Outlaws, train robbers and cattle rustlers:
Castle Country's wild history

Butch Cassidy and Matt Warner are just two in the long list of famous outlaws who found their home in Castle Country during the days of the "Wild West." In the late 1800s the "dirty dozen" and Cassidy's "wild bunch" made their homes in the plateaus of southeastern Utah and along the famous Green River.

Visit the Emery County Pioneer Museum to see a special exhibit on outlaws.

Castle Gate Payroll Robbery

Butch Cassidy was the mastermind behind the Castle Gate Payroll Robbery, the most daring robbery of all time. On April 21, 1897, with the help of Joe Walker and Bub Meeks, he robbed payroll. The heavily secured train brought the payroll in to the Pleasant Valley Coal Company's office located in the bottom of Castle Gate. There were very limited escape routes in the steep canyon. Cassidy waited until the payroll bag was unloaded off of the train. Standing on the front steps of the office, with 100 people watching, Cassidy took $8000.

He and his band successfully escaped with $7000 out of the bag. They hid at a place called "Robbers Roost" east Hanksville and later on the Green River. The gang was never caught. They went up to Dixon and Baggs Wyoming and spent most of the money at a wild party.

Matt Warner

Cassidy's mentor, Matt Warner, was born the southern Utah in the town of Beaver. He robbed the Telluride bank in Colorado. He was caught and arrested for the crime. But who says that bank robbers don't plan ahead? Warner bribed the judge, jury and witnesses with $42,000 that he had saved and buried on his property. It shouldn't be much of a surprise to hear that Warner was acquitted on all charges.

Matt was a very colorful outlaw that operated from New Mexico to Washington State for over 18 years. During that period, he frequented Green River, operating a saloon and brothel there. On a sandstone ledge, in Buckhorn Wash about 40 feet above the road, is the Matt Warner inscription, dated Feb 17 1920. If you want to visit the inscription you'll need directions to Buckhorn Wash.

On a different occasion, Warner was arrested on murder charges. Warner knew that he needed a good lawyer so he solicited his friend Cassidy to rob the Montpieler bank in Idaho. Warner had the money he needed and was given a light sentence, 3 years in the Utah Penitentiary. While he was in prison, his wife died. Before her death, Warner promised her that he would "go honest."

After serving his term, Warner moved to Carbon County. The now reformed outlaw became the deputy sheriff and a Justice of the Peace in Price. He died in 1938.