February 2, 2012 I The Lovell Chronicle I 3
DAVID PECK
The historic wooden motor launch The Hillmont, now on display at the Bighorn Canyon NRA Visitor Center
east of Lovell, is unfortunately marred by four names written with a black marker near the bow of the boat,
as seen in the inset to the left.
Help sought
Vandals trike historic
boat just before move
BY DAVID PECK
The National Park Ser-
vice is seeking the public's
assistance with an investi-
gation into a case of vandal-
ism that occurred this fall
at Barry's Landing.
In September or Oc-
tober, someone painted
four names on the histor-
ic wooden boat "The Hill-
mont," which rested for sev-
eral years near the top of
the boat ramp at Barry's
and was moved in October
to the Bighorn Canyon Na-
tional Recreation Area Cal
S. Taggart Visitor Center.
Deputy Chief Ranger
Dale Kissner and Exhibits
Specialist Tyler Ennis said
just as plans were under
way to move the boat into
the visitor center, to better
protect it from the weather
and, ironically, vandalism,
someone wrote four names
on the 100-plus-year-old
boat.
At Barry's, where the
boat rested for 10 years,
The Hillmont was dis-
played under a shade shel-
ter surrounded by a wooden
fence, but the boat was still
obvi0usly deteriorating,
Kissner and Ennis said, so
plans were made to move
the boat inside the visitor
center.
Kissner said former in-
terpretive ranger Valer-
ie Newman and Chief of
Resources Cass Bromley
cleared a place for The Hill-
mont along the southeast
wall of the visitor center, but
about the time the boat was
to be moved, the four names
appeared on the boat. Ennis
reported the names to Kiss-
ner on Oct. 17.
Written, apparently
with a heavy marker, on
the front right side of the
boat, near the bow, are four
names: (from top to bottom
as written) "Arturo" (with
quotation marks written),
Travis, Clint and Robert,
along with two star sym-
bols.
The date 9-17-11 was
written on top of a wooden
side railing next to the boat
with a similar marker.
Kissner said he is hop-
ing the public can help
identify who Arturo, Travis,
Clint and Robert might be.
"We just haven't been
able to tie those four names
together," Kissner said. "It
appears, the way they were
written, that the four were
written down together - at
the same time. There are
individuals by those names
in the local community, but
local law enforcement can't
easily tie the four together.
It could be one person writ-
ing all four names for some
connection.
"We rely on local law
enforcement a lot because
they know the community
better than we do."
Added Ennis, "It could
possibly be a group that
came through from Califor-
nia (for example)."
"They could be from out
of state," Kissner agreed.
"It's rather amazing that
we haven't had more graf-
fiti on the boat, given its re-
mote location."
Anyone with informa-
tion on the graffiti is asked
to call Kissner at 548-5401
or patrol ranger Jessica
House at 548-5421.
BOAT HISTORY
According to infor-
mation from the Nation-
al Park Service, The Hill-
mont was one of six boats
constructed just after the
turn of the century (after
1900) to transport dudes
and supplies from Kane to
Dr. Grosvener W. Barry's
Cedarvale Dude Ranch at
Hillsboro, Mont. The name
of the boat combines Hills-
boro and Montana.
The six boats were pow-
ered by motors.
During the 1910s and
'20s, and into the '30s, the
motor launch was used to
conduct tours of Big Horn
Canyon for guests of Doc
Barry's dude ranch.
The keel was built with
hand tools using oak fram-
ing and native fir plank-
ing. Blacksmith Eddie Hul-
bert fabricated the metal
fixtures used for the inter-
nal framing. A sister boat,
The Edith, named for Bar-
ry's wife, made a promo-
tional trip in June and July
of 1913 all the way north
through Big Horn Canyon
to the Yellowstone River,
then east to the Missouri
and all the way via the Mis-
sissippi to New Orleans.
Edith Barry and Claude
St. John, her son by a pre-
vious marriage, operated
the Cedarvale Dude Ranch
for another decade or so af-
ter Doc Barry's death in
1920, and the ranch oper-
ation eventually turned to
cattle and horse ranching.
The ranch operated until
the 1950s, when St. John
sold the ranch after Edith's
death in 1951.
The remaining boats
were abandoned along the
banks of the Big Horn Riv-
er. With construction of
the Yellowtail Dam near-
ing completion in 1965, it
looked like the boats would
be lost for all time, but Ray
and Carrie Cheatham of
Greybull and four friends,
Bill and Evie Green and
Russell and Wanda Bond,
having learned of the im-
pending fate of the boats,
decided to salvage one of
the boats before the waters
covered it. They selected
The Hillmont as the boat
that was in the best condi-
tion, although weathered
and weakened.
The six friends worked
for three days salvaging
the boat. It took two days
to bind the boat together
with cross braces and wire
and secure it to pole run-
ners placed underneath.
On the third day they slow-
ly winched the boat up and
over the canyon rim to an
awaiting trailer.
The Hillmont was kept
at Russell Bond's residence
for more than 25 years un-
til the family donated the
boat to the National Park
Service in 1992. It rested in
front of the visitor center for
eight years, was restored
in 2000 and was moved to
Barry's Landing in 2001,
the display site dedicated
on Aug. 5.
Ten years later, The
Hillmont has a new home
in the visitor center.
During all of that time,
only historic graffiti -- carv-
ings from many decades ago
-- marked the boat until the
four names were marked on
the boat last fall.
LOV :LL
[]
n
CANCER
SUPPORT
GROUP
MEETING
qhursday, Feb. 16
7:00 p.m.
Multi-purpose Room
The Bank of Lovell will
present a program about
Health Savings Accounts.
Cancer patients, care givers,family
members, survivors...
Everyone is welcome.
NEW HORIZONS CARE CENTER
548-520 * 1 I15 Lane 12' Loyal, WY 82431 * w nbhh corn
wREBsgrEEk S [
NOTICE TO WATER USERS
The Willwood Irrigation District will hold its
Annual Meeting
at the Willwood Community Clubhouse
1306 Road 9, Powell,WY
Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012 at I p.m.
Lunch will be at noon at the clubhouse.
Hog Heaven will provide the pulled pork entree.
Lunch will be potluck this year so please bring a
side dish or dessert to share.
Please RSVP to 307-754-3831.
m
Pre-season hunting
meeting scheduled
BY PATTI CARPENTER
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has an-
nounced a special meeting that will be held on Wednes-
day, Feb. 8, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Fire Hall in Lovell.
According to Game Warden Jim Hobbs, the purpose of
the meeting is to gather public opinion about hunting in
the area. This is the public's chance to provide input that
could affect decisions that are made for the coming season.
The meeting is expected to be fairly informal, said Hobbs.
It will also include a brief history of the herds in the
area and a discussion of prior management policies.
The official pre-season hunting meeting will take
place on March 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Fire Hall in
Lovell. This second meeting will inform the public of deci-
sions made about the upcoming hunting season.
For more information, contact Hobbs at 548-7310 or
biologist Tom Easterly at (307) 765-2742.
Kelly Eckerdt fundraiser
set for Feb. 14
A fundraiser for Powell resident Kelly Eckerdt is
scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 14, in Powell.
Eckerdt, the wife of Powell Chief of Police Roy Eck-
erdt, is scheduled to receive a donated kidney in a trans-
plant to take place today (Thursday) in Denver. Her
medical expenses are expected to top $100,000 after in-
surance.
A Valentine's Day Ball for Kelly is being held from
6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 14 at the Commons in down-
town Powell. Tickets are $25 each for a prime rib or teri-
yaki chicken dinner. There will also be a silent auction
during the evening.
Tickets are available at Powell Office Supply, Dan's
Boot and Saddle and Arrowhead RV.
For more information or so volunteer, call Kimber-
lee Yount at 307-254-2646, or e-mail her at younties@
hotmail.com.
Ba00eb Ham & Baron of Beef- Mas00eb Potatoes & Grav00q
Steamei5 Mixei5 Veoetab/es - HomemaiSe ILo[[s - C00oco[ate Mint Bar
All You Can Eat - $15.00 per person
Serving from 5pm to 9pm on February 14th
Reservations
(507)
Join us at
Healthy Heart Day
112
q, Feb. 14
7-10am
Multi-purpose Room
New Horizons Care Center
Take advantage of these
services on February 14!
Lipid Panels, including total
Cholesterol (HDL "good" cholesterol
and LDL "bad" cholesterol) only $25
**please fast
¥ Blood Sugar Checks **please fast --
V Blood Pressure Checks
V Body Fat Analysis []
¥ Nutrition Information MJ
qe Health Tips I
( • Diabetes Information
V Blood Oxygen Saturation Checks
¥ PAD (Peripheral Artery Disease)
Screening
**No food or beverage except water, 12 hours before
screening. Diabetics should Nor fast.
How to Have a
Healthy Heart
by Deborah Bracketf, MD
February 14, 2012
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Multi-Purpose Room at
New Horizons Care Center
Everyone invited!
00rth Big q-lorn q(0spffal©is00ricr
II 15 Lane 12 • Lovell, WY • 307-548-5200 • www.nbhh.com
