BI Line: Ghost Stories and Legends of The West
Courtesy Photo by theCowboyStateDaily.com
LARAMIE, Wyo – October is here; the leaves are changing color, and the Wyoming wind blows a little brisker. Wyoming autumns are known for their beauty, but also, for the bounty of ghost stories and folklore ranging from homegrown ghosts right here on campus, to the cold corpses aboard the Platte River Ghost Ship.
This October, we wanted to pay tribute to some of the ghost stories that make Wyoming just that much more interesting.
First on our list is Buckhorn Bar, right here in Laramie. This downtown bar has been operating since the early 1900s. The bar is surrounded by Old West lore, including the bullet hole in the backbar mirror, as well as the tradition of the buckhorn roll. This historic bar is now home to many rumors of eerie sightings, including phantom figures in the mirror, and creaking footsteps on the floorboards.
Next, we have the ghost story of the Platte River Ghost Ship, seen traveling in the stretch between Torrington and Alcova, Wyoming. This is a ghost story that I would stay away from hunting, as the ship legend follows that anyone who sees this ship is sure to lose a loved one by the end of the day. The earliest reported sighting of this spooky ship was in 1887, and the most recent report was over one hundred and twenty years ago in 1903. The ship is said to carry a ghostly crew that stands around a figure of a corpse. As the ship gets closer, the members of the crew allegedly step back to reveal a loved one, who is rumored to die by sunset.
Another Wyoming tale is the Lady in Green, spotted at Fort Laramie Wyoming. According to the legend, the daughter of a local fur trader was rumored to have set out to explore the wild frontier, despite her father’s wishes. She never returned. Today, there are rumors of sightings of a woman in a green dress riding a black horse on the Oregon Trail near the fort.
Fort Laramie is also home to many other ghostly sightings, including George; a spirit said to haunt the old Captain’s Quarters, and the ghost at Deer Creek who is known for throwing stones into the river. The Deer Creek ghost is said to be unkind and should be avoided if spotted.
Finally, we have the legend of the “little people”, a legend that is not unique to Wyoming, but one that has roots here regardless. The Shoshone legend of the Nimerigar tells the tale of little people armed with bows and poisoned arrows. According to Legends of America, in 1932, a 14-inch mummy was uncovered near the Pedro Mountains of south-central Wyoming, adding to the layers of mystery and controversy surrounding the story, though the connection between the mummy and the Nimerigar people is disputed.
Join the Branding Iron this October as we uncover these stories, and many more, all around Wyoming.
