WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY (Washington County, Utah)
ROBERT LEROY PARKER (aka BUTCH CASSIDY)
(cowboy, outlaw, gang leader)
BIOGRAPHY
Robert Leroy Parker was born on April 13, 1866 in Beaver, Utah. During his early years, he livied with his mother, Annie, and his grandmother, Jane Gillies, in Beaver.By 1800, the family had moved to Circleville in Piute County, Utah. Robert worked on the Jim Marshall ranch where he met Mike Cassidy. From Mike, he learned riding, roping, branding, and shooting, and even cattle rustling. Before he turned 16, Robert was known as the best shot in Circle Valley.
Sometime around 1884, Robert left home and drifted around the west. He lived in Colorado for a while. He worked for a short time as a butcher in Rock Springs, Wyoming and earned the nickname, "Butch".
In 1892, he purchased a horse ranch in Dubois, Wyoming. I was never very successful. It was notes that he sold livestock, but never bought any.
Around 1897, Butch and his outlaw friends lived in Robber's Roost, Utah. Several girlfriends joined the outlaws there for several months.
On 2/20/1901, Butch purchased a ranch with a four-room cabin on 15,000 acres in Cholila, Chubut, Argentina. He sold the ranch on 2/14/1905.
On 5/1/1905, Butch took the steamer, Condor, across Nuhuel Huapi Lake into Chile.
In 1907, Butch and Sundance took a job guarding the company payroll at the Concordia Tin Mine in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
Crimes:
1887, Grand Junction, Colorado: Some believed he committed his first train robbery.
6/28/1889, Telluride, Colorado: Butch robbed the San Miguel Bank, stealing about $21,000 and fled to Robber's Roost, Utah.
1894-1896, Wyoming: & Butch was arrested in Lander for stealing horses. He was imprisoned in the Wyoming State Prison in Laramie where he served 18 month of a two year sentance. He was pardoned by Governor William Alford Richards.
8/13/1896, Montpelier, Idaho: Butch and the Wild Bunch robbed the Montpelier bank of $7,000.
4/22/1897, Price, Utah: Butch robbed (Castle Gate Robbery) a small group of men who were carrying the payroll of the Pleasant Valley Coal Company, stealing $7,000 in gold.
6/2/1899, Wilcox, Wyoming: Butch and his gang used way too much dynamite and blew a train car apart (Wilcox Train Robbery).
8/29/1900, Tipton, Wyoming: Butch and his gang robbed a Union Pacific train. There was $50,000 in gold on the train which was payment for the troops fighting the Spanish-American War.
FAMILY
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Robert's Parents and Siblings:
Maximillian Parker Ann Campbell Gillies Parker Robert Leroy Parker Daniel Sinclair Parker Arthur H. Parker Jean Ann Parker William Moroni Parker Susan Knell Parker Maxmillian Ebenezer Parker Blanche Alice Parker Lula Christine Parker Mark D'Lafiet Parker Nina Grace Parker Leona Hartley Parker Joseph Rawlins Parker |
(6/8/1844-7/28/1938) (married 7/12/1865) (7/12/1846-5/1/1905) (4/13/1866-11/7/1908) (11/21/1867-8/5/1942) (married Annice Ann McMullin) (11/6/1869-7/5/1890) (10/16/1871-4/7/1960) (married Thomas Christopher Penaluna) (2/23/1874-5/11/1952) (married Mary Jane Lamb) (8/26/1876-10/26/1964) (married Hollis Charles Teitjen) (6/19/1879-10/22/1957) (married Walter Dean Stark) (11/5/1881-6/16/1967) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (4/5/1884-5/5/1980) (married Joseph Adelbert Betenson) (10/4/1886-6/7/1932) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (1/26/1889-1/1/1923) (married Carl Edward Ecklund) (11/19/1891-5/1/1937) (married James Heber Wiley) (5/25/1896-1/19/1962) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) |
PHOTOS
 Robert Leroy Parker in 1894 |
 Robert Leroy Parker in 1900 |
The Ft. Worth Five (l-r): Harry A. Longabaugh, Will Carver, Ben Kilpatrick, Harvey Logan, Robert Leroy Parker
REFERENCES
Wikipedia article on Butch CassidyFamilySearch entry for Robert LeRoy Parker
Parker/Charles Dickens Connection
by Kerry Ross Boren & Lisa Lee Boren
Find-A-Grave entry for Butch Cassidy