Laramie Local Government
Alarmed at
the character of this mass of depraved humanity, the better
element took steps to organize some system of government which
would secure them protection against the desperate characters
who flocked in here in such immense hordes.
On the 8th of
May there was posted up a call for a mass meeting of the
citizens for the purpose of organizing a provisional local
government. This meeting was held at Tivoli Hall:
M. C. Brown
was named for mayor
John
Guerrelle, for marshal
E. Nagle, J.
C. Crissman, G. P. Drake and M. Townsley, for Trustees
P. H. Tooley,
for clerk.
An election
was held on the 12th day of May at which over 900 votes were
polled and the above named gentlemen were declared elected. It
must be borne in mind that, at this time, Wyoming Territory was
not even organized, nor was there any county or municipal
organization by authority of which any local government could be
established. These gentlemen, however, made a vigorous effort to
put in motion the machinery of this provisional government, but
backed by no legislative authority they found it impossible to
stem the current, and three weeks after Judge Brown, the mayor,
resigned his position and declined to head any further effort in
that direction. For some weeks anarchy ran riot, murder and
robbery were common, and neither life nor property were safe.
Government at Last
About this time an organization of the
territory of Wyoming was perfected by the appointment of Federal
officers, and the governor and other officials reached the
territory in May, 1869, and immediately proceeded to put in
motion the machinery of government for the new territory. They
appointed county officers and instituted courts, and the first
regular term of a court was held in Albany County, in June,
1869, Judge William T. Jones, associate justice of the Supreme
Court, presiding, with N. K. Boswell as sheriff of the county.
This term of court was effectual in establishing law and order
and gave to long harassed people a feeling of safety and
security.
Back to
Wyoming
Source: Annals of Wyoming, Volume 15,
April 1943, Wyoming Historical Department, Cheyenne, Wyoming.
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