Stage on the Way; May 17 Celebration is Being Prepared

The Denver to Deadwood stage is now wending its way north having left Denver May 1 and will arrive at the Rawhide Stage Station Sunday May 17 where a major celebration is planned.

Coincident with the coming of the stage, promoted and being driven by Lee Karas of Deadwood, a very impressive monument will be dedicated at a nearby forgotten grave. The grave is that of Mother "Featherlegs" Shepard. Mother Shepard was a colorful character along the Cheyenne-Black Hills stage line and was murdered by "Dangerous" Dick Davis "The Terrapin" in 1879 for a cache of $1500

Bob Darrow and Jim Griffith, with the assistance of several local people, are responsible for erecting the marker, a one-ton piece of Rawhide Red granite donated by Lake Harris. Jim Harris is cutting a condensed story of Mother Shepard on the stone.

The monument dedication will take place at 2:30. The grave is located approximately nine miles south of the Lathrop monument.

The Jay Em Woman's Club is taking an especially active role in the day and will serve a barbecue from the old Rawhide stage station which is now the Bill Milliken ranch and is located about 16 miles south of the Lathrop monument. The Milliken ranch can also be reached by taking the County line road ten miles south of Lusk and traveling west just south of Rawhide Buttes. After crossing Rawhide Creek take the first road to the right one quarter mile. Lunch will be served starting at 11:00 a.m.

Russell Thorp of Cheyenne, the son of the founder of the Cheyenne-Black Hills
Stage line, will be among the prominent persons attending the ceremony.

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