Farthing, Wyoming facts for kids

Farthing, later called Iron Mountain, was a small, rural town in Laramie County, Wyoming. It was located southwest of Chugwater, in the Chugwater Creek valley. Today, the land where the town once stood is private property, part of a large ranch.

History of Farthing

The area was first known as Iron Mountain. This name came from iron deposits found on a nearby ridge in 1850. People briefly mined this iron in 1870.

In the 1870s, families began to settle in the area. This process is called homesteading. Soon, a railroad station and a post office were built. Many ranches also started along the small creeks that flowed into Chugwater Creek.

The railroad was extended north from Cheyenne. People thought there would be a lot of mining, but this never happened. The railroad station was named "Farthing" after Charles Farthing. He gave the land for the station in the early 1900s.

Challenges for Settlers

In the 1880s, some settlers like William E. "Bill" Lewis and Frederick "Fred" Powell moved to the area. During this time, there were often disagreements between larger ranchers and smaller settlers. These conflicts sometimes involved cattle. Sadly, some of these disagreements led to violence.

In July 1895, Bill Lewis was found dead at his ranch. A month later, Fred Powell also died. A person known as Tom Horn, who worked as a "bronc buster" (someone who tames wild horses) in the area, was suspected in these deaths. However, he was never officially charged.

In 1901, a sad event occurred. Willie Nickell, a 14-year-old boy, was killed. He was the son of the only sheepherder in the Iron Mountain region. Willie was riding his father's horse, looking for missing sheep, when he was killed.