Some folks reading this may still recall hearing about an early character who went by the name Wild Cat Sam. His real name was Samuel Abernathy (1839-1928), and he spent many years around Thermopolis, Meeteetse and other surrounding areas. He worked in the sheep business, he was a prospector and also a trapper, but he was really known for his tall tales! According to a biography written by Jess Robinson in 1978, one such story tells of a time when Wild Cat ran across the nest of a wild duck and picked up the eggs from the nest and put them in his shirt pocket. “Wild Cat” claimed that he forgot about the eggs in his shirt until one day he heard some chirping and realized that they had hatched! Ole Sam died from a lightning strike while riding through a rainstorm. His original saddle is on display in the museum’s downstairs gallery.
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