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Jack Streeter left the Thorofare to become a brand inspector in Gillette , Wyoming . Jack still lives in Gillette and, at 72 years young, is still brand inspecting with the vigorand dedication of a man half his age. Thinking back 40 years, Jack still cherishes his Thorofare days.

My Intermittent Home: Special Deputy Warden, 1962–1970

by Jack Streeter

I was either 28 or 29 years old—I can't remember for sure—the first time I went into the Thorofare.

The Game & Fish Department hired me to be a special deputy warden. As such, I worked three or four months every fall enforcing Game & Fish regulations during hunting seasons. I did this for 8eight or nine years. Again I can't remember for sure when I started, but 1970 was my last year. I worked many places around Cody including Sunlight, Southfork, Northfork, and Meteetsee. My favorite, of course, were my yearly trips into the Thorofare cabin to patrol the wilderness.

Typically, I would make two trips into the wilderness every fall. Each trip would be about ten days. I normally went in with someone, as Supervisor Ronald Bell, and Cody Game Warden Sonny Reesy did not want anyone going in alone. Over my eight or nine years, I was fortunate to have many good persons accompany me. I made trips with Sid Clark, Rex Corsi, Jim Bales, Sonny Reesy, Bob Sexton, and Don Larson. I hope I haven't forgotten anyone. Bob Sexton and Rex Corsi both went with me several times. Don Larson would meet me at the cabin, stay a couple of days, and then I would ride out to Turpin Meadows with him. I would spend the night in Jackson and then ride back in the next day. I ain't saying what we went to Jackson for.

One of my best memories is of Roy Rogers. One fall, Sonny Reesy accompanied me on one of my 10-day trips. We went into the Wilderness on the Eagle Creek trail and were patrolling the Mountain Creek area. We stayed at the outfitter camp on Mountain Creek. I believe it was Bob Adam's camp. Roy Rogers happened to be hunting out of the camp this year. Sonny and I were able to acquaint ourselves with him over several days. What I remember most about Roy was that he was a super nice guy. Some fellow had a guitar and every night Roy would sing. It was just like in the movies. Roy smoked at the time and every time someone was taking his picture, he would drop his hand to his side and hide the cigarette from the camera. He was very conscious of his image with the kids.

Another time, Rex Corsi and I were at the cabin and checking hunters around Hawks Rest. We stopped at a camp by Bridger Lake . This gal was the only one in camp. She was telling Rex and me that she had a moose license but was just so sore and stiff from the long ride, she was just too tired to go out hunting this day. She rambled on that her husband was put out and went out scouting without her, but, by golly, she just wasn't leaving camp today. About that time we heard a couple of shots toward the Yellowstone River . Guessing what we would find, Rex and I rode over to investigate, and, sure enough, there was this gal's husband sitting in the middle of a moose he had just killed for his wife. Of course, we had to do something and charged him with killing the moose without a license. We couldn't let them keep an illegal moose, so Rex and I had to haul the carcass out of the wilderness. We didn't have enough horses and had to borrow some from the outfitters in the area. We ended up getting the carcass out to Turpin Meadows.

In the '60s, grizzlies were still game animals and could be hunted. There were bears around; we just didn't have any problem with them. In all my years of going to the Thorofare, there was only one time we had a bear encounter. Sid Clark and I were spending the night at the cabin. We were awakened by the commotion of a bear rummaging through the cabin yard. I still have this mental picture of Sid tippy-toeing around in the moonlight, in his shorts, armed with nothing but a flashlight, hollering, “Where is he, is he gone yet?”

This is about the cabin, not about what we as wardens did in the Thorofare.

Everyone who has ever spent time at this cabin has the same special feeling about the Thorofare Cabin. It's a protective feeling. This cabin has been home to many; however, it was home to me intermittently. You could be gone ten or eleven months from the previous stay, come back, and never miss a beat. Whenever I entered, the cabin made me feel as if I had never left. It welcomed whoever entered. This could have been due to the long ride to get there. The scenery leading up to and surrounding the cabin area is what artists became famous painting. Once inside, everything had a place and was always where you last left it. The cabin had its own set of rules that were not written, rather practiced. The rules were a matter of doing what was right by the land and the next warden.

The Thorofare Cabin earned respect from all who entered. When the Yellowstone fires were burning, everyone connected to this cabin was worried about it, and relieved to hear that it was spared. During the anniversary, I hope that too many people don't travel back because the horse feed needs to be saved for the warden working during the fall hunting season. I'm still being protective!

Thank you to Ronald Bell who was the driving force in getting the cabin built for all of us who have had the opportunity to use the Thorofare Patrol Cabin.

I want to thank Ronald Bell and George “Sonny” Reesy for giving me the opportunity to have worked in the Thorofare.