E Coughlin]Louis E Coughlin

Wildlife Specialist.

Mullison died in 1911 Lovejoy died in Jan, 1942 The dates of death for Mullison and Lovejoy were written by hand on Coughlin’s Memorandum.

ORIGINAL INDEX

This is the index from the original report. The original page numbers were not applicable to this ebook so I removed them and added hyperlinks in their place.

AgricultureDerivation of NameFishForest CoverForest FiresFurther Development of ForestGame:

Animals originally found in and near Cheyenne National Forest and causes of their disappearanceBig Horn, or Mountain SheepBuffalo

GrazingHistory of the Cheyenne National Forest:

Early Inhabitants and ExplorersHistory of Timber Operations and Forest FiresPrehistoric Work

Leading IndustriesMiningNatural ResourcesPhysical FeaturesSources of Timber Supplies

REPORT FOR FOREST ATLAS

Cheyenne National Forest WyomingJanuary 1, 1909.

PHYSICAL FEATURES

Topography.The Cheyenne National Forest includes the northern extremity of the Medicine Bow Range which is a northern prong of the

rather complex mountain systems of Colorado. To the north of the Forest the Medicine Bow Range is broken and meets the semi--desert sage brush plains of central and eastern Wyoming. To the south the range extends across the state line into Colorado.

The plains are largely coal bearing and here have a general altitude of 7000 feet. Toward the foothills the plains rise with very east grades to about 8000 feet which is approximately the lower limit of the timber, and consequently the location of the Forest boundary.

In general, the country rises above the 8000 foot level in every direction toward Medicine Bow Peak which has an altitude of about 12,000 feet and is located in about the center of the Forest. Within the Forest the topography, for a mountain region is very simple. Grades are easy, the streams as a rule are slow, and traverse broad basins rather than valleys. Canyons and gorges are not frequent. The main range forks off a number of lateral divides which flatten out into the plains near the limits of the Forest. Hogback and bar formations are not usual.

Geologically the plains are of Quaternary formation. The mountains are of course complex but have a characteristic meta-morphic structure. The country rock is largely quartzite with schist, gneiss, serpentine and andesite appearing in places, generally below the quartzite. Granite is uncommon and appears only as occasional outcrops near the plains.

While the general trend of the mountains is north and south, the topographic features radiate out from Medicine Bow Peak, except to the south, where tho main divide extends across the Colorado line.

The entire Forest is a series of ridges and creeks with the exception of about two townships in the southeast corner, where a plateau like formation occurs at an elevation of about 8500 feet. This in roughly bounded on tho north by the south fork of the Little Laramie River and on the west by the Douglas Creek Watershed. It extends south into Colorado where it is said to have a much greater extent than in this Forest.

Drainage.The Cheyenne has an importance, in relation to its drainage area, which under the present stage of development of the

region has been underestimated but can hardly be overestimated. All waters draining out, reach either the North Platte River on the west or north or the Laramie on the east, which is itself a

tributary of the North Platte. It is probable that one-half the flow of the Platte at its juncture with the Sweetwater is derived from this Forest, the remainder being contributed principally from the Hayden, Routt, or old Park Range National Forests.

While there is a very considerable mileage of tributaries to the North Platte rising on tho plains and not deriving their feed from the surface run-off of the mountains, these streams really carry but little water and are generally dry during the summer. It is moreover quite probable that the inclined shale strata of the coal formations of the plains, in reality, conduct a subterranean flow from the higher elevations of the mountains to such streams. It is said that in this region springs rising on the plains are usually to be found on that bank of the receiving stream which lies toward the Medicine Bow or Sierra Madre ranges.

What streams head in the bare and untimbered ranges and buttes which rise from the plains, are generally not dependable in their flow and reoquire storage if used the year long. Those streams heading in the timbered regions of the National Forest have a comparatively even flow at all seasons.

That portion of the Platte River valley lying east of the river and the country tributary to Medicine Bow River, north of the For-est, and the Centennial Valley through which the Little Laramie river, which heads on the eastern side of the Medicine Bow range, flows, are entirely dependant for their further economic development on the waters from this Forest.

Although the Big Laramie heads in the Colorado mountains, its flow is so greatly reduced by ditches constructed on the Col-orado side that little but flood water reaches Wyoming, and therefore the entire basin of the Big Laramie is practically dependent on the territory of the Cheyenne National Forest for its water.

In a general way it may be said that beyond question the timber has a very marked effect on the run-off of the country, con-serves and regulates the water flow, that the easy slopes of the mountains have their effects in making the region accessible, ren-dering logging easy, and making driving the streams possible. (Nearly every creek is drivable) The easy grades also tend to make the run- off slow and therefore reduce erosion which here is almost an negligible factor.

NATURAL RESOURCES AND INDUSTRIES

Waterflow. It is imperative that the water flow of this region be conserved and regulated if the country in the vicinity of the Forest

is to be developed to any degree toward its capacity. Up to the present the development has been very local along all lines, except perhaps grazing, and especially in reference to agriculture and mining. Along the smaller streams where tracts close to the streams could easily be irrigated there has been considerable improvement work, but the great flats, which will in time furnish the stable economic industry of the country, which lie both in the North Platte River Valley and in the Laramie Valley have been almost un-touched. Their

development will be conditioned upon the possibility of conducting water upon them, and it is decidedly a question whether the present unappropriated flow of the North Platte and Laramie Rivers will be in any degree sufficient. If it proves that the normal flow of these streams is not enough to justify large projects of this kind, it will be necessary to provide storage systems of some magnitude. Under an economic administration of the region this will undoubtedly follow, and the degree of its development will directly depend on the intensiveness of the use to which the country is put.

At present there is more than enough water for all projects contemplated, both private and under the Reclamation Service. Lying north of Saratoga and south of the Ferris and Seminole ranges (6th P. M. North), and in the main North Platte and Medicine Bow drainage east of the North Platte are great tracts of irrigable lands aggregating probably 250,000 acres and west of the North Platte between the same north and south limits, probably over 500,000 acres more. West of the low divide between the Platte and the “Desert” lie the wide areas of the “Great Red Desert”. There are here probably 2,000,000 acres of land suitable for irrigating, and containing also rich placer fields. In places water lies within ten feet of the surface. The only apparent possible source of water for these areas is from the streams heading in the Cheyenne, Hayden and Routt National Forests. Perhaps 1,000,000 acres may also be included for the Laramie Valley.

It is probable that even with greatly improved methods of canal construction and hydraulic engineering it will prove imprac-ticable to conduct water from the mountains onto these areas by direct gravity flow. Perhaps the recently developed system of “electro hydraulics” will be worked out and appliod to these desert tracts. In this case the stream flow from the mountains will have a new and greatly added value. The gravity fall of the streams will be used to develop power, which transported to local points, will be used to raise water from subterranean sources, to be applied to the land.

There are at least five great reservoir and power sites in or on the borders of the Forest. These are on Devils Gate Creek, Brush Creek, Pass Creek and two on the North Platte River. A number of associations during the past twenty years have contem-plated projects on these and other sites and a great number of surveys have been run which so far have come to nothing. The initiation of the Pathfinder Project, under the Reclamation Service, at Casper, Wyoming, has led to the hope that a Reclamation Service Project might be undertaken on the North Platte. The residents of the North Platte Valley, while they feel that any develop-ment is better than the present barrens, apparantly prefer that this work should be done by the Government rahher than by private interests.

Sooner or later the flood waters of the North Platte will be stored and utilized for irrigation through the construction of many supply reservoirs. When this is done the forest will have an inestimable value entirely aside from its merchantable stand of timber, in its ability to prevent sedementation in the storage basins.

FOREST COVER

The forest cover extends from approximately the 8000-foot level to 10,000 feet, ·though there is not much of an area above this limit. Above 9,500 feet the timber on the higher ridges has a tendency to break into parks, and along the main divide north of the Medicine Bow Mountains are large areas of almost continuous parks.

The forest cover has few transition or secondary types between the lower timber line and the merchantable stands, those ar-eas which are covered with but few scattered and stunted trees occurring on very unfavorable sites and generally at low elevations, as on south exposures or rocky ridges. The easy grade at which the mountains rise from the plains, permits good growth of timber as a rule, only a short distance above the lower timber line. Were it not tor old fires and trespass cuttings, the merchantable forest would be almost remarkably solid and continuous, so that for all practical purposes no protection forest need be considered. What protection to water and soil is to be had will be in relation to easily merchantable stands, and whenever and in whatever manner the stand may be attached, its relation to the water flow must be considered. While at present there is no possibility of any damage to the water flow through any effect of handling the timber, the development or any great irrigation or power projects such as have been previously considered will at once introduce the necessity of extremely careful handling of the stand.

So far as it at present appears, there will be no necessity for planting for any purpose unless a more careful examination of certain burned over areas in the sheep grazing district, prove them in fact to have been rendered parks by the presence of the sheep too soon after the fire. In time perhaps it will also be desirable to plant back the great park areas before mentioned. On the whole, however, the burns seem to be restocking and the timber to be encroaching on the parks.

This is true for the Cheyenne proper. It is not true for the Crow Creek division, which consists of a series of low hills whose timber has been almost entirely taken. The tract is used as a maneuver ground for the troops of Fort D. A. Russell and the authority over the lands at present rests with the Secretary or War as well as with the secretary of Agriculture. For the present, not planting operations are contemplated.

SOURCES OF TIMBER SUPPLIES

The total area of this Forest is given as 600,000 odd acres. Excluding the Crow Creek division with its 55,000 acres of grassland and poor timber, which in any case must be considered as a unit, the Cheyenne has about 450,000 acres of timber producing lands and about 100,000 acres of non-producing lands, including sage brush, park and barrens. Of the timber producing area it is estimated that there is at present some 275,000 acres of merchantable timber bearing a stand of from 5 to 15 M. B. M. per acre. At an average of 7 M per acre, the total merchantable stand approximates 2 billions feet, of which over ninety per cent 1a lodgepole pine and the balance Engelmann spruce. Of the remaining 195,000 acres some 85,000 acres are included in restocked burns in various pole stages as yet unmerchantable, and the rest of the area, some 110,000 acres, is in poorly stocked burns, foothill timber, unknown and inaccessible, or already cut over in trespass. Because of very incomplete data, no deduction has been possible for interior holdings and alienations.

Data complete enough to warrant any conclusions concerning the period which must elapse before the areas which are now restocking may be figured into an annual yield is not yet available. Roughly however, calculation on a basis of 2 billion feet, now merchantable, and a rotation of 200 years, ten million feet per year seems to be about the capacity of the forest for the next fifty years.

It is probable that with increased intensiveness of methods and better utilization, this annual yield may be considerably in-creased in the immediate future by second cuttings for saw material in the old tie trespasses. If the total stand should approximate two billion feet, the proportions which would be naturally tributary to the various points of delivery would be somewhat as follows:

By driving down west flowingstreams to North Platte includingDouglas, Savage,Cottonwood, Mullison, French,Brush, Cedar, Lake Creeks

1,150,000 M B. M.

By driving down north flowingstreams to Medicine Bow Riverthe North Platte or the U. P.R. R. crossings including Pass,Turpin, Medicine Bow, Wagonhound,Rook Creek

450,000 M B. M.

By driving the Little LaramieRiver or by haul over the L.H. P. & P. Ry. (crossing forestin SE corner)

400,000 M B. M.Total

2,000,000 M B. M.

The point of delivery for such material as has been taken in drives down the west and north flowing streams is the Union Pacific R. R. For the North Platte this is at Fort Steele; for the Medicine Bow River, Medicine Bow; for Rock Creek, Rock River. At Fort Steele the Carbon Timber Company have built a 45 thousand-day saw mill with a box factory in connection. The other stations have been only tie shipping points.

On the east, the Little Laramie river has been driven to Wyoming Station, 18 miles north of the city of Laramie where ties were loaded in past years.

The Laramie, Hahns Peak and Pacific Ry. which is building across the southeast corner of the Forest, taps a very consid-erable area of excellent timber on a plateau like divide which extends across the Colorado line. From the Cheyenne probably 15 million feet, at least, is tributary to the new road which taps the Union Pacific R.R. at Laramie city.

The Saratoga and Encampment Ry. with a junction at Walcott parallels the west side of the Forest at a distance of 15 miles and crosses the North Platte at Saratoga. There is small local demand for timber at Saratoga. Encampment will doubtless be sup-plied form the Haydon National Forest.

If in the future, wood working industries develop, with a constant demand from the west slope of the Cheyenne, the natural location for the industry will be at Saratoga to which the timber may be driven down from all west flowing streams but Pass and Lake Creeks. If manufactured at Saratoga the most expensive portion of the drive, in the past, from Saratoga to Fort Steele, would be avoided and delivery would be much more rapid and certain.

Because of the comparatively small amount of material which can come down the north flowing streams, with the exception of the Bow, the manufacturing will probably consist of small mills at the foot of the mountains or at the Railroad. In the immediate

future little but ties will probably be wanted. It will probably not be long before some small mill and wood working plant is established at Medicine Bow Station.

Along the Laramie, Hahns Peak and Pacific Ry. it is anticipated, a great number of applications for timber will be made, be-ginning with the completion of the grade next summer, and in all probability soon exceeding the supply of timber properly allowed to be cut. Portable mills of small capacity will probably be put in and the cut marketed in Laramie and the surrounding valley. At

present timber sawed in the mountains is hauled a distance of over 30 miles on wagons to the Laramie valley and there competes with imported western timbers.

As in the past, the greatest future demand will be for tie timber for the U. P. R. R. In circling this Forest to the north the railroad comes within easy distance of a tie supply that is entirely wanting along its lines from the point in Eastern Nebraska where southern pine can compete, to the Western part of Wyoming in the neighborhood of Green River where it is said a sufficient supply can be found to run the divisions west to the coast timbers.

That the railroad realizes the economic advantage of a tie supply here, is shown by the fact that three years ago one of its timber men made a rather careful estimate of the stand available, with its location in relation to delivery. So thoroughly was this work done that up to the present, this estimate has been the only one considered.

Fires.Compared to other timbered tracts, the Cheyenne has had little injury from fire. Those fires which have run, have usually

destroyed very valuable timber but so located as not to prevent its partial use or at most so as not to break into large logging units in such a way as to depreciate their value to the point of preventing further operations in the green timber left.

In some cases the old stand has been a total loss. In some instances the burn has fully restocked and in the long run these areas of young poles may prove not altogether a misfortune, when the regulation of the yield becomes a necessity and not a hope.

Since the creation of the Forest, fires have become almost a thing of the past. Not over 50 acres have been lost since 1902.

AGRICULTURE

Since about 1880, this region has developed from a hay raising, grazing country to a point where the import of agricultural products is scarcely in excess of its home production. Although the local agriculture is always in a more or less direct relation to the livestock industry, it is becoming diversified rapidly, and considering that the altitude was but recently considered prohibitive to grain growing, has reached a remarkable degree of successful development.

The growing season is short and the summer nights cool to cold. There is almost no rainfall during the growing season and entire dependence is placed on irrigation. In exceptionally bad years, frost may occur even during the summer months.

The climate limits the crops to the more hardy hay species and the earliest maturing vegetables. No berries or fruits are grown as yet.

Timothy was the first cultivated grass grown. On good ground from 1-1/2 to 2 tons can be produced per acre. In 1884 al-falfa was introduced. Grown on bottom land, it was frozen out in about 3 years. On the irrigated bench land, it does well and lives as long as desired, being generally plowed under the fifth year as a green fertilizer preceding grain. Two cuts a year are generally made and the yield is between three and five tons per acre for the season.

Brome grass is now being experimented with, so far not being a great success.Hay is worth from six to eight dollars per ton in the stack; and, from twelve to fourteen dollars delivered in town.Grain was first successfully grown in the early 80’s. Oats is the principal grain crop. This is used for horse feed and no local

industry handles it as a food stuff. The region can not supply its own demand. Fifty bushels an acre is considered a fair crop. Oats are worth about $2.00 per cwt.

Wheat has been tried to some extent, but the season seldom permits it to mature to the point of making flour grain. In all probability the Durham wheats could be raised, but there is no local market for them.

Barley and rye are grown to some extent, but the lack of factory demand prevents their production to any extent.The vegetables are raised in comparative abundance, but the vine plants are not as a rule hardy enough to mature. Pota-

toes are the standard garden crop, and 200 bushels to the acre is considered only a fair yield.Sugar beets have been tried and seem to be a success. It is quite possible that in the future, with the establishment of a

sugar plant, the raising of beets may develop into a very considerable industry in the region.While this section is high and cold, with a rather short growing season, as has been said under “Water”, it is inconceivable

that the immense benches of fertile soils, now barren sage brush deserts, should remain long undeveloped. With water, even under the present crude agriculture practice, the prospect is immense; and when it is considered what may be expected in the way of newly developed forage and cereal crops, selection and adaption of old crops and intensive practice, it would seem certain that within a few years the region in the vicinity of the Cheyenne National Forest will be a great agricultural center, and will develop with its coal and mining resources an industrial and manufacturing population to furnish a near market for the surplus agricultural prod-ucts.

In such a development, the protecting effects of the forest on the water flow will necessarily be an incalculable advantage.

GRAZING

The first use to which this region was put was grazing. In common with the experience of the rest of the semiarid west, the first grazing was done by cattlemen who were few in number and whose herds were large. The available country was of great ex-tent and there was little friction between the different outfits.

Sheep.The introduction of sheep about 1880 changed affairs at once. The sheepmen had to have a limited range and fences were

of little use. This led to disagreements between the stock owners. Compared to other parts of the state, however, there was but little actual trouble, the difficulty being solved by the stockmen getting together and agreeing on a dead line for the sheep. On the east side of the North Platte the line agreed on was Cedar Creek and on the west side Spring Creek. South of these streams no sheep were allowed. Practically the same line is observed today and has been incorporated into the local grazing regulations of the Forest Service.

But two instances are on record where the dead line was no respected. These occurred about 1900. On this occasion a band of masked riders broke up the bands of the trespassing sheep outfits, destroyed the wagons and drove the herders into town.

More and more cattlemen went into the sheep business which increased phenomenally until by 1908 there were many hun-dreds of thousands of sheep, practically all of which, depended on the mountains for their summer range and on the deserts for the winter, when snow made water unnecessary.

On the range where local traditions permitted sheep, now within the Cheyenne National Forest, there was trouble as the number of owners increased and the sheep multiplied. Without any regulation or amicable agreements, the object of each owner was to get in first and feed out the range as fast as possible and before his neighbors could reach it.

In these contests the large owner had all the best of it. By deliberately mixing bands, concentrating several bands and feed-ing all around a small outfit or on the approach of others bands, scattering their several bands as widely as possible, the larger owners continued to make the results of the seasons run more or less doubtful for the smaller owner.

The Forest was created in 1902 but no action was taken concerning the grazing until 1904. During 1903 it is said 200,000 head of sheep went into the mountains. In 1904 although no fee was charged, the number allowed was cut to 40,000 head. The overflow from the Medicine Bow went to what is now the Hayden, then vacant public land. In 1905 the 40,000 head limit was raised to 50,000 head and in 1906 a fee was charged and the number allowed was raised to 70,000 head. Although at this time what is now the Medicine Bow in Colorado was included with the present Cheyenne, almost no sheep are said to have run in Colorado, and the entire amount was really carried by this Forest.

Because of the heavy snow fall, no year-long grazing is attempted on the Cheyenne.It is said that fully twice as many sheep find good grazing in the mountains under present conditions as before the regulation

by the Forest Service. This is almost wholly due to the sense of security which the different owners have. Knowing that no more sheep have been allowed than the range can carry, and that they will not be disturbed by the constant movement and skirmishing of competing bands, the sheep are taken in, in an orderly way, find their range waiting for them, and remain quietly through the season until the snow drives them out. In the past perhaps more good range was tramped out than was eaten, and it should be re-membered that although in 1903 some 200,000 sheep went into the mountains, most of them came out long before the snow, and none were in such condition as is now the average.

Limiting the number of nights that should be spent on one bedding ground and keeping bedding grounds away from the streams has had a very desirable result.

Herders are beginning to handle their sheep practically without bedding at all. The sheep are stopped where they happen to be at night, the herder brings up his bed and the same performance continues practically all summer. In this way the sheep travel only about half as far for their days feed as though they returned each night to the same bedding ground. Less travel of course means more feed. Security in the range is a necessary condition for such handling.

The use of the same range year after year allows the sheep to become well acquainted with it. This has an important result in that the sheep are quieter and are more easily handled. Where in 1900 the owners were afraid to run sheep in even thin timber and brush, they are now being run wherever it is possible to secure proper feed. On the whole, although the people of the vicinity are a remarkably law abiding body of citizens, the practical absence of trouble in enforcing the grazing regulations can be taken in only one way. The interested people are satisfied.

Almost without exception the sheep owners are local residents. The sheep run are principally a heavy shearing strain of Merino.

Cattle.Since the local grazing regulations of the Forest Service conform very closely to the previously agreed on dead line, as the

limit between the sheep and cattle, very little question has arisen on this point. There is more than sufficient range for all cattle and horses run on the Cheyenne and this portion of the Forest business is perhaps as nearly automatic as any.

It can hardly be said that the conditions in relation to horses and cattle have been improved by the methods of the Forest Service except perhaps in two directions, and even here it should be said, the government has only accelerated an already plain tendency.

In requiring salting, the Forest Service has increased the available range. Formerly it was practically impossible to keep cat-tle in the hills later than August 15, and by September, they would be hanging around their home ranch looking for salt. Frequently they would gather at salt or alkali”licks,” and the country for miles about would be cut by trails. Compulsory salting at regular inter-vals and given places has resulted in the ranchmen being able to hold the cattle in the hills through the bad fly season, and in fact until the snow drives them out.

Another detail of the local regulations has resulted in a tendency to improve the breed of cattle raised. Several of the larger

cow outfits for years have made a practice of importing registered bulls for their herds. In some instances neighboring outfits were in the habit of taking advantage of the fact to improve their own herds. This led to dissension.

Since the cattlemen have been required to maintain a certain ratio of bulls in their grazing herds, this has been largely over-come, and at the present time, over 95% of all range bulls are blooded stock. To this extent the quality of the stock has been im-proved by modern methods.

Over three-fourths of all shipped stock goes to Omaha and Kansas City; the rest, to Denver.

MINING

Lode mining in the Cheyenne National Forest so far, has not developed into much of an industry. While there have been many prospect holes dug and a large number of claims recorded, the total number on which the yearly assessment work is kept up is small. During the last 35 years, 7 stamp mills usually of ten stamps each have been erected. None of them operated but a short time and with one exception, none at all within the last seven years. The exception was the Keystone which operated a few days in 1907. Report says in all these instances except one, that either the ore body or the values gave out.

Periodically, some new excitement breaks out, as some very rich gold bearing quartz has been and is still being found.There has been considerable placer mining done but none to pay, during the last few years. The paying gulches so far as

known are worked out. However, there are said to be large bodies of auriferous gravel which may carry values in paying quantities if worked by modern methods.

The entire mining industry both placer and lode is in a very languishing condition.If any of the local mines are ever permanently worked they will depend entirely on the Forest for their timber supply.

LEADING INDUSTRIES

At present the sheep industry involves the most capital of any in the region, with hay and cattle raising a close second. Tim-ber operations and mining practically complete the list.

FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF FOREST

With the exclusion of fires, it is probable that no cutting which does not remove over two thirds of the stand, will have any se-rious effect on the water flow. Because of this, the water conservation, which probable in the long run will prove the most important result of maintaining a forest, may be to a certain extent neglected for the present, or perhaps until some method of clean cutting is practiced.

Aside from water, the forest should furnish timber in such sizes as are needed by local consumers and in such quantities as local developments may demand. Such local developments can hardly be accurately forecasted and in all cases sufficient stands of easy accessibility should be, where necessary, reserved for use by local industries or developing settlements in such a way as to prevent any undue expense or scarcity through unnecessarily long hauls. It is probable that several comparatively small tracts will have to be set aside and worked as units in the near future. Great care should be taken to identify such necessity, and properly locate such tracts, in time.

With local demands provided for, the surplus yield of the Forest may be disposed of as railroad ties, mine timbers and lum-ber to the applicants who will undoubtedly appear.

It is probable that it will appear more profitable to work this forest on a tie timber rotation of approximately 150 years than to maintain any considerable areas in the longer saw timber rotation. To a large extent the saw timber of the future, will in all probably come in from the big timber stands of the west. What saw timber as is needed for interior local developments can be cut from the tie stands without difficulty.

DERIVATION OF NAME

According to Lewis Hickman, old timer, who is said to have come to this country in the late 50’s, Medicine Bow was the name given the stream along which the indians met to have their biggest pow wows and where they found the wood of which their bows were made. The fact that the mountain mahogany is found along this stream and hardly occurs, even botanically in the sur-rounding country, lends support to the statement. According to another tradition, for which Professor Reed of the University of Wyo-ming is responsible, the indians used to come to use the hot medical springs at Saratoga; and in making the trip from the east side of the range had to make a long detour around the “bow” in the present Medicine Bow river. The range then took its name from the two incidents, and the river changed from “Bow” to “Medicine Bow.”

In any case, the name of the stream has been Medicine Bow since the memory of the most ancient old timer, the mountain range from which the Medicine Bow river flows has been called the Medicine Bow range; and its highest point, Medicine Bow Peak; and as such they are known by everyone who has even the slightest acquaintance with southern Wyoming. The name is Medicine Bow in the records of the War Department, in the history of the state, the chronicle of Kit Carson, and even “The Virginian.”

It was named the Medicine Bow when the Forest was first created, it is known as the Medicine Bow, and it should be the Medicine Bow.

The name was changed from Medicine Bow to Cheyenne July 1, 1908. There were never any Cheyenne Indians in the country, there is not local tradition connecting the country with the name. Cheyenne is a nice name alright but it doesn’t belong to us.

[Signed by P. S. Lovejoy]Acting Forest Supervisor

HISTORY OF THE CHEYENNE NATIONAL FOREST

By J. H. Mullison - Forest Ranger.

PREHISTORIC WORK

There are indisputable evidences of the former occupation by a civilized people of certain areas within the boundaries of the Cheyenne National Forest. According to one vague tradition Spaniards from the South visited the region early in the seventeenth century. In the light of the actual investigations that have been made, however, it seems much more likely that these ancient people were prehistoric and according to the most authentic indian tradition a people other than the plains indians.

My notice was first attracted and my curiosity excited in 1870, when led by the talk of the native Ute indians I prospected on upper North Brush Creek. Here there appeared a number of sinks or depressions in the surface of the ground, like the abandoned workings of a coal mine, where the timbers supporting the roof have given away. These sometimes occurred on the tops but usual-ly on the sides of the mountains which are here composed of auriferous gravel with a bed of rock of soft porphyry.

An examination of one of these was made in the summer of 1886 by sinking a shaft 3 1/2 X 6, well timbered, in one of these old depressions. This was situated on the side of a gravel mountain at the lower end of a group of similar sinks. from which a well marked trench extended down the hill and ended in a spring.

At a depth of sixteen feet the bedrock was reached on the west side. This bedrock continued down on that side nearly per-pendicular, but gradually inclining toward the east until at a depth of 60 feet the whole shaft was in bed rock. The material excavat-ed was a wash gravel mixed with clay and fine particles of charcoal and contained a few colors of gold. In so loose a material this was a surprise to us.

Mr. Thomas Castle now a resident of Cheyenne, Wyoming had charge of the work. About the time this depth was gained the men employed began to hear strange noises like the wind moaning amongst the trees or whistling around the corners, and sounds like stones being dropped down a well and bounding from side to side. These noises all came from the west side of the shaft and apparently out of the solid bed rock. They finally became so continuous amd marked that the men became worried and refused to work at sinking any longer. Mr. Castle reported this to me and accompanied by Colonel S. W. Downey, since deceased, of Laramie City, Wyoming, I went to the scene of operations to investigate. By ridicule, persuasion and a plausible explanation ascribing the sounds to natural causes the men were persuaded to continue the sinking. Colonel Downey and myself remained on the ground; the sounds continued. At a depth of 67 feet these became so marked that it was concluded to ram a drift in their direction. This was done drifting under the timbers on the west in the bed rock. At three feet from the west timbers in our shaft we suddenly broke into a cavity. Upon examination this was found to be the bottom of a circular walled shaft about four feet in diameter with a clean cut tunnel in the soft bed rock leading in a straight direction towards the spring. There was no water either at the bottom of this shaft or the tunnel. A strong current of air, cool and pleasant was coming through the tunnel and passing up the round shaft. The weird noises seemed to come along with the current of air and the dropping of small stones from around the shaft made it not altogether safe. These, the surprise, and undescribed feeling of awe together with the uncanny surroundings made it undesirable to remain but a few moments. By the flickering light of our candle we could not make much of an examination but everything unmistakably pointed to this being the work of human hands. Before leaving I picked up from the floor where we stood a carved grotesque human face made from an elk’s ivory. By the candle’s light I could see but a short distance down the tunnel but the round shaft showed plainly extending upward several feet, although a careful examination on the surface failed to expose the slightest trace of either. Evidently the new shaft being sunk so closely along the side of this old one had loosened the stones on the wall or the arch-ing overhead, hence the falling stones. This work was done on the SW 1/4 of Section 34, T. 17N., R. 81 W., 6th P. M.

Similar apparent workings extend in a southeasterly direction, not continuous, but with slight intervals, and in no instances more than half a mile apart into Township 16 N., Range 81., 6th P. M.

Presumable on Sections 10 and 11 of this township, for a distance of more than a mile a small creek plainly shows workings. In one place a stone wall on the side of the stream is exposed for several feet. This had been laid up to keep the bank which is quite steep on that side from caving, presumably while they were working out the gravel in the bed of the stream. In this place there is shown five different excavations. The ground here had been worked by the open cut method, it having a granite bed rock and being quite shallow-not over ten feet deep.

A short distance above this is a remarkable pile of debris which evidently was taken from a circular shaft about 6 feet in diameter that was also walled up, but covered near the surface with a matted growth forming a tough sod. the creek here had been turned and the shaft sunk in the old creek bed. The bed rock at this place was evidently quite deep. There are now trees growing on the top of the pile of tailings which are over 175 years old. The old workings on this creek are numerous and all show the same general characteristics. No examinations of these have been made and they are known to but few. These are all in an isolated part of the Forest which so far has been seldom visited except by an occasional prospector. The writer first noticed the things spoken of above in 1870 and was led to the place by traditions handed down from the Ute indians of their having been mining done in this vicinity, or as they expressed it “Long time ago White Men heap dig.”

EARLY INHABITANTS AND EXPLORERS

[This heading was not part of the original history that I found in the American Heritage Center, although it was in the index of the Report. I added it here so the reader would know this is no longer a discussion of Prehistoric Work.]

In a history of the territory now included in the Cheyenne National Forest, the events in their chronological order are so inter-woven that a brief statement leading up to the present utilization of its resources must necessarily be made.

The first in habitants of whom we have any direct knowledge were an allied band of Shoshone, Snake, and Bannock indi-ans, numbering about 2,500, who for a longer time than we have any record had held possession of all this territory against their powerful neighbors, the Arapahos on the east, and the Nunces, or as afterwards called by the Whites the Utes, on the west. They claimed and successfully held, in addition to this Forest, all the drainage area of the North Platte river from the Seminole Moun-tains on the northeast to the Continental Divide between north and Middle Park on the south, and the summit of the Sierra Madre Mountains to the west. This condition existed until the winter of 1840 and 1841. At this time, the winter camp of the indians extend-ed from where the Union Pacific Railroad crosses the North Platte river, all along the Platte and its tributaries as far south as the present Colorado state line. These indians were an indolent happy-go-lucky people, having no thought for the future. The “Buffalo House”, as North Park was by them named, furnished an abundance of food with its vast herds of buffalo. North Park was the wintering ground of the buffalo of this range. Their ponies roamed at will over the valleys and foothills of the Medicine Bow Range, which furnished an abundance of grass and water. The wooded heights furnished their lodgepoles and fuel. Snow commenced to fall the first week in December, and by the beginning of the year 1841, was four to five feet deep, badly crusted and covering the whole country. About this time, the smallpox in the most virulent form broke out among them. The buffalo perished from starvation by the thousands, and the bulk of the indian ponies followed. The snow remained on the whole face of the country until April; and when spring opened, there were left only a few small bunches of buffalo, not many ponies, and some 1,800 of the indians them-selves had perished. The remnant abandoned the country as accursed, and for a decade thereafter all the territory drained by the North Platte and its tributaries from the summit of the Medicine Bow mountains on the east to the crest of the Sierra Madre on the west, and north to Elk Mountain remained debatable ground, the Arapahos and Utes both claiming it, neither taking permanent possession, and visited but rarely by either. As late as 1868, remnants of the deserted skin lodges, in a few instances the lodge poles still standing, could be seen where they had been abandoned in the wild flight from the black death.

During the decade following, trappers belonging to the powerful Northwestern Fur Company, and the American Fur Compa-ny, and bands of free trappers, belonging to neither, with their ponies, traps and indian families, gradually took possession of the country. The streams at this time were full of beaver, the hills covered with elk and deer, the valleys with antelope, with an occa-sional bunch of buffalo, remnants of the great herd; the whole country being practically avoided by the indians. A pack of about seventy-five beaver skins weighing 100 lbs. brought at this time, at St. Louis, the almost fabulous sum of $1000. This was an ideal condition for the trappers, and they lived, loved and grew fat, and utilized the natural resources of the Forest in much the same way as their predecessors who had abandoned it. Their wants aside from those obtained from the immediate surroundings were few. A journey once a year to Fort John, afterwards called Fort Laramie, situated at the Junction of the Laramie and North Platte rivers, or Vrains Fort on St. Vrains creek, near the present city of Denver, or Bents Fort on the Arkansas afforded them the opportunity to dispose of their furs and purchase the few things their simple life required. This journey was like the gathering of the clans, and was looked forward to as the one event of the year.

During the year 1842, Lieutenant John C. Fremont, on an exploring expedition authorized by the government, outfitted at St. Louis with twenty-one men, hauling his supplies in eight two-mule carts, proceeded westward up the Kansas river 100 miles, then across the country to the junction of the North and South Plattes, where his party divided, one portion under the guidance of Kit Carson traveled up the North Platte with orders to rendezvous at Fort Laramie. The others accompanied him up the South Platte river to near the base of the mountains, then across to Crow and Lodgepole Creeks, now a portion of the Cheyenne National For-est, then westward crossing the Laramie plains near Red Buttes, up the Big Laramie river, and across the Medicine Bow range into North Park.

In 1868, the writer followed this identical route from the Big Laramie west through the timber. Fremont’s old trail could be distinctly traced, many places still showing the ruts of his cart wheels, and about his old camping places, where they had carved them in the trees, initials, dates, and sometimes the full names of Fremont and members of his party could still be plainly read. He crossed to the west side of the Platte in North Park, and followed it north through the Platte valley, thence northward to the Sweet-water river, down that river and the North Platte, joining the balance of his party at Fort Laramie. This route of Lieutenant Fremont’s from where he left the Big Laramie to a point west of the town of Saratoga was even then an old well defined trail. According to data obtained from the Utes, the Cherokee indians, on their semi-annual trips across the continent to the Pacific, had often used it. There are several so called Cherokee trails across this Forest, but this is undoubtedly the original and only true Cherokee trail.

During the later part of the 40’s the immigration to California, Oregon, and Utah was large. A great portion of the travel went by way of the Laramie plains, along the base of the Medicine Bow range, crossing it through Pass Creek and Rattlesnake passes, then across the North Platte ten miles north of the present town of Saratoga. The Sierra Madre range, now the Hayden National Forest was crossed through Bridger pass thirty-six miles west of Saratoga. It was about this period also, the first regular stage line was established from Atchison, Kansas, to Salt Lake, there connecting with Ben Holliday’s line to San Francisco. Afterwards in the 50’s, this was succeeded by the Overland Pony Express, it in its turn by the Overland Stage Company, carrying the U. S. mails and passengers. Stations were established along this line every 10 or 12 miles for changes of horses; and eating, or as they were called “Home Stations”, every 50 miles. This line covered 2,200 miles, and the trip was made in 20 days. Through southern Wyo-ming, all the material for building these stations was obtained from what is now the Cheyenne National Forest; and the hay for the stock, from the meadows along the streams having their source within it. During this period the Northwestern, an English fur com-pany, sold out to the American Fur Company, their men joining the free trappers, or taking employment under the last named com-pany. Previous to this, there had been an intens rivalry between the two companies. This change was effected during the winter

of 1846, the men coming together in camp on one of the tributaries of the Platte in the Platte valley. They buried the hatchet, and having obtained some alcohol, proceeded to celebrate, and during the carousal which followed, a halfbreed, one of old Antwine Yo-nise’s sons, accidentally shot off above the ankle one of the trappers’ legs. They finished the amputation with a butcher knife, and he recovered and lived to a good old age, dying in 1867, but was ever afterwards known as “Peg Leg” Smith. In commemoration of this event, the place was called Le Grand Encampment, meaning the Big Camp, which name it bears to this day.

The year 1850, marked the decline of the fur trade in southern Wyoming. The trappers, who up to this time constituted all the permanent white inhabitants, were left stranded and without a vocation. This necessitated them and their mongrel families, as the indians said, “Sitting down.” This they did, selecting favorable locations along the streams, building log houses, fencing, and in a desultory manner commencing the improvements necessary for a ranch. This change from their former nomadic life, in the great majority of instances, was received by their squaws with ill grace. Bickerings became frequent and usually ended by the women packing a few ponies and going off to their relations amongst the tribes from which they had originally come, the men becoming hangers-on around the Military Posts, which then began to be established.

However, the fur trappers had introduced into the country a bravery never daunted, a hospitality never equalled, and an improvidence beyond conception. Their improvements and possessions passed into the hands of those who later became the pioneers of the state. This was the rule but not the exception, some few families remaining together and educating their halfbreed children, who later in life were sure to be found amongst their red relations wearing the breech clouts or blankets.

While the whole of this decade was marked by many noted historical and momentous events for the state, which have been duly recorded, none of them deserve more than a passing notice in connection with this Forest, except perhaps a mention of the stock industry in its incipiency. The pioneers in the ranch industry spoken of above were also the pioneers in this, which at this date has grown to considerable proportions. First they bought or traded with the immigrants for a few footsore, broken down animals. These they turned loose a short time to graze on the native nutritious grasses of the foothills and they were in fine condition; and would be traded back to the immigrants for other footsore, broken down stock, together with a big bonus in money, or sometimes two for one, thus constituting an endless chain which in many instances soon grew into large herds with an unlimited market at exorbitant prices at the nearby military posts.

For Saunders on the Laramie plains, Fort Halleck, at Elk Mountain, and later Fort Fred Steele, at the Union Pacific crossing of the North Platte, all obtained their building materials from this Forest, and their forage, except grains, from the few natural mead-ows along the streams flowing from it.

Among these early settlers were a few who had served in the Mexican War, now ended. They had acquired some ideas of irrigation during this experience, and finding that a garden or even their hay crop was an uncertainty in this arid climate, they be-gan the construction of irrigation ditches from the most accessible portions of the nearby streams, finding by experience their crops were a certainty with this aid. This was the commencement of the first utilization of the waters of the Medicine Bow Range for irriga-tion. It was during this period that the Forest was visited by Sir George Gore, an eccentric Irish nobleman, with his party consisting of over a hundred persons, including guests, guides and servants. They hunted over the entire area now included in the Cheyenne National Forest. One day, a member of his party, who was known as Captain Douglas came into Sir George’s camp, then situated near the present town of Centennial on the Little Laramie river, bringing some quite coarse particles of gold, which he stated he had obtained from a stream on the west side of the range. As Sir George was not out for gold, but for pleasure and to spend his surplus income, this discovery was not followed up. The place and stream were afterwards identified and named Douglas Creek, which name it still bears. This was the first authentic discovery of gold in this Forest and in the State of Wyoming.

One of the notable events of the decade commencing in 1860 was the construction of the Overland Telegraph connecting the Atlantic with the Pacific Coast; this was completed in 1861. All the poles for this line through western Nebraska, Colorado, and southern Wyoming, a distance of about six hundred miles, and aggregating over one million feed board measure, were obtained from the Cheyenne National Forest. An influx of miners and prospectors also took place, they gradually working north and west from Colorado points until there was hardly any portion of the Medicine Bow but had been passed over. This did not result in any very important discoveries of the precious metals except possibly, the reopening of Captain Douglas’ placer discovery on Douglas Creek heretofore spoken of. The prospecting resulted in a vast number of holes being dug and some few mining locations, made with expectation of further examinations. Gold, Silver, and copper, and on Douglas Creek, some platinum were found, but not in sufficient quantities to justify a permanent camp, although on this last named creek, from that date to the present time, there have been more or less spasmodic efforts made.

In connection with this subject and what forty years more or less of development has shown the sequel to be, it may be well to quote an opinion rendered by Professor Louis Agassiz, in 1869, after he had passed six weeks in this vicinity looking over the natural features and especially the geology. In answer to the question, “Was there not a probability of lodes containing large and valuable bodies of gold, silver, or copper ore being found?”, he replied, “Undoubtedly some will be found, but there will be no safety in following them”. Upon being asked why, he said, “This whole country is too greatly folded and faulted.”

The Overland Trail through Wyoming, had now become a great continental highway, over which passed the army of settlers who were locating in California and Oregon, vast numbers fleeing from the border states on account of the Civil War, immigrants to Utah, and Albert Sidney Johnston’s army to suppress the trouble with the Mormons. With all this heterogeneous mass of people passing along the borders of the Medicine Bow, and sometimes camping for days in a place to rest their stock, doing more or less hunting in the mountains, forest fires became frequent. Although owing to the whole forest being practically in a virgin state, with no slash, and at that time having very little windfall, these fires were not so destructive to the timber, nor did they sweep over such large areas as later. The cutting of the timber heretofore mentioned, although in the aggregate quite large, had been confined most-ly to isolated patches in the foothills. During the period from 1860 to 1865, this immigration continued and from various causes an occasional immigrant would find, on some of the streams flowing from the hills a location to suit him, the long journey from Missouri river points making him willing to take the certainty which he could see in preference to an uncertainty farther West. Hence by the year 1865, nearly all the streams had some settlers, who obtaining their timber from the mountains soon had comfortable, if not el-egant homes. The year 1865, marked the first active work of constructing the Union Pacific railroad, and also saw a large decrease in the number of immigrants going west of Wyoming.

This was also known as the “bloody year” of the plains, as the Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapahos, all plains indians, were extremely hostile. Owing to the number of government posts established throughout southern Wyoming very few depredations were committed here by the indians, and to a certain extent the settlers were immune. This attracted others until, by the beginning of 1868, when the Union Pacific reached the Laramie plains and the base of the Medicine Bow Mountains, all the streams flow-ing from them on the east side were pretty well settled. Fort Fred Steele being complete at this time, settlers began to go into the valley of the North Platte and to locate on the most desirable lands, thus beginning the settlement, with all the word implies, of the streams flowing from the west side of these mountains.

During the winter of 1867 and 68, the first tie camps were established by Coe and Carter in what is now the Cheyenne Na-tional Forest, at first only cutting the most accessible timber, and hauling the ties to the line of the railroad on wagons with teams. Not being able to supply the demand by these means, camps were established further up in the mountains, the ties banked on the streams, and driven during the high water in the spring down to the railroad. From 1868 to 1870, every drivable stream on the east side of this Forest had its tie camps, Douglas and South French Creek, on the west side, each had one. The one on South French Creek being composed entirely of French Canadians, North, South, and Middle French creeks were thus named. During this period no one even claimed any title to the land, nor asked permission from anyone, but cut timber whenever or wherever he chose.

It is estimated there were cut and delivered to the Union Pacific three million ties, about seventy-five million feet board measure, from the forests in the Medicine Bow during this time, all being cut from Lodgepole pine; and as the cutting was done in a go-as-you-please manner, only ideal trees were taken, being mostly those from eleven to fourteen inches in diameter. In addition to the railroad ties, there were cut and delivered about 75,000 cords of wood, the railroad at this time using wood, only, for fuel in the locomotives.

After three years of this kind of cutting and slashing, forest fires began to occur. They destroyed about all the timber left on the areas cut over. When once a fire started, no attempt was made to control it, and it burned until it burned itself our, or the winter snows extinguished it. After the Union Pacific was completed the demand fora year or two was not so urgent and the tie and wood business in Wyoming passed into the hands of practically one company. The Union Pacific changed their specifications from the minimum of 6” x 6” to 7” x 7”, and the price dropped from 90 ¢ to 50 ¢ apiece, for first-class ties; and wood, from $11. per cord to $6.50, delivered on the line of the road. The timber cost the contractors nothing in either instance.

From 1870 to 1880, the Coe & Carter Timber Company, heretofore spoken of furnished all the railroad ties used throughout Wyoming, western Nebraska, and some for the Colorado Division of the Union Pacific.

They had tie camps on Rock Creek and the Medicine Bow river, on the east side; on the two Brush Creeks and on French Creek1, on the west side of the Medicine Bow Range, operating on all three streams and their tributaries, utilizing the annual spring floods to float the ties to the railroad. About the year 1875, the Rocky Mountain Coal Company was formed. At first being composed entirely of officials of the Union Pacific, they opened some of the numerous deposits of coal along the line of the road in Wyoming. The Union Pacific then changed their locomotives from wood to coal burners. This change did away with the demand for cordwood, but the drain on the timber resources of the Forest was not materially lessened, as the coal mines used annually about the same amount of timber in the form of props. This timber company also established tie and prop camps in western Wyoming in the vicinity of Piedmont and on Hams and Blacks Fork of Green River. During this entire decade, they cut timber as they pleased, making no pretense of obtaining titles, and as the records of the land office at Cheyenne will show, did not place a filing on timber land.

The amount of timber cut from the Medicine Bow Mountains during this period, sold and delivered to the railroad and coal companies, is estimated at approximately two million five hundred thousand railroad ties and four hundred thousand coal props, which equalled 83,333,333 feet B. M. of ties and 8,000,000 feet B. M. of coal props, a total of 91,333,333 feet B. M.

During the whole of this period, there was no interference with their timber operations so far as anyone knew, although an occasional whisper about proposed government action would float through the camps.

During these ten years, the practice was to cut the entire year, but the choppers were not paid for the material manufactured during the summer until the fall snows had eliminated the danger from forest fires; consequently the entire force of workmen were very careful, and it was generally understood that anyone setting a fire would be summarily dealt with - in a few words, the rule was to be “A short rope and a long shift.”

It was during this same decade that the portable steam sawmill men began their operations. Locating in bodies of the best timber on the headwaters of small streams, or even springs, near a small mountain park, which they would fence for a summer pasture for their work stock, and a milk cow or two, they would operate their mills during the summer without leave or license, hauling the product to the nearest towns for disposal or selling at the mill to all who applied. The rule was to cut only the very choic-est trees, and they seldom utilized any of the tops under 10 or 12 inches in diameter. After they had exhausted the timber within a small radius, they would move the mill, it requiring but a few days work to do this. Instances can be shown where the same mill has been moved once a year for several years. These small sawmill men were undesirable citizens; they have done an incredible amount of damage to this Forest by their operations, and the fires they have caused. It is very seldom but what these old mill sites are marked as the starting point of a forest fire. Owing to this, more than anything else, with all the tie cutters’ precautions, forest fires raged nearly every summer, from the latter part of July until after the middle of September. Two of the most disastrous fires on the west side of the Medicine Bow Mountains occurred during this period. One started at the foot of Baldy Mountain on Ceder Creek, and burned a strip of timber one-half to a mile wide along North Brush Creek until it finally reached timber line on the ex-treme headwaters of the Medicine Bow River, a distance of fifteen miles. The other one, which threatened, the finest body of timber west of Medicine Bow Peak, started on the west side of Barrett Ridge, but as the Brush Creek tie camp was immediately east, the tie cutters for their own protection were obliged to try and extinguish it. They turned out to the number of sixty-five men, and after two weeks fighting night and day, and by the aid of a couple showers of rain, it was extinguished, having never crossed the east side of Barrett Ridge.

The lessons taught the people of the North Platte valley by these two fires have never been forgotten. Two small streams that have their source on Barrett Ridge, which used to furnish ample supply of water during July and August for the irrigation of

1 For an idea of what these camps looked like visit the Brush Creek Tie Hack Camp page or the North French Creek Tie Hack Camp page on www.justtrails.com.

the ranches depending on them, are now nearly dry during these months. This is also true of one of the forks of Ceder Creek; and North Brush Creek from being the last stream in the vicinity to get its flood water, is now the first.

The timber operations of the tie company during this decade (to 1900) were from a pecuniary point of view very successful. They never hung up a drive, never lost a stick of timber by fire, and did not pay a dollar for the material cut.

During the preceding ten years, after the change in the tie specifications from 6” x 6” to 7” x 7”, the Union Pacific people had relaid their entire road with steel rails and the larger ties. This change was completed in the early 60’s, and caused a marked decrease in the tie business. The railroad company began to accumulate a surplus, but realizing that a thousand miles of their trackage depended upon the visible supply of timber in the Medicine Bow Mountains, they refused to make any rates on ties which would allow them to be shipped to other markets. To show the grasp the timber company had on the situation and how coming events cast their shadows before I will relate an incident that occurred in 1880. Some of the disaffected employees of the timber company started a camp on Pass Creek with the intention of driving the ties to Fort Fred Steele and selling them to the U. P. direct.

The timber company considering this an impertinant interference with their perogatives in the tie business made a complaint, it was said to the Interior Department. At least they secured the services of a Special Agent, who visited this camp and by threats stopped the work, but he finally relented enough to allow the driving of what ties were banked at the time. Those not banked still remain in the timber where they were made. These parties were made to see the error of their ways and after the ties were driven they were only too glad to sell them to the Timber Company for just what they pleased to give, a price far below that obtained from the R. R. Company. After these amateur would-be tie contractors had delivered the goods and received their money, they made a complaint against the tie company to the Interior Department which resulted in the Brush and French Creek camps being shut down and abandoned, and a trip by the senior member of the Company to Washington where he remained several months. Upon his return he gave out that he had settled the matter by buying the land cut over at $1.25 per acre but at a cost to the company of $35,000.

The records of the land office at Cheyenne, Wyoming show that of timber lands situated on what is now known as the Chey-enne National forest, 4000 acres in T. 18 and 640 acres in T. 17 all in R. 80 W., 6th P. M. by cash entry No. 391 passed into the hands of the senior and junior members of the timber company. This does not include any of the land cut over in their operations on Brush or French Creeks in T. 16 N., R. 80 and 81 W., and T. 15 N., R. 81 W., 6th P. M. from which there were cut and delivered to the Union Pacific R. R. at Fort Steele, Wyoming, during the ten years they operated their camps 1,500,000 R. R. ties or 50,000,000 feet B. M. In 1884 the firm with which this narrative has been dealing for the last decade dissolved - the junior member retiring and the senior member’s son assuming control under the firm name of Coe and Coe. The timber and stone act was passed in 1878. However, there seems to have been scarcely any filings on timber lands in the forest under this act until after 1900. A few home-stead and Pre-emption claims for timber lands were taken by choppers for the benefit of themselves and the timber company.

It was during this decade that it became one of the unwritten laws of the tie business that if an employee was requested by the contractor he should file on any desired 160 acres. For this service custom established a uniform price of $100 or a proportion-ate amount according to the size of the tract. The records do not show that any of these lands were taken as Desert Claims.

It was during this decade that the Fort Fred Steele Wood Reservation was established and surveyed the corners marked by board notices nailed on the trees, by permanent stone monuments and posts. Lieut. McCauley, who was stationed at Fort Steele did this work. The location was made in what the the survey since has shown to be Sections 21 and 22, T. 16 N., R. 81 W., 6th P. M. The Fort Fred Steele Wood Reservation was withdrawn by executive Order Nov. 9, 1880 and relinquished August 9, 1886 for disposal under Act of July 5, 1884. The field notes of the survey were filed in the Surveyor General’s office at Cheyenne and ap-proved by him on January 3, 1884 for Secs. 31 and 32, T. 17 N., R. 80 W., 6th P. M.

Sections 21 and 22, T. 16 N., R. 81 W., 6th P. M., the tract surveyed and marked, “Fort Fred Steele Wood Reservation” by Lieut. McCauley had been previously appraised, and the minimum price was fixed at $1.25 per acre.

In January 1898 the receiver of the Land Office at Cheyenne, Wyoming came up to a tie camp in the vicinity to receive bids and sell the land. It was then discovered the land surveyed by Lieut. McCauley which was appraised, and the land of which the description and plat had been filed and approved were separate tracts, nearly six miles apart. It is almost needless to say, it was not sold.

The Fort Fred Steele Wood Reservation situated on Sections 31 and 32, T. 17 N., R. 80 W., 6th P. M. is located in one of the most inaccessible portions of the Cheyenne National Forest. It is nearly above timber line and does not contain much of any timber but sub-alpine fir. Its principal value is now and always will be for a summer grazing ground for sheep.

From 1880 until 1890 Coe and Coe continued to operate their camps on Medicine Bow River and Rock Creek, presumably on private holdings, although the amount of material driven down these streams and sold, was far in excess of what could reason-ably be expected was obtained from the limited acreage of these holdings. The Union Pacific R. R. being in the hands of receivers and they pursuing a policy of retrenchment which circumstances did not quite warrant, the demand for ties was curtailed to a con-siderable extent, so much so, in fact that the tie business in southern Wyoming was in a languishing condition during this entire decade. It is estimated that not over 1,200,000 R. R. ties and 250,000 coal props a total of 45,000,000 feet B. M. were cut from the forest during the ten years. The price paid varied year by year according to the demand but about 45¢ a piece for first class ties was the average.

The old time tie choppers constituted the whole thing in a tie camp. They were about all native born Americans - big brawny fellows - fairly well educated - some brains as well as muscle - hail fellows well met - but with a considerable and chronic thirst and to them a satisfactory set of morals. They usually remained in the timber and earned big money, only visiting the R. R. towns once a year on the annual spring drives at which time they were accustomed to devastate the town quite a lot. These visits did not last longer than their checks. There were but few tie choppers who were exceptions to this rule.

In the spring of 1895 the U. P. R. R. being still in the hands of receivers they annulled all the old tie contracts and the firm of Coe and Coe went out of the tie business. This left the great majority of the timber men out of a job. However, a banker and butcher or one of the R. R. towns had an idea that the Union Pacific would still continue to run trains, and necessarily would have to have ties, and acting on this hypothesis, they made an proposition to the choppers, who as usual after the spring drive, were “plumb broke”, to go back to the timber and continue the work of getting cut ties and mining timbers for the 1896 drive, they not

to ask nor expect any settlement for this work, until the material was driven to the R. R. and sold. The banker and butcher would furnish all the supplied needed and the money it would require to pay the fees on some timber and stone entries. This proposition was accepted and the work went on the same as heretofore. This was the small beginning which afterwards developed into the Carbon Timber Company that controlled the R. R. tie and coal mining timber and prop business until the creation of the Medicine Bow Reserve by presidential proclamation in May 1902. During this period of seven years they cut, manufactured and delivered on the line of the U. P. from their camps on the Medicine Bow river and Rock Creek from timber in T. 17 N., R. 78, 79 and 80 W., 6th P. M. approximately 1,400,000 R. R. ties and 300,000 coal props equaling 52,000,000 B. M.

In addition to this Company’s operations, Mr. J. C. Teller established camps on Pass, North and South Brush and North French Creeks which he operated from 1898 to 1902, manufacturing, delivering and selling ties to the Union Pacific R. R. Co. at Fort Steele, Wyoming to the amount of approximately one million equalling 33,333,333 feet B. M. As Mr. Teller’s operations are now being investigated in the courts particulars will not be entered into.

An approximate, but conservative estimate of the R. R. ties and coal mining timbers cut previously and marketed from the areas now included in the Cheyenne National Forest shows a grand total of 10,000,000 ties and 1,000,000 mining timbers and props, equalling 320,000,000 feet B. M. which are all supposed to have been obtained from private holdings aggregating 12,000 acres of timber lands. This would indicate an average cut of 26,666 ft. B. M. per acre. This is rather a remarkable showing when it is taken into consideration that all the timber above 16 inches in diameter still remains on the ground.

Since 1902, the timber operations on this forest have been under the supervision of the Interior Department and the Forest Service, Department of Agriculture. During this period, the annual forest fires have been eliminated, as well as some other glaring abuses, which threatened the entire destruction of the Forest, local sentiment supported almost unanimously the Forest officers in their enforcement of the rules and regulations governing its administration. Previous to its withdrawal, a petition asking to have a reserve created was circulated and universally signed. The territory contiguous being of an arid nature, the settlers fully realized their future prosperity depended entirely on the conserving of its natural products, wood, water, and grass.

In conclusion - in explanation of possible discrepancies - in the absence of written date for much of what is contained in this chronicle, I will add - Half a century in the Medicine Bow Mountains is a long time to look back; I have done, so but at times doubt-ing myself.

[Signed by John H. Mullison]Forest Ranger

GAME

The State of Wyoming has an admirable game law passed in its present efficient form in January 1907, but too late to reap anything like the full benefit from it. The old adage of “locking the stable door after the horse was stolen”, applying particularly well in this instance. As late as 1880, the Medicine Bow Mountains now included in the Cheyenne National Forest, also the whole of North Park and the Upper North Platte Valley, were wonderfully well stocked with game, seemingly in inexhaustible quantities in the order named, antelope first, then Wapiti or elk, deer and Big Horn, or Mountain sheep abounded. It was a veritable hunters para-dize. There were also a few bison or mountain buffalo in the rugged and almost inaccessible portions of the mountains. The range grizzly, cinnamon brown, and black bear, the wolverene, carcajou, or Indian devil, lynx, wild cat, mountain lion, grey wolf, mountain wolf, or as locally called coyote, and the fur bearers consisting of the beaver, otter, mink, skunk, muskrat, badger, pine martin, and a small species of the raccoon, the swift or grey fox, the red fox, the cross-bar fox and an occasional silver grey fox, were plenty or at least common. All these named can still be found on the Cheyenne National Forest, but in greatly diminished numbers, with the exception of the buffalo, antelope and the Wapiti which are nearly or quite extinct. Only two elk have been seen during the past year.

The hide hunters are principally responsible for the extinction of the buffalo, elk and antelope, but the unwarranted decrease in all the others has been caused, since 1900, by sheep being grazed during the entire summer months over all of the areas that from time immemorial have been these animals only refuge during the portion of the year that they are giving birth to, and rearing their young. Every sheep herder and camp mover, while in the mountains, always carries a modern improved fire arm of some description; and as only a fractional portion of their time is required with their herds, they are ever upon the lookout for something to shoot at. Nothing in the shape of a wild animal is held to be sacred by them, either in or out of season. It is just as impossible for wild animals to exist and rear their young on the areas grazed over by the sheep as it is to have any reproduction of timber on these areas. This applies to all the animals named except wolves and coyotes which follow the migration of the sheep as they live off of those that naturally die. This is a greater number than would ordinarily be supposed, unless the average death rate of 89,000 head (the number annually grazed on this Forest) is taken into consideration.

At first thought it might with propriety be asked why do not the forest officers put a stop to indiscriminate killing since they are state game wardens. The answer is - they do when they see or have knowledge of it, but there are about 60,000 acres in this forest that is annually grazed over by sheep and there are never more than three rangers, generally two, and sometimes but one, they cannot keep these people under constant supervision.

The only logical remedy without greatly increasing the number of rangers detailed expecially to look after the grazing is to do as the Government has been obliged to do in the Yellowstone National Park; that is, disarm anyone having any privilege on the Forest or put a seal on all fire arms carried into it and attach heavy penalties for all violations. I think by the enforcement of rules to this effect this forest would in time restock itself with all the animals mentioned except the bison.

BUFFALO

The American buffalo, has been extinct in what is now the Cheyenne National Forest since 1870, according to the infor-mation gathered from conversation with the indians and trappers who about the middle of the last century made this forest and its vicinity their home. Previous to the year 1841 the North Platte valley and the Medicine Bow mountains, all of North Park and the bordering mountains swarmed with buffalo. They grazed in the mountains during the summer and in the valleys during the win-ter. Owing to the large number that annually wintered in North Park the indians named it the “Buffalo House”. During the winter of 1841 snow fell and covered all this country to a depth of 5 feet from December until April, and the major portion of the buffalo died from starvation as thousands of their skulls still remain scattered over North Park and the Platte valley bear witness. After that time there were only a few small bands that made this their summer and winter home. The annual destruction by hunters, both white and red, more than kept pace with the natural increase, consequently there was a gradual decrease in number from 1841 to 1880. About this time the remnants were rounded up by a band of Ute indians and all were slaughtered. The buffalo in its natural state is a gregarious and migratory animal. Ordinarily, they would remain but a short time in the vicinity of where they were hunted or shot at. However, unlike the usual characteristics of the bison those of this region when pursued would usually seek the most inaccessi-ble portions of the surrounding mountains, remaining there until forced out by snow or starvation. It always required a considerable depth of snow to force them down as they would paw with their front feet like a horse, and root the snow with their noses, for grass.

Before the establishment of the agencies and the issuing of food and clothing to the indians, they could not have existed very well without the buffalo. The hides furnished the material of which they made their skin tepees and the greater part of their clothing; the fat tallow, the principal portion of their meat, the leaner portions, their bread; and the bones broken up and boiled, their ordinary coffee; and the larger bones were cunningly fashioned into implements, used for various purposes. A thin shaving removed from the inner side of the skins before tanning was burned to a charcoal which when pulverized and made into a paste and mixed with the marrow of the lower bones of the fore legs produced the famous lustrous black pigment which has been so much admired, and the secret of its manufacture so carefully guarded from the whites. This was used to decorate themselves, their tepees and their robes. The indians claim that previous to their intercourse with the whites they never wantonly killed any Buffalo, as they fully realized these were their main dependance for shelter, clothing, bread and meat.

Civilization of the indians, settlement of the lands by the whites, and famine caused by the phenomenally deep snows of 1841, neither wholly responsible, each contributed their quota towards the extinction of the buffalo in the Cheyenne National For-est.

BIG HORN OR MOUNTAIN SHEEP

The Big Horn, or mountain sheep, while not extinct in the Cheyenne National Forest has arrived at a stage when it is very

close to that point. The year 1900 marked the invasion of their native haunts by the domestic sheep. Previous to this the Big Horn could be found in considerable numbers, they usually running in bands numbering from a dozen, to two or three hundred, the size of the bands depending on the time of the year, the winter season finding them in the largest bunches. At this time our domestic flocks are nearly all more or less infected with the scabies. Whether or not the Big Horns contracted this disease from the domestic sheep is a question; but the fact is, it was about this time that a disease resembling the scabies and having the same general effect on the animals made its appearance amongst the Big Horns. It soon became an epidemic and very virulent, whole bands dying off.

Well authenticated instances are known of the Big Horns crossing with the domestic sheep, the product being an animal considerably larger than the domestic and having intermingled with the hair of the Big Horn a growth of about four inches of silkly like fiber much finer than the finest merino wool, but resembling it in texture. The native Big Horns have this also underneath the hair but only about one-half to an inch long, and rather resembling the fur of the beaver.

These accidental crosses have only occurred in a very few instances and have never been followed up. An investigation along these lines might be well worth following, as, judging from the first cross, a breed of animals possessing the size and har-diness of the native Big Horn with a fleece of long silky wool, but much superior to that of the domestic sheep could be produced, although successive crosses might result in a non-breeding hybrid.

[Signed by John H. Mullison]Forest Ranger

FISH

Originally there were only two varieties of fish in any of the waters of the Medicine Bow Mountains, in Wyoming, now includ-ed in the Cheyenne National Forest. One of these belonged to the mullet, or sucker, family, which under favorable conditions grew to a weight of two or three pounds. In these pure cold waters, they were fairly edible, but as the small bones at the base of the fins grew in clusters, it was necessary to throw away at least an inch of the body from the head and tail. The other variety was a small chubb, never growing to exceed a length of four inches. These being no larger than a small sardine were not considered edible. The North Platte river and all its tributaries, and most of the lakes and ponds, even in the higher portions of the range, were fairly well stocked with the sucker variety, but the altitude controlled the size, so much so that after about 9,000 ft. elevation was reached none could be found over 6 of 7 inches in length. These high waters, however, made up in quantity what they lacked in quality.

The chubbs were never found in any of the waters above the first foothills. Amongst the old settlers, the general opinion was that as nature had failed to provide varieties other than the two named, they would not live in these waters. Although as early as 1874, a few trout had, at different times, been brought from the west slope of the Sierra Madre range, and placed in some of the tributaries of the Platte, none of these were afterwards seen, and this only intensified the general opinion that they could not live here.

about the year 1884, an United States Fish car, on its way from the Pacific slope east, was caught in a wreck near Fort Fred Steele, and some tanks containing Rainbow and Salmon trout being damaged, the officers in charge dumped a number of cans from the railroad bridge into the North Platte river. As the river runs, this is 60 or 75 miles below the present town of Saratoga. The settlers of the Platte valley taking it for granted that the fish could not live here, no further attention was paid to the matter.

It can safely be said that up to the year 1900, there was not a fish pole and line owned in the whole North Platte valley. About this daye, a physician from Scotland, named Burrel, located in Saratoga to practice his profession, and as he had on his hands more time than patients, and having a complete fishing outfit, waders, rod, reel, salmon fly hooks, and line, he concluded to try the Platte waters for salmon. To the great surprise of all except himself he made but a cast or two until he hooked and safe-ly landed a six pound rainbow trout. Of course this led to a further investigation, and it was found that both rainbow and salmon trout were quite plentiful. At this time, about all the fish caught were of a large size, ranging from two to ten, and in extreme cases, twelve pounds in weight. This exploded all the old fallacies that had previously existed, and resulted in the State Legislature of about January 1901, making an appropriation for, and establishing fish hatcheries in different parts of the state, one of them being located at Laramie for the stocking of the streams on the east, and one near the town of Saratoga for the streams on the west side of the Medicine Bow Mountains. Since this time, there have been introduced, in addition to those species named, Eastern Brook, German, and native Rocky Mountain trout, until at the present time, all the waters of the North Platte and its tributaries in southern Wyoming, and also Northern Colorado, except the lakes in the higher mountains, are so well stocked that these waters are said to offer the finest trout fishing in the far West. At the present time, fish are seldom caught that will weigh over five pounds, probably due to overstocking of the streams, lack of fish food through the disappearance of the chubbs and suckers, and other forms of trout food, or perhaps the larger fish working down streams toward deeper waters.

[Signed by John H. Mullison]Forest Ranger