Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1925-11-26
Death of Laurence Ketchum
Recalls Thrilling Euents In
His Life-Brother in Baraboo

buffalo and wolves. Before reach
ing Denver he came in touch with
party of friendly Sioux Indians
with whom was living young man
who was to become famous the
world over-William F. Cody (Buf-
falo Bid. When Denver was reach
ed not a single rail of the Rio
Grande railroad had yet been laid
and many men were carrying on
business in log cabins. Mr.. Ket.
chum's older brother, Hubert, who
had preceded him to Nebraska, was
a member of the party which
went across the plains to Denver.
While in Denver Ex-Governor
Hunt engaged Lawrence Ketchum
to work in a logging and lumber
camp thirty miles south of Denver
where he assisted the engineer and
fire men in their work. From Den
yer he went to Kansas and at Alb
ilene saw the noted William He
cox (Wild Bill who was city mar
shall at that time From here he
went to Muskogee, Indian Terri
tory, and worked as fireman until
Denison, Tex, was reached. He
then worked on the Houston and
i Great Northern r. Ry. until juno
ton was made with the Texas Pac-
ific r. Ry. at Mineola, and then on
the Texas Pacific r. Ry. west thru
Dallas to Fort Worth. Here he
joined man who had $4,000 head
of cattle TO drive north TO Nebraska
City. Shortly after this General
Custer discovered gold in the Black
Hills, and business men of Kear-
ney, Neb., engaged Mr.. ketchum to
locate a route from that city to
! Custer City, Dakota, in order that
Kearney might be a greet outfit
ting point for parties en- route to
the new diggings". This trip
was made in the winter. Indians
and deep snow retarded his prog
ress. Upon his return to Kearney,
Mr. Ketchum found party of 60
men with II wagons waiting for
him to guide them to the new gold
fields. On this trip he was ac-
companied by his younger broth
er, Ami Whitney Ketchum, after
wards killed. Later Mr.. Ketchum
was employed in the quartermaster
department of the army and saw
service with General Merritt, Gen.
eral Mackenzie, General Crook and
Colonel Henry in subduing the ST.
oux Indians. He was present at
the capture Of Chief Dull Knife and
his band of Cheyennes in 1878 af-
ter they broke away from their
reservation in Indian Territory and
LETT a bloody trail through Kansas
and Nebraska. They were captured
near where Chadron, Neb., is now
situated. In 1879 the Ute Indians
under Chief Captain Jack massa-
cred the agent Meeker at White
river agency, together with all the
whites they could find. In, the
spring of 1880 General Mackenzie
was sent into their country and Mr..
Ketchum went on this expedition.
On this trip he was associated with
Chris. ellison, one of the best gov
eminent scouts. Later at White
River, he was in close touch with
Luther S. Kelly, another scout
known as yellowstone Kelly" 1t
was Kelly who was with General
Terry when General Custer was
sent on his last trip against the In
dians. When no word was receiv-
ed from Custer for two or three
days Kelly was sent out to find him
and was the first white man on the
Custer battlefield.
Was Police Chief
In 1881 MIR. Ketchum returned to
/ Kearney, Neb., and became engag-
ed in the machine shop and foundry
business. During his residence
in Kearney he served as chief of
police. In 1900 he returned to Wis
consin to accept a position as chief
engineer at the Racine Wagon and
Carriage works. In 1903 he was
i appointed chief engineer of the Wis
consin state capitol by his old boy
hood friend, Governor La Toilette
and served successfully in this ca
pacity for II years, after which he
was engaged in business in Mad
ison part of the time. With only
the most meager educational adj
yantages in youth, Mr.. Ketchum
nevertheless became proficient in