Just outside of Circleville, Utah, lies a little old cabin. This cabin may seem like a normal 19th-century frontier home, but it was once where the infamous outlaw, Robert LeRoy Parker or “Butch Cassidy,” grew up. The ruthless, Robin Hood-like outlaw spent his time robbing banks and trains to help small businesses thrive. While his work sometimes was frowned upon, it made headlines and over 100 years later, his home is now a popular tourist site just outside Piute County. With its rich history, Butch Cassidy’s boyhood home may become one of Utah’s newest State Monuments.
Like many boys in Piute County, Parker was a farm boy. While working at a butcher shop in Rock Springs (Wyoming), however, he earned the nickname “Butch.” He didn’t want to bring shame to his family, so he added “Cassidy” after cattle thief, “Mike Cassidy.” The well-known Wild West movies that show cowboy train robbers describe Butch Cassidy’s legend pretty well. Cassidy eventually joined an outlaw gang known as the “Wild Bunch.” Thereafter, the gang targeted larger cattle operations. Cassidy became a figure who could be related to Robin Hood, as he too gave some money back to those in need.
With the rich history surrounding the home of the outlaw, the private landowners restored the home to make it pleasing and informative. Being the spot where the Utah outlaw spent a good amount of time, many think it would do good to add the location to the map, allowing more people to know about the spot. According to ABC4 News, Representative Carl Albrecht says that “Butch Cassidy State Monument has been in the works for several years with the partnership of Garfield and Piute Counties.”
On Thursday February 1, 2024, the members of the Utah House Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee voted in agreement in making Cassidy’s boyhood home a state monument. “The motion garnered support from local leaders who attended the meeting, as well as the (Division of State Parks),” KSL reporter Carter Williams stated in his article on the topic. “There wasn’t any pushback from committee members before they passed the measure to a full House of Representatives vote.”
Even with all the good luck and buzz from local and district leaders, the bill still must pass by March 1 by the House and Senate before becoming a signed law.
– by Ari Hurdsman
Feature image caption: Butch Cassidy’s Boyhood Home, a one-room cabin located on the edge of Piute and Garfield counties, could become Utah’s newest state monument. Courtesy of Amanderson2.
Ari Hurdsman – Junction
Ari Hurdsman is a junior journalist at the Byway. She just recently moved to Ephraim, Utah, where she is a freshman at Snow College. She enjoys writing about Piute sports, and she’s really good at it! In her free time, she enjoys singing, dancing, reading and hanging out with friends and family.