Hot Springs County was remote and wild in its early days – the perfect place to hide when you were running from the law. According to early pioneer Ed Farlow, one place in particular in the area, Andersonville, was the headquarters for the infamous Hole-in-the-Wall gang.

“It was not unusual to see five or six of these men in one of the saloons at night, drinking and gambling. I was on intimate terms and very well acquainted with all of them and knew their business.” Farlow named these infamous outlaws as Butch Cassidy, Elsy Lay, Al Haimer, Bob McCoy, Jakey Snyder, Dusty Jim, Mike Brown, Jim McCloud, Kise Eads “and one or two lesser lights.”

In 1870, the area on the west side of the Big Horn River (the Owl Creek) was settled by the Anderson Brothers. The Anderson’s original intent was to establish a bean farm, but they ended up founding a town and hog ranch, variously known as Andersonville, Anderson’s Hog Ranch, or, after the founding of Thermopolis, “Old Thermopolis.” After the Wilcox train robbery, it is reported that Butch Cassidy and his gang celebrated at the Hog Ranch. One of the outlaws hanging around the area was Jim McCloud, alias – “Driftwood” Jim or James Dale.

The Omaha Daily Bee, July 20, 1903
Jim McCloud, a notorious outlaw, was arrested at Thermopolis yesterday, and an attempt was made to take him to the county jail at Basin City, but a mob appeared, and the sheriff returned to Thermopolis. McCloud is charged with murdering Ben Minnick, a sheepman, who was shot down at his camp on Black Mountain last October. He is also charged with robbing the Buffalo post office, blowing a safe at Thermopolis, and holding up the Sheridan-Buffalo mail stage. After being successfully saved from the mob, McCloud was sentenced in Rawlins – where he escaped with his cellmate, Tom Horn, and was later recaptured.