MILITARY PRESENCE

Cantonment Reno was located in what is now southeastern Johnson County. It was short lived, and the army moved further north to the banks of Clear Creek just west of present day Buffalo. In July of 1879 Fort McKinney served as the garrison for four companies of infantry and three companies of cavalry. The Fort operated until 1894, when the site was given to the State of Wyoming, who established the Wyoming Soldiers and Sailors home there in 1903.

FREWEN'S CASTLE

In the late 1800s this area was all open range, with cattle ranging far and wide. Several of the ranches were operated by people of Scotish origins and there was a large operation headed by Moreton Frewen. He built a two story log home at a time when most dwellings were much smaller. It was know as Frewen's Castle. The main room was forty foot square, there was a musicians gallery where they could sit and play for the guests dancing below. Twenty guests could dine with comfort and often the table was adorned with flowers brought in from Denver. The staircase and interior woodwork were imported from England. A piano came overland after arriving by train at Rock Creek. There was a telepohone connecting the home with their store some twenty miles distance. There were also a bunkhouse, storage sheds and stables in the compound. Coal lamp chandeliers with crystal bangles illuminated the main rooms. Mike McCue, a fromer body guard for President Lincoln served as the Frewen's cook. he told one group they would not get Boston baked beans, but Powder River beans! By 1886 the Frewen family had moved on, leaving the home and its furnishing behind. Eventually the rosewood and walnut were "recycled" being made into smoking stand, candle holders and a gavel currently used by the local Historical society.

Burials in the county

Willow Grove Cemetery is located on the south edge of Buffalo. It is well cared for. Irrigation provides for acres of green grass and majestic trees providing shade for visitors. In 1903 cottonwood trees were planted and over the years, they have been maintained and other trees have been added. Deer and antelope raise their young in this peaceful setting. There is a section for our military veterans as well as an area set aside for small children.

Near the entrance lies Block 35, which was dedicated in the late 1800s to serve as a POTTER'S FIELD. There are eleven (11) burials recorded: one baby, one woman, and nine men. The dates range from 1893 to 1914. In the 1970s the local Rotary Club fenced this area, and in 2002 the fence was replaced and markers were provided for the graves. This project was funded by the Johnson County Historical Society with labor provided by volunteers.

There is a small cemetery just east of Kaycee, WY . And over the years there have been burials at various ranches and areas through out the county. In the 1980s the State Historical Society established a project to gather information and document these graves.

My husband has a digital camera and we can provide photos of tombstones, as well as the locations of graves. We can also provide copies of obituaries from the area newspapers.