Josie Bassett Morris: A Truly Fascinating Woman!

June 2016

I was enthralled by this complex and the woman who built it: Josie Bassett Morris. The signs around the cabin and other buildings told a little bit about her life but not much. Basically it said she was divorced and her children were grown and she wanted a place of her own so she built one. Her neighbors knew her as a feisty old lady! She was so much more than that! She and her sister “Queen” Ann, were lovers on and off with pretty much most of Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch, including Butch. This is how Wikipedia describes it.

Josie and Ann were good looking young women, and both had a wild side. By 1893, Ann Bassett was involved romantically with Butch Cassidy, and Josie was involved with Elzy Lay, Cassidy's closest friend. When Cassidy was sent away to prison for eighteen months, starting in 1894, Ann became involved in a relationship with Ben Kilpatrick. By the time Cassidy was released, Will "News" Carver had become involved with Josie, who ended their relationship when Carver became involved with female outlaw Laura Bullion. Josie in turn became involved with Cassidy for a time, until Cassidy again became involved with Ann.

That was the complicated circle of relationships that developed between the Bassett girls and Cassidy's Wild Bunch gang. Despite the seemingly constant changes in romantic companions by both the Bassett girls and the gang members, there is no indication that any animosity ever resulted from it.

The article goes on to say she was a rancher, cattle thief, and a bootlegger. She was married 5 times and divorced 4. One of her husbands reportedly died of alcoholism but it is rumored that she poisoned him. She was also one of only five women allowed into the Wild Bunch hideout: Robbers Roost.

She also helped out her neighbors when things were tough! She sounded like a pretty awesome woman to know!

History says Butch was killed in Bolivia but she claims he came to visit her on her ranch in 1930 and lived in Utah into the 40s.

The view behind her cabin

There were a bunch of outbuildings! I think she kept chickens here.

 

                                               It was  awesome to be able to walk around inside her cabin!

This is why she choose to build here! It's beautiful!

I thought this looked like a giant lizard!

Learning about Josie was pretty cool!