Send us a text

She was the daughter of a cavalry soldier. A teacher, caregiver, rancher, homesteader, wife, mother and to some, an angle of mercy – even when the person in need was also a wanted outlaw. 

This courageous homesteader was a true pioneer of Hot Springs County, Wyoming.

Mary Hayes Picard and her sister-in-law, Lottie Weber Hayes, were home alone at the remote 2B ranch owned by the Picard family. The children were suffering from whooping cough and the men were gone when Kid Curry appeared on their doorstep. He had been shot and needed help.

Who was Mary, this ranch wife closely acquainted with the Hole-in-the-Wall gang? 

The Hot Springs County Pioneer Association brings you the story of Mary Hayes Picard, a teacher and ranch wife of Wyoming.  

We especially want to thank the daughters of Raymond Picard, Cecil and Mary, for taking the time to share their family memories and oral history. Please note that they pronounce their name "Pick-erd" rather than the French pronunciation of "Puh-card".  

This podcast was researched and hosted by Jackie Dorothy and Dean King of Legend Rock Media Productions 

For more adventurous reading and to learn more about this family and their friends, we suggest the following books which we used to research their story:

• He Rode with Butch and Sundance: The Story of Harvey "Kid Curry" Logan By Mark T. Smokov
• Halleck Country - The Story of the Land and its People by Edna B. Patterson and Louise A. Beebe 
• History of Natrona County by Alfred James Mokler 
• History of Wyoming, Big Horn Basin by Taceta Walker

Music Credits:

• Dude, Where's My Horses by Nat Keefe with the Bow Ties
• Shenandoah (Instrumental) by Mickey Raphael 
• Miner's Song in the Klondike Gold Rush
• A Ghost Town by Quincas Moreira 
• Rattlesnake Railroad by Brett Van Donsel
• The Wild West by Ross Bugden

Support the show

Be sure to subscribe to “Pioneers of Outlaw Country” so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series.

Your hosts are Jackie Dorothy and Dean King and you can find us at (20+) Pioneers of Outlaw Country | Facebook

This is a production of Legend Rock Media Productions.

Send us a text

He was a man of the West. A cowboy, ranch foreman, top rider and roper with the Buffalo Bill Show, husband, father, homesteader, saloon owner... and outlaw.

This member of the Wild Bunch was a true pioneer of Hot Springs, County.

Walt Punteney was a stockman in Wyoming who sidelined as an outlaw in the infamous Hole-in-the-Wall gang. He counted as friends such well-known outlaws as Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid and Harvey Logan.

He lived in what is now Hot Springs County, Wyoming in a time when a cowboy could brand his own cattle and become named as a rustler. It was dangerous times but Walt never lost his zest for life or his smile.

Your Hosts:
Jackie Dorothy & Dean King  

Music Credits:
Surrender, Dan Lebowitz
The Colonel, Zechariah Hickman
Wild West, Zitron Sound
Horses and Trains, Jesse Gallagher

For further reading on Walt Punteney and his companions, we recommend the following books:
Tim McCoy Remembers the West by Tim McCoy
Wind River Adventures: My Life in Frontier Wyoming by Edward J. Farlow
The Wild Bunch at Robbers Roost  by Pearl Baker
Butch Cassidy: The Wyoming Years by Bill Betenson
Desperate Men: Revelations from the Sealed Pinkerton Files by James Horan

Support the show

Be sure to subscribe to “Pioneers of Outlaw Country” so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series.

Your hosts are Jackie Dorothy and Dean King and you can find us at (20+) Pioneers of Outlaw Country | Facebook

This is a production of Legend Rock Media Productions.

Send us a text

Welcome to the first episode of this 12-part series featuring stories from pioneers of the outlaw country of Wyoming; Hot Springs County.

He was a man of the West. A cowboy, rancher, friend of the Indian warrior, cavalry officer, Hollywood movie star, and showman. 

He lived by the adage, “Never look back; something might be gaining on you.”

This son of Irish immigrants was a true pioneer of Hot Springs County, Wyoming. 

During his lifetime, Tim McCoy was one of the most famous men who called Hot Springs County, Wyoming home. 

In the early days of film, he was one of the Big Four of Hollywood Western Stars alongside Tom Mix, Ken Maynard and Hoot Gibson. He starred in over 100 movies, had his own tv show, won an Emmy and his star is on Hollywood Boulevard.

Today, many people never heard of Tim McCoy even in his hometown of Thermopolis. Tim McCoy’s early years were tied to Hot Springs County and he ranched up Owl Creek at the Eagles Nest for 30 years. He often said that his heart belonged to Wyoming – not the glitz and glam of Hollywood.

Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series. The stories of our pioneers were brought to you by Hot Springs County Pioneer Association.  We are dedicated to preserving the history of our unique county and city of Thermopolis.

This podcast was supported in part by a grant from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, a program of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources.

This was a production of Legend Rock Media Productions.

Music Credits:

• Rattlesnake Railroad by Brett VanDonsel
• Roundup on the Prairie by Aaron Kenny
• The Gunfight by Everett Almond
• The Old Chisholm Trail by Harry McClintock (1928)
• Celtic Impulse by Kevin Macleod
• A Fallen Cowboy by Sir Cubworth
• Western Spaghetti by Chris Haugen

Support the show

Be sure to subscribe to “Pioneers of Outlaw Country” so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series.

Your hosts are Jackie Dorothy and Dean King and you can find us at (20+) Pioneers of Outlaw Country | Facebook

This is a production of Legend Rock Media Productions.

Send us a text

Pioneers of Outlaw Country

Hot Springs County was a remote area in Central Wyoming, lawless and frequented by the Hole-in-the-Wall gang. In the late 1800’s, there were no jails, many saloons, and wide-spread homesteads. There were numerous opportunities for the daring and enterprising businessmen – cattlemen, horse traders, store owners, saloon operators, farmers, coal miners and oil men. 

In the 1920’s, businesswoman Dora McGrath realized that these stories needed to be preserved and founded the Hot Springs County Pioneer Association with the dream of one day opening a museum. Early members of the association included former outlaws and lawmen, business owners, ranchers, and Shoshone and Arapaho tribal leaders. 

Today, the descendants of these early settlers remain in the region and are working together to preserve the history before it is lost. 

These are their stories. 

Be sure to subscribe to “Pioneers of Outlaw Country” so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series. The stories of our pioneers were brought to you by Hot Springs County Pioneer Association.  

This podcast was supported in part by a grant from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, a program of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources.

This is a production of Legend Rock Media Productions.

Music: Rattlesnake Railroad by Bret Van Donsel

Support the show

Be sure to subscribe to “Pioneers of Outlaw Country” so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series.

Your hosts are Jackie Dorothy and Dean King and you can find us at (20+) Pioneers of Outlaw Country | Facebook

This is a production of Legend Rock Media Productions.