‘Tis easy enough to be pleasant

When life flows by like a song,

But the man worth while

Is the man who can smile

When everything goes dead wrong.

The hills of Copper Mountain exploded into a frenzy of activity as one of the biggest gold rushes of the 20thcentury surged into Wyoming’s Fremont County. Prospectors and investors staked their claims in the fledging town of Birdseye, ready to make their fortunes. 

Within two short years, their dreams would be crushed and their town, an abandoned ghost camp.  

The Pioneers of Outlaw Country. 

Cowboys, Lawmen and Outlaws… to the businessmen and women who all helped shape Wyoming. 

Here are their stories

Birdseye: A Ghost Camp of Shattered Dreams 

Welcome to Pioneers of Outlaw Country, the podcast where we introduce you to the ghosts of the Wyoming frontier 

The clang of picks echoed through Copper Mountain blending with the shouts of miners and the hum of the stamp mill. Here, men and women from every corner of the globe converged, staking their claims and gambling their lives for a chance at striking it rich. 

But when the lead ran dry, the dreams turned to dust, and the camp faded into legend. 

Join us as we explore the untold stories of the souls who worked and lost in this Wyoming frontier, where the echoes of the past still linger in every tumbleweed.

I am your host, Jackie Dorothy with my co-host, Dean King. We are continuing our series in partnership with the Wyoming Department of Transportation and their Buckle Up campaign to explore the history of the Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway.

This section of the Yellowstone Highway, built in 1924, took autoists from the town of Shoshoni to the tourist mecca of Thermopolis on their journey to America’s first national park.  

Two decades before the Yellowstone Highway was built through this impassible canyon, the only way through the Wind River Canyon was to go over it. By 1907, a regular stage line ran over the east side of the canyon every day, except Sunday. This line ran through the fledging mining town of Birdseye.

We are taking you to this forgotten ghost camp, a place once alive with the hopes and heartbreaks of those chasing their fortune in the Copper Mountains.  

Gold Rush

In 1905, the cry of gold had spread through Wyoming. 

A strike of copper and gold had been discovered at Little Rattlesnake Mountain, prompting an immediate name change to Copper Mountain. The Wyoming Derrick in Casper raved that even the surface ore was something to behold, running at an impressive 32% copper and sparkling with vibrant traces of gold. 

As miners dug deeper into the explorative tunnel, the ore kept getting richer. By the time they hit pay dirt, the gold content had soared to what the paper called "fabulously rich." 

It was the kind of find that fueled dreams and drew fortune-seekers from far and wide. 

The McLaughlin Agreement with the Shoshoni and Arapaho tribes had opened sections of the Wind River Indian Reservation to settlement and this included the mineral rich Copper Mountains. 

The day after the land opened on August 15, 1906, Wyoming Governor Byrant Brooks addressed the American Mining Congress, highlighting the explosive flood of prospectors into Central Wyoming. He called it one of the biggest rushes that Wyoming had ever seen. 

Over 700 miners swarmed into the Owl Creek Mountains, eager to stake their claims in the newly accessible lands. The frenzy was swift and intense; in no time, around 500 mining claims had been filed near Copper Mountain, turning the area into a hotbed of activity and ambition.

Among those seeking their fortune was newspaperman Leslie Davidson. He moved his entire printing press – and family - up to the remote outpost by April 1907. There, he set his type and produced a four-page newspaper, the Copper Mountain Miner, for the fledging town of Birdseye and Boysen. 

Davidson was a familiar and respected name in Wyoming and had most recently come from Basin. He had arrived in the region to start his paper in a mining camp he felt certain would one day be the most successful metropolitan in the Cowboy State. All they needed was for Chicago businessman and mine owner Asmus Boysen to build his dam in the Wind River Canyon and bring cheap electricity into the district. 

In Birdseye, town lots were being sold by prospector Shell Felt and hotel and saloon owner Ben Bader. Homes and businesses were built from wood and tar paper hauled in over the steep pass. Streets were laid out and called such imaginative names as First Street and, brace yourself, Second Street. 

The ads selling these town lots boasted easy payments and a square deal to everyone. Shell Felt, the agent for the company selling the lots, advised everyone to get in while everything was cheap. 

Prospectors hard at work would have been heard across the rolling red hills of the Copper Mountains as they swung their picks, striking iron-hard rock in the remote frontier. The occasional dynamite explosion would have rocked the ground and been felt for miles around. 

Steam from the Gold Nugget stamp mill billowed into the crisp mountain air, carrying with it the acrid scent of pulverized ore. Men in sweat-streaked flannel and battered felt hats, their faces dusted with the ghostly pallor of fine quartz and red dirt, shouted commands in a chorus of drawls and brogues. 

This was no place for the faint-hearted; it was where grit, ambition, and outlaw spirits forged a way of life as rugged as the land itself. They believed that they were standing in what would one day, be a great mining district. 

As 1907 progressed, claim owners arrived to perform their annual labor. Women worked these mines too, sometimes alongside their husbands and at other times as the sole owner of the claim. All were striving for one purpose and that was to make their fortune in the Copper Mountains.

Old Characters

Among the greenhorns, there were many seasoned miners who were just as enthusiastic about the copper and sparkling gold they were certain would soon be theirs. 

Richard Clark, the original Deadwood Dick, joined the gold rush and spent the summer prospecting in the hills around Birdseye. The old prospector enjoyed good health as he dug around the region, hunting for the elusive treasure he had heard was buried deep. 

Deadwood Dick brought to life the image of the old prospectors who joined the gold and copper rush of 1907. He was 62 years old at the time, considered salty and ancient to the young men in their 20s. But Deadwood Dick was still in the prime of life and ready to make his fortune.

He was one of just many colorful prospectors who roamed Wyoming at the time. Deadwood Dick had been born in Yorkshire, England and came to the west as a frontiersman in 1861. He was a Pony Express rider and fought in the Battle of Little Bighorn. After peace was made, he personally witnessed President Calvin Coolidge become an honorary member of the Sioux tribe. 

Deadwood Dick returned to his home and namesake, Deadwood, South Dakota, by August to avoid the harsh winter that would soon consume Copper Mountain.

Another old prospector and trapper who joined the 1907 Copper Mountain rush was Edward Walsh known throughout central Wyoming as "Rocky Mountain Shorty." 

Just a year older than Deadwood Dick, Shorty was an experienced prospector, hunter and guide. He was a drummer boy during the Civil War for the Connecticut Infantry before striking out west.  

In-between hunting for gold, Rocky Mountain Shorty operated a string of traps on the Hoodoo Creek in the Copper Mountains. A story was told to Davidson, the newpaperman and promoter of Birdseye, of an encounter Shorty had with a large eagle.

Shorty was carrying home a live rabbit that he had caught when a large eagle swooped down from behind him and seized the rabbit in its talons. The tremendous jerk the bird gave to the rabbit straightened out his arm. Shorty was so startled, he dropped the rabbit and uttered a yell. 

The howl caused the eagle to drop the rabbit who promptly took to his legs and escaped. The eagle alighted on a nearby tree and Shorty, enraged at the gall of the bird, shot it with his rifle. The rabbit was the only winner of that encounter!

Shoshoni residents looked forward to seeing Shorty when he would come out of the mountains to "do" the town. In fact, in 1908, the citizens of Shoshoni even held a benefit "Leap Year Ball" to raise money for their town’s favorite character. 

Exploding Cow & Other Mishaps

Copper Mountain was not without its mining mishaps. As the men worked their various mines in what Davidson called the “suburbs” of Birdseye, they were well aware that any help was miles away and would have to rely on their own ‘luck’ and audacity when disaster struck. 

In September, such disaster befell the Little Gypsy claim. Shell Felt came into the Birdseye newspaper office with his tale of woe after being gone for weeks working on the mine. 

Davidson maintained the Copper Mountain Miner as a credible newspaper and had a reputation throughout Wyoming as a trustworthy journalist. He was determined not to print rumors or tall tales so, when Felt told his incredible story, he hesitated to share the strange tale of the miners and exploding cow. 

Felt had been with Billy Osborn, another well-respected miner, doing assessment work on the Little Gypsy claim on the east end of Copper Mountain. When Felt came into the newspaper office to share a tale of calamity that, at first, Davidson thought was a joke.  

However, Felt had a reputation as a straight talker and so Davidson decided to let his readers decided for themselves if it was truth or fiction. 

Prospector Ketchum had allowed his cow to roam free in the rolling red hills of Copper Mountain while he went about his own mining work. Neither Osborn or Felt thought much about the wandering cow, until it was too late. 

“We were working away in the tunnel. Billy drilling and I mucking. When I came out with a carload of muck I saw the last of our nineteen sticks of powder disappearing down the throat of Ketchum’s cow!” 

Felt picked up a rock and threw it at her. 

Instantly, there was a terrible explosion and the air was filled with minute particles of cow. 

Ketchum’s beloved cow had gone across the divide. Felts was further devastated because the explosion affected him personally.

“What hurts, is that we had to pay $45 for the cow!” 

According to Felt, Mr. Ketchum kindly knocked off $5 for the powder which the cow ate.  

Another incident with volatile dynamite happened in the Copper Mountain mining claims.

Miner John Van-Dusen returned to camp after working on his claims at Willow creek and found his tent in flames. As he neared the tent, he thought a Fourth of July celebration was in full swing, as the reports of exploding shells could be heard in quick succession. 

He ducked for cover and waited for the party to end. 

Afterwards, he surmised that the fire had come in contact with the ammunition in the tent, and it was all destroyed. Tent, building, and supplies were completely burned. How the fire originated was never known. 

Another danger in the Copper Mountain mining camps were wildcats, and not of the four-footed variety. The term applied to brokers and less scrupulous prospectors that made deliberate attempts of to misrepresent what they had to sell.

In the Copper Mountain Miner, Davidson railed against such practices and said that there were no need for false statements since the Copper Mountain mines were so rich. He also strongly encouraged those that had claims not to sell out prematurely. His words fell on deaf ears as many of the original miners quickly sold out to men with deep pockets and interest in expanding their wealth.

A man of integrity, Davidson could not abide those that blatantly broke the law and waltzed into his office, lying about their claims. He immediately outed two such miscreants. 

The claim jumpers dated their notices on a piece of property that was already being worked. Indignant, Davidson pointed out that the owners had done their annual work on the property and that these two thieves were simply building up a pile of trouble for themselves. 

He wrote that nothing was to be gained from such work as this and the practice was condemned by all fair-minded people. It is assumed since he didn’t write about them again that the two were chased out of Birdseye and the original owner retained ownership of their mine. 

Yet another issue facing miners in the remote region was the destruction of mine monuments which mark the lines of the claim. 

When a miners and prospector located a claim, the law required them to do labor each year on the property and erect monuments showing in good faith that the area was being worked and not up for grabs. 

From the east end of Copper Mountain, persistence reports flooded into the newspaper office of thieves tearing down monuments, destroying location notices, and other acts of vandalism that Davidson said must be stopped. Those parties who have been indulging in this occupation had better cut it out, he threatened, or they will find the road greased that leads to the penitentiary. 

The Town of Birdseye

As the remote mining claims were being worked and assessed for gold and copper, the town of Birdseye was growing. Families were moving in and homes were being built on the town lots that Felt had successfully sold. 

Felt himself built a winter residence that he fitted out at the foot of First Street. He and his dog Teddy made themselves comfy for the winter.  Others remained in the farther researches of Copper Mountain, building log homes and prepared for the long winter ahead with more permanent structures than their tents. 

On Hoo-doo creek, John C. Garrison who was working with H. L. McFarlan on a claim came into Birdseye and stopped by the newspaper office to report that they had erected a comfortable log house and a blacksmith shop.

As winter settled into Birdseye, the town boasted a boarding house, hotels, saloons, restaurant and a newspaper office. The stage came through twice a day, one from Shoshoni and the other from Thermopolis. They would stop at the bird the Birdseye Halfway House for refreshments and lunch before proceeding on their way. 

The school aged children of Birdseye were part of School District No. 24 which included the towns of Birdseye, Boysen and Shoshoni.  In early December, the district, which was only two years old, completed a new schoolhouse. It was a modern building composed of concrete blocks, was two stories high, had four rooms and a hall and, Davidson boasted proudly, is easily the best school house in central Wyoming. 

He told the chronic knockers who were eternally croaking to quit and help boost this camp instead. Like the other hopeful prospectors, Davidson believed that Birdseye was destined to be a great producer of copper and gold as soon as the miners and prospectors get depth and the dam was built to provide them with cheap electricity. 

The Death of a Gold Rush

However, the naysayers were right. 

Just year prior to Birdseye’s founding, N. H. Darton, a geologist with the United States geological Survey warned that the rich mineral claims and speculations were being grossly exaggerated. The they alleged rich mineral discoveries would cause much loss and disappointment to those who are misled by them. 

By 1909, his prediction had come true. Mining at Copper Mountain was essentially dead. 

Development of Copper Mountain mining was dependent upon the completion of the Boysen Dam which did not, ultimately, happen. Businessman Asmus Boysen had been hit with numerous lawsuits and unable to produce electricity until 1913. By then, most of the mines of Copper Mountain had already closed and Birdseye had been abandoned, remaining only as a stage stop between Thermopolis and Shoshoni.  

In Boysen’s lawsuit against the state, in 1915, he argued that his own mining claim had been located at the southern entrance to the Wind River Canyon. The mountains both to the east and to the west of the Big Horn River, he said, had promised great mineral development. 

Coal was expensive throughout the mining region and gasoline was almost prohibitive in price. Owing to the scarcity of water for boilers it was difficult in many places to even use coal. 

The development of electric power seemed to be the only solution of the problem that confronted the remaining Copper Mountain and Owl Range miners. This should be borne in mind, Boysen insisted in his argument before the courts, because it is very questionable whether the Copper Mountain mining district will ever develop properly unless cheap power for drilling and other mining operations and for transporting the ore to the nearest railroad point can be obtained.

The lawsuits were still going as late as 1930, five years after the dam had silted up and the power plant was taken out of service. 

Gold Rush Revival

Periodically hope would spring as to mineral development at Copper Mountain that Davidson once loudly advocated for. Even after the newspaperman moved his family from Birdseye, others remained confident that the Copper Mountain mines would produce the minerals needed to bring the mining district into full production. 

In 1927, hope arose when Casper investors purchased the old Gold Nugget and McGraw claims. The Wyoming Gold & Copper Company owned by V. L. Preston reopened mining operations. He established a camp on the old Bird’s Eye Pass highway and where a hotel once stood, just south of the highest point in the Copper Mountains.

He hired 10 men who built roads, cleaned out the old mining tunnels and by 1928, were ready to start shipping ore to Colorado Springs for smelting. They anticipated that the ore would run about $34 per ton and net the company about $15 per ton. 

Newspapers called it a Wyoming Bonanza and ore samples showed high content of minerals. The mines changed hands several times over the years as companies tried and failed to make their fortune, finally closing the mines permanently.

As we wrap up this episode, it’s remarkable to think about how a once-thriving mining camp, full of hope, ambition, and the promise of fortune, has now been reduced to little more than traces in the earth and stories passed down through generations. 

The ghosts of its past may have faded, but the legacy of the people who lived, worked, and dreamed there still lingers in the landscape. These forgotten places remind us that history isn’t just written in books—it’s etched in the land, in the quiet whispers of abandoned cabins, and in the hearts of those who remember. 

The town of Birdseye and the hope of 2,000 prospectors has now faded away, leaving behind the rolling hills of Copper Mountain and the echo of the men hard at work at the mines. 

It is rare to see a car on the old stagecoach route since the main highway goes through the canyon now, instead of over it when you travel from Thermopolis to Shoshoni. 

If you should happen to make your way to the Yellowstone Highway, now known as the Wind River Canyon Scenic By-Way, remember the miners and businessmen and women who once staked their fortunes on the rich minerals of Copper Mountain high above your head.

Until next time, let’s continue to listen to these stories, so the past isn’t truly lost, but preserved for those who come after us.

This series celebrating 100 years of the Yellowstone Highway through the Wind River Canyon has been made possible through a partnership with the Wyoming Department of Transportation.

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Thank you for listening to Pioneers of Outlaw Country: Wyoming’s History. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series. 

This was a production of Legend Rock Media.

Sources:

Wyoming Newspaper Project: 1907 Copper Mountain Miner 

Newspapers.com

Wyoming Tales and Trails website: http://www.wyomingtalesandtrails.com/index.htm