Tales From The Trail: The Kelly-Larimer Incident and Mary Hurley Kelly Grave

Join author & historian Janelle Molony (#hottiehistorian) as she visits the site of the Kelly-Larimer Train Incident from July 12, 1864. Also on the road trip are Wyoming rancher and trail preservationist, Larry Cundall, and a ranch manager escort. The Kelly and Larimer families from Kansas, along with five guests, were one of the first groups of emigrants to be robbed of their horses during the Platte River Raids. On the opposite side of the river, on the same day, the family of Wyatt Earp was being attacked and robbed. Unfortunately, the situation escalated for the Kellys and Larimers when one member of the train resorted to violence.
The names of those who perished in the subsequent attack are listed below:
Franklin Lawrence (abt. 1820- July 12, 1864)
Noah Daniel Taylor (1834- July 12, 1864)
Rev. Andrew Sharp (1810- July 12, 1864)
Arthur "Buckskin" Wright (1835- July 12, 1864)
Unnamed man from the Hastings Train (u/k- July 12, 1864)
Mary Hurley Kelly (abt. 1857 - July 13, 1864)
Gardner Wakefield (1836- March 11, 1865) *Delayed death at Fort Laramie, related to his wounds.
A note from Janelle: Some stories are professional... others are personal. And this journey to visit the final resting place of "Little Mary Hurley Kelly" was definitely the latter. Again, thank you for watching and for understanding that this cemetery is not accessible to the public and that the ranch owners can and will prosecute those caught trespassing. Please do not attempt to visit without express permission and a property escort.
Janelle Molony is an active member of the Oregon-California Trails Association, the Wyoming Historical Society, the Western Association of Women Historians, and the Western Writers of America. "Hottie Historian" is trademark pending (2024).
=== LEARN MORE===
Roadside Trail Marker (accessible to the public) www.hmdb.org/m...
The Kelley-Larimer Train: One of Many Murders on the Oregon Trail / the-kelly-larimer-trai...
Order Emigrant Tales of the Platte River Raids www.tinyurl.com...
Mary Hurley Kelly Find a Grave www.findagrave...
Read the Memoir of Fanny Kelly www.gutenberg....
Credit: Script & Production by Janelle Molony, Hottie Historian. Editing in Filmora Pro. Copyright-free music by Filmora and MixKit.

[@cbennii7]

Amazing. So glad you got to visit and we get to see it. Like you, I have Google Earthed did it a bunch. I drove the entire trail from Independence to Oregon City in 2019 and wished so much I had a contact to visit and pay my respects. Excellent video!

[@jm2030]

How long did the drive take?

[@cbennii7]

@@jm2030 8 days from Independence to Oregon City. I took my time and explored every inch of the trail that was accessible.

[@DC-zx2si]

They were the hard days of amerin pioneers