The Padgett's - A Long Journey to Halleck Creek

The old cabin near the confluence of Bluegrass Creek and Halleck Creek was the homestead of the William H. Padgett family. William was commonly known as Dick Padgett and frequently called “Uncle Dick” by many of the young ones in the area because of his kindness. His wife was Josephine Ruple and they had one daughter, Georgina. They spent many years of travel, growth and adventure before finally settling on their Padgett homestead.

Dick’s parents were from Bourbon County, KY, and migrated to Mahaska County, Iowa in 1847 to establish a farm. Dick was born at the new farm on September 22, 1851, to Newton and Catherine (Liter) Padgett. He worked the farm with his father and siblings, going to school only in the winter months when there were fewer chores. When his father passed in 1874, Dick continued to farm the property until he married Josephine Ruple in 1875 and relocated in 1876. Josephine was the daughter of Jonathan and Effie (Hardy) Ruple of New York. Mr. Ruple was a skilled millwright which prompted the migration of his family to Iowa to work on the numerous flour mills in that State. Dick and Josephine were married in Oskaloosa, Iowa, where the Ruple family resided.

In 1876, the young couple set off for Cheyenne, WY, to start their new lives together. However, they stayed in Cheyenne for only 3 months before moving to Denver. In the spring of 1877, they returned to Cheyenne where he took employment with the freighter, Charles McEwen. For the next few years, he was a freighter in Western Nebraska, Black Hills and other points. In 1880, Dick purchased his employers interest in the ownership of the freight company. Dick Padgett operated the company successfully until he sold it in 1882.

In 1882, transitioning from freighting to merchandizing, allowed the couple to settle in one place for a while. They moved to Rock Creek, WY, where they owned and operated a merchandizing business (rumored to be a bar) until 1885 when they sold that business. It was then that he began his venture into the cattle business. Wyoming was open range in those years before anyone was required to possess large tracks of land to operate a cattle business. It was not until the 1934 Taylor Grazing Act was enacted that required ranchers to pay rent on Federal Lands, that the open range ended and fences went up. With the enactment of the Taylor Act, open, shared grazing came to an end. It also ended the great round ups and spring branding events that were famous in our part of Wyoming. However, in 1885, Dick Padgett purchased cattle and ran them on the Laramie River open range until 1888, without having to own a large track of land to run cattle or pay Federal lease fees.

He was well known for his business instincts and for being an aggressive entrepreneur. After building up the herd, he sold them all after only a few short years and got out of the cattle business. From 1889 to 1899, there are no obvious records of his business interests. It is written that he “traveled in the Black Hills and Wyoming”. He also was renowned for his mining interests but the specific purpose of the travel was not reported.

In the waning years of the 1800’s, William H. and Josephine Padgett took up a claim (patent) on the acreage near the confluence of the Bluegrass and Halleck Creeks. In another book that I can no longer reference (loaned to a partner and never returned) it described the interior of the cabin of having a cloth covering of the interior walls and carpets covering the floors. It also stated that he possessed a “peace pipe from Pipestone {MN}” which, again, I can no longer reference legitimately. However, the McGill’s do not recall coverings on the walls, carpets or anything about a Peace Pipe, so the missing book may be in error. The stone addition was for the housing of the hired hand, William E. Roberts. In the late 1970’s, the stone addition was still there, but weather and the head butting and scratching of cattle finally caused it’s demise.

Their daughter, Georgina, was inflicted with a childhood disease. That was also referenced in the missing book, but I recall that she suffered from diabetes. She was born in 1885 and must have died between the 1900 and 1910 census. I remember from the missing book that she passed at the age of 18 but cannot verify that at this time.

The Padgett’s were part of the neighborhood along the Halleck Creek. The Padgett’s sold their ranch to Charlie Boyd who eventually sold it to Tom McGill. It became part of the property which is now part of the eastern segment of the Flying X Ranch. Besides the cabin, the well and loading hill, there are great apple trees along the creek that are waiting for sampling in the fall.

Dick Padgett was remembered as a good family member. In the flourish of century old prose, the following was written about his 1900 return to Iowa to visit his dying mother. He “reached the place in time to close the eyes of his best earthly friend in the last long sleep, from which there is no waking on this side of Death’s mystical river.”

He was also described as, “He is a man of energy and determination, calculates well the end from the beginning, and seldom addresses himself to a project of any kind without carrying it to a successful issue. Public spirited and interested in the welfare of his county and his state, he gives his support to enterprises tending to their material and industrial development. He is an excellent neighbor, a loyal friend and discharges the duties of citizenship with the best of interests of the public view.”

Unfortunately, there are no such comparable descriptions of Josephina, who had equal efforts in establishing the homes. Her kitchen is still there as the out building. One can only imagine the trials the family incurred while establishing a Wyoming Frontier home.

Thank you William H. (Dick) and Josephina Padgett for being stewards of this land.

-- Gail (Heidbrink) Thompson

References:
United States Federal Census 1860 – 1920.
Ancestry.com - records
Progressive Men of The State of Wyoming, Chicago, IL, A.W. Bowen & Co., 1903. Loaned by B.J. Durr, Wheatland, WY.
Old photos courtesy of the June (Dodge) Akers collection, Gail Thompson and possibly Francis Cuokow (probably misspelled).