Why Walt... an unknown outlaw
Following the Outlaw Trail down a rabbit hole
It wasn’t my idea. I didn’t even know who Walt Punteney was and I still misspell his name. (Thank goodness spellcheck knows how to spell it!) It was my husband and business partner’s idea. I was looking for someone to feature in the Thermopolis tourism magazine and he told me about Walt. Walt who?
Now I’m infatuated with this guy. He had a fun sense of humor and would be someone you could easily visit with for hours. Just look at those eyes - you can see them twinkle!
If you read the post from Tuesday, you were introduced to the “lesser light of the Hole-in-the-Wall gang”. I stole this name from Ed Farlow, future Hollywood man, who knew all the outlaws and called Walt a lesser light. I’m now pursuing all these lesser-known outlaws and lawmen and it’s been a fun ride.
My adventure with Walt has taken me down many rabbit holes, including interviewing his descendants. They are proud to have had ol’ Uncle Walt as part of their family tree and not the least bit dismayed that he was a gun wielding outlaw during his wild youth. He just happened to get caught - and released.
I still want to visit the Cowboy Bar that Walt founded in Pinedale, a road trip that would include a trip to the local museum to visit the director at Green River who gave me all her research. Toni and her son, Clint, traced Walt’s family tree back to France and know all about his Pinedale years. I also want to visit Jada at the Belle Fourche Museum! That is where Walt robbed a bank and got the money to finance his ranch… before he lost it due to unpaid taxes years later.
Another rabbit hole I constantly go down is how do these pioneers actually arrive in Wyoming in the first place? What drew them here and why did some stay and others leave?
In Walt’s case, he was running away from a strict household and made a life for himself in Wyoming where he had more freedom. His Dad was actually quite wealthy and successful so here was an outlaw from a good family.
What pushed Walt into the life of crime was being framed for a crime he didn’t commit. It is part of his family’s lore that Vede, his younger brother and respected cattleman, helped him escape out of jail in the middle of winter. The papers at the time expected to find Walt dead in a snowbank because the temperatures had dipped 40 below and he was only wearing his long underwear. Needless to say, he survived and made his way to the Hole-in-the-Wall where he joined up with Nate Champion. (This is the guy who died in the Johnson County Wars against the hired killers of the Cattlemen Association - see another rabbit hole!)
Researching Walt has led to many other fun stories that I’m looking forward to sharing in the future. For more on this “lesser light”, I recommend following our podcast, Pioneers in Outlaw Country” and listening to his story.
Let me know what you think - and what other rabbit holes you would like to go down with me! Take care and have a fun day! - Jackie