With the majority of the winter behind us, it is now time to look forward to spring and spending some leisure time at the "Hole In the Wall" Recreational Area. For those just visiting or joining us for the first time, this name is used quite often on this site as well as a number of other family sites. The "Hole In the Wall" is a family campground that is slowly being developed as a gathering site for family members and friends. The name was derived from the popular western genre movie, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. The "Hole In The Wall" Recreational Area is situated in a large bowl area with only one access point leading into it. This entry way is usually guarded by the smaller outlaws that also inhabit the area while their elders sit around the "fire pit".
The name of our family recreational area is not unique, this same name is also a international name, that provides recreational areas and campgrounds for children suffering from a host of life threatening diseases. The Hole In The Wall Camps are located internationally with the majority of them being in the United States. Since their inception in 1988, an excess of 100,000 children from thirty-four states and thirty-one countries have visited these free camps. Funding for these camps is provided by donations. The "Hole In The Wall Camps" project was initiated by Paul Newman, who played "Butch" Cassidy in the 1968 Academy Award movie.
The "Hole In The Wall Gang" a.k.a "Wild Bunch" was the name given to a gang in the American Wild West, which took its name from the Hole In the Wall Pass in Johnson County, Wyoming. This area served as a hideout for several "outlaw gangs", with little interaction between the "gangs". It contained a infrastructure, with each gang supplying its own food and livestock supply as well as corrals, livery stable and numerous cabins for each of the gangs. Certain rules applied to the the camp, to include a certain way of handling disputes with other gang members and never stealing from another gang's supplies. There were no leaders, with each gang adhering to their own chain of command. Members included such infamous desperadoes as Jesse James, Frank James, Butch Cassidy, Sundance Kid, Kid Curry, Black Jack Ketchum, and George "Flat Nose" Curry. The encampment operated with a steady stream of outlaws rotating in and out from the late 1860's to the early 20th century. By 1910, few outlaws used the area, one of the cabins utilized by Butch Cassidy still exists today and was relocated to Cody, Wyoming where it is on public display. Through the history of the Hole In The Wall, it was never broached by law enforcement officers.
Butch Cassidy was born in Beaver, Utah as Robert LeRoy Parker on April 13, 1866. His family was of the Mormon Faith and he was the oldest of thirteen 
children. It is reported that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were killed in Bolivia as indicated in the movie. Following the release of the movie, reporters came to the home area of Cassidy looking for members of his family. They did find Mrs. Lulu Parker Betenson, who was Butch's youngest sister, she was 86 at the time of the interview. She told reporters that Butch Cassidy did not die in 1909 in Bolivia, but returned and visited her some 16 years later in 1925. His sister swore that Butch Cassidy, also known as Hiram Bebee, died in Spokane, Washington in 1937.
children. It is reported that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were killed in Bolivia as indicated in the movie. Following the release of the movie, reporters came to the home area of Cassidy looking for members of his family. They did find Mrs. Lulu Parker Betenson, who was Butch's youngest sister, she was 86 at the time of the interview. She told reporters that Butch Cassidy did not die in 1909 in Bolivia, but returned and visited her some 16 years later in 1925. His sister swore that Butch Cassidy, also known as Hiram Bebee, died in Spokane, Washington in 1937. As a young man, he was called "Roy" by his family and friends. In his late teens he begin working for other local ranchers, one of them being Mike Cassidy who did have a shady background. By 1884, Roy was rustling cattle and his life as an outlaw commenced. He also worked at a butcher shop in Rock Springs, Wyoming for a brief time, while working there as butcher, he was nicknamed "Butch" He took on the name of "Cassidy", perhaps in honor of his childhood hero that he had worked for.
"Sundance Kid" was born Harry Longabaugh in Mont Clare, Pennsylvania in 1867. At the age of fifteen, he headed west with his cousin. By the age of 20, he had stole a gun, a saddle and horse from a ranch in Sundance, Wyoming. He was captured a short time later, convicted and served 18 months in jail. After his release, he worked as a cowboy before being implicated in a 1892 train robbery. In 1897, he had partnered up with Harvey Logan when they robbed a bank at Belle Fourche, South Dakota on June 27th. Although they were captured, they did manage to escape from the jail in Deadwood, South Dakota three months later. It was from this bank robbery that Harry Longabaugh become known as the "Sundance Kid". In 1900, the Sundance Kid met Butch Cassidy and joined the Wild Bunch at the "Hole In The Wall". On February 1, 1901 the two of them and a lady friend, Etta Place sailed from the United States to Argentina. It is reported that both, Butch Cassidy and the "Sundance Kid" were killed by soldiers in Bolivia in 1909, but like Butch Cassidy, there are some reports that both of them returned to the United States with the "Sundance Kid" dying in 1936.
The mystery of their death's may never be discovered, perhaps it is best that it be kept as a secret of the "Hole In the Wall".
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