In 1874, Alfred Packer and five other men set out through the Colorado mountains during a brutal winter, looking for gold. Soon after, Packer emerged alone. He admitted to eating the others. They were living on rose hips after running out of provisions and not finding wild game. While away from camp one of the men killed the others, he claimed. Packer said meat cut from a man’s breast was the sweetest meat he ever ate. He lived sixty days on his companion’s flesh. The men he ate were known to be wealthy. People speculate that he was able to bribe his way out of jail.

John “Portugee” Phillips landed a spot in the book Wyoming Folklore for his role during the Fetterman Massacre in 1866. He rode an astonishing 236 miles to Fort Laramie in torturous conditions to summon help after a US soldiers were ambushed by Lakota and Cheyenne warriors near Fort Phil Kearny. His timely ride was crucial in alerting other troops to the situation. Read or listen to The Fetterman Massacre: The History and Legacy of the U.S. Army’s Worst Defeat during Red Cloud’s War.

American Indian Myths and Legends tells the legend of the origin of the towering rock formation, Devils Tower. Native American tribes such as the Lakota, Kiowa, and Cheyenne have similar legends about the origin of the towering rock formation. Two boys were chased by a giant bear. To escape, they prayed to the Great Spirit, who caused the ground beneath them to rise, forming the massive tower. The bear clawed at the sides of the rock, leaving the vertical grooves that are seen today.

The Ferris Mansion in Rawlins, Wyoming, is one of the state’s most famous haunted locations. Built in 1903 by George and Julia Ferris, the mansion is known for its striking Queen Anne-style architecture. Over the years, it has gained a reputation for being haunted by a ghostly presence, which some believe to be Julia Ferris herself. Strange occurrences have been reported inside the mansion, including unexplained footsteps, doors opening and closing by themselves, and a general eerie feeling in certain rooms. Visitors and owners have claimed to feel a cold, unsettling presence, particularly in the upper levels of the mansion, where Julia is said to have passed away. Read Ghosts on the Range: Eerie True Tales of Wyoming if you like ghost stories.

Father Pierre Jean De Smet, a Belgian Jesuit missionary who played a significant role in the westward expansion of the United States in the mid-1800s. Wyoming Folklore says he told an army officer he had been shown a platinum mine somewhere between Cheyenne and Yellowstone. De Smet made the American Indian chief who showed him the platinum to promise to keep it a secret to protect their home, knowing settlers would drive them away. Read about De Smet’s role in the history of the American West in Father De Smet: Pioneer Priest Of The Rockies.

According to local stories, the lake, named after Father Pierre Jean De Smet, is said to be home to an uncanny creature that has been spotted by early settlers and Native Americans. Witnesses describe the monster as a large, serpentine creature, with sightings often accompanied by stories of strange waves and disturbances in the water. Wyoming Folklore: Reminiscences, Folktales, Beliefs, Customs, and Folk Speech says horses had an aversion to the lake and became uncontrollable around it.