According to the Hartt’s daughter, Catherine, it was immediately after the Hartts returned from their wedding that they were greeted at the train station by one of the ranch hands, who told Hartt: “Sir, they shot Wilkes last night.” This was the new Mrs. Hartt’s first trip away from the New England/Canada region and her conservative upbringing and came as quite a surprise (34). The honeymoon was, most decidedly, over.
John Wilkes was a ranch foreman for Cow Creek Sheep Company in December of 1908 (35). At the time of the shooting, he was working for the company at Wamsutter, Wyoming, where sheep were often sheered and their wool loaded on trains (36). Wilkes, according to one source, had a reputation for being quite a “lady’s man” and had caught one of the Hispanic sheep herders (often hired by the Cow Creek firm) with a prostitute in his sheep wagon. Wilkes ran the herder out (and was in bed with the prostitute himself) when the shooting occurred (37).
Another source says Wilkes had gotten into an argument with John Daley while crossing his land about 6 weeks before he was shot and killed by Jim Kyle in Wamsutter (38).
Pearl’s brother, Harold Spragg, was made foreman after Wilkes’ death (39).
A Bride From New England: John Kelly Hartt Marries M. Pearl Hartt
Taking the Rap: The Minister’s Son Escapes to Mexico
Exploring the History of Pearl Lake State Park: A Journey Back in Time: Chapter Index
- 1. Introduction: the History of Pearl Lake State Park in Routt County
- 2. The Beginning of the Legacy: Go West, John Kelly Hartt
- 3. The Beginning History of Cow Creek and Pioneer Sheep Companies in Wyoming
- 4. Colorado Cattlemen vs. Cow Creek Sheep: The 1903 Stampede
- 5. A Bride From New Brunswick: John Kelly Hartt Marries M. Pearl Hartt
- 6. Sir, They Shot Wilkes Last Night: Life in the Wild West
- 7. Taking the Rap: The Minister’s Son Escapes to Mexico
- 8. The 1910s Tax Dispute: Wyoming Sheep vs. Colorado Cattlemen
- 9. Hartt Family and Sheep Companies at Hahn’s Peak: A Historic Legacy
- 10. Sheep On God’s Mountain: Grassroots Issues
- 11. Hartt’s Business Ventures Expansion in Rawlins | Sheep Business Development
- 12. Family Feuds and Financial Controversies: The Legacy of J.K. Hartt’s Estate in Wyoming
- 13. Pearl Hartt: An Ending Tribute to the Legacy of Pearl Lake’s Namesake
All content in the Exploring the History of Pearl Lake State Park: A Journey Back in Time, including all subsections, are written by Cathy Hartt, granddaughter of Pearl and John Kelly Hartt. Original article written in 2001 with revisions through 2024. Please request written permission for reprints by emailing the author.
Pearl Lake State Park History 