A series where we take a #lookback at the stories and history of our community, brought to you by Mick Pryor, Financial Advisor with Edward Jones.
Buck Gratrix lived in two territories, one state and three counties, all while living in the same house! Buck first came to Wyoming in 1865 and built a house in Atlantic City in 1868 when Wyoming was part of Carter County, Dakota Territory. Wyoming Territory was carved out of the Dakota Territory in 1869, so his home address was then in Sweetwater County, Wyoming Territory. On March 4 1884 the Wyoming Territorial government created Fremont County from part of Sweetwater County, so there was yet another address change for Buck. Finally, Wyoming was admitted to the Union as a state on July 10, 1890 and his permanent address became Fremont County, in the new State of Wyoming. Buck’s cabin is the oldest cabin still standing in Atlantic City. It later served as a town meeting place and as the first schoolhouse there.
Buck Gratrix was born in England in 1846 and came to America at age 17 in search of adventure. He met E.F. Cheney in 1863 in New York. Cheney had been wounded in the Civil War and was recuperating when the two young men met. During Cheney’s recovery, he was sent to New York to act as a recruiter for soldiers to fill the ranks. At this time, if a man was drafted, he could pay a substitute to fill his place. Buck was eager to join the war and was paid $100 (some sources say $400) to take a draftee’s place in the ranks. Because of his remarkable penmanship he served as a clerk in Company B of the 21st New York Cavalry.
After the Civil War ended in 1865, Buck came west and drove a six-mule team hauling lumber near Fort Laramie. He also had contracts to haul grain for the Army. During this time, the Bozeman Trail was opened through land claimed by the Sioux as their hunting grounds. Col. Carrington had been ordered by Gen. William Pope to open the trail and build forts to keep the settlers safe from attacks from the Sioux. Carrington opened up Fort Phil Kearney and Fort Smith. Sioux Chief Red Cloud, along with a young Sioux man named Crazy Horse, was determined to make a stand to protect his way of life. The Fetterman Massacre at Fort Kearney was a result of gold seekers intruding on the Sioux’s territory. Buck Gratrix was not at the Fetterman Massacre, but he witnessed and participated in many lesser known skirmishes with the Sioux.
Later, Gratrix worked under the quartermasters at Camp Carlin and Fort Russell before drifting west along the Union Pacific Railroad which was under construction at the time.
While at Fort Bridger, Buck heard about the gold strikes at South Pass and decided to try his luck in the gold fields. He moved to Atlantic City in search of gold in 1868 and built a cabin. He worked in the gold fields for 46 years, working and buying and selling gold claims and made many friends. At Atlantic City, he boarded with Lorenzo Davis who would later open the Lander Hotel on Main Street, Lander. The Lander Hotel was located where The Grand Theater is today. His friend, E.F. Cheney, who he met during the Civil War also came to the goldfields and worked as a blacksmith before moving his business to Lander when the gold ran out.
Buck joined the Grand Army of the Republic or GAR, a fraternal organization for Union Civil War veterans and again made many friends.
In the fall of 1894 Buck and his friend, Jerry Smith encountered a bear with cubs while they were prospecting. Jerry fired his gun and wounded a cub which aggravated the mother bear. Jerry ran off and left Buck to deal with the angry mama bear. Luckily, Buck happened to have a stick of dynamite in his hand and a pipe in his mouth. Thinking fast he lit a fuse on the dynamite with his pipe and shoved it into the bear’s mouth and quickly dove for cover. After the explosion the bear’s head was missing, but the men were safe and had a tale to tell.
Buck never married or had children, so as an old man he went to live in the Old Soldiers’ Home in Los Angeles, California with his friend John Huff, also a Civil War veteran, a gold miner and a widower.
On occasion, the two men returned to Atlantic City where they could visit with old friends and exchange memories of adventures and tales of days gone by.
Next up for the Fremont County Museum
June 29, 10am at the Pioneer Museum, “Geology of Johnny Behind the Rocks” Wind River Visitors Council Adventure Trek Series
July 3, 7pm at the Pioneer Museum, “Eagle Spirit Dancers”
July 5, 6pm at the Dubois Museum, “Matt Brueseke: Geology Talk” Wyoming Community Bank Discovery Speakers Series
July 6, 9am at the Dubois Museum, “Matt Brueseke: Lava Mountain Geology Trek” Wind River Visitors Council Adventure Trek Series
Call the Dubois Museum 1-307-455-2284, the Pioneer Museum 1-307-332-3339 or the Riverton Museum 1-307-856-2665 for detail regarding their programs.
The Dubois Museum, the Pioneer Museum in Lander and the Riverton Museum need your financial support. In the current economic environment, the museums are more reliant than ever on donations from the private sector to continue to provide the quality programs, collections management, exhibits and services that have become their hallmark over the last four years. Please make your tax deductible contribution to be used specifically for the benefit of the museum of your choosing by sending a check to Fremont County Museums 450 N 2nd Rm 320 or taking it directly to the museum you choose to support.