Rawlins, Wyoming, While not on the same level as the Smithsonian, the Carbon County Museum boasts a unique exhibit – a pair of shoes made from the skin of notorious outlaw, Big Nose George Parrott.
Parrott, whose real name might have been George Manuse, was a cattle rustler, highwayman, and all-around Wild West bad boy. His prominent nose earned him the nickname, and his gang terrorized Dakota Territory, Wyoming, and Montana.
In 1878, Big Nose George Parrott and his gang attempted a daring train robbery near Medicine Bow, Wyoming. Their plan involved pulling up the tracks, but a vigilant section foreman foiled it. Undeterred, they turned to murder, killing two lawmen who tracked them down.
Notorious for his boldness, Parrott’s gang robbed a merchant transporting money back east, guarded by a military paymaster wagon train. This audacious heist cemented his status as a top-tier outlaw.
Flush with cash, Parrott’s luck ran out. He was captured and sentenced to death. A botched lynch mob attempt led to a gruesome hanging, witnessed by a doctor named John Osborne. Osborne, fascinated by the outlaw, took macabre souvenirs. He made a death mask, skinned Parrott, and even had shoes crafted from his thigh flesh. The skull was sawed in half, one half given to a female medical student, Lillian Heath.
Rediscovery
Parrott’s story faded until 1950, when construction workers unearthed a whiskey barrel containing bones, the shoes, and the bottom half of the skull. DNA testing confirmed it was Parrott.
Today, the shoes, mask, and skull reside in the Carbon County Museum, a grim reminder of a bygone era. The top half of the skull is believed to be at the Union Pacific Museum, while the infamous medical bag remains lost.
