We visited this location in the middle of the night in April 2009.
Thermopolis was founded in 1897. It’s name is of Greek derivation and is indicative of it’s hot springs. The name “Thermopolis” is thus related to the name of the Greek pass known as “Thermopylae” where Leonidas gave his life to save Sparta.
At the entrance to the Wind River Canyon south of Thermopolis, the Wind River changes to the Big Horn River because each end of the river was named by different explorers, which was discovered later, after both ends had been given different names.
Butch Cassidy, Al Haimer, Bob McCoy, Jakey Snyder, Dusty Jim, Mike Brown, Jim McCloud, and Kise Eads frequented the Thermopolis bars back in the day. Apparently, the Wilcox Robbery, which occurred on June 2, 1889 was featured in the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Five miles west of Thermopolis is Owl Creek Bridge where a group of desperados who had robbed and bank and murdered a man were finally captured.
The world’s largest natural hot springs is located in Hot Springs State Park and it is open to the public for free due to a treaty that was signed in 1896 with the Shoshone and the Arapahoe Indians.
Paranormal Reports:
Reports of strange sounds including those of disembodied footsteps and doors closing on their own.
Resources:
No Author (n.d.). Big Horn Basin Photos. Retrieved December 8, 2009 from http://www.wyomingtalesandtrails.com/bighorn2.html
No Author. (n.d.). Hot Springs Public Library. Retrieved December 8, 2009 from http://www-wsl.state.wy.us/hotsprings/
Shadowlord (1998). Shadowlands Haunted Places Index. Retrieved August 11, 2008 from http://theshadowlands.net/places/wyoming.htm
Wikipedia (2009). Thermopolis, Wyoming. Retrieved December 8, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermopolis,_Wyoming