William Ellsworth Brockett
William Ellsworth Brockett was born in Berlin WI in 1860 and married Annie Baken at Park City UT Sept 12, 1885. To this union two sons were born Frederick “Ted” and Herbert. He was married a second time to Blanch Calhoon and to them were born two daughters Amy May and Mary Eleanor. He went to Helena MT in 1880 where he engaged in the mining business and later to Park City UT where he was employed as a master mechanic of a large Silver mining company. In 1891 he went to Hill City SD for the Harney Peak Tin Company and later to Deadwood where he erected and installed the first cyanide plant in the Black Hills. He also spent a number of years in Mexico on gold and coal mining work for New York interests. He later went to West Africa, where he spent several years supervising an English corporation on gold mining development work. Also spent many years in the old and gas fields of Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. He lived at Sundance for nine years where he was engaged in the hardware business and for the past six years he was interested in mining near Lander WY, where he was living at the time of his death."
His first wife Annie Baken was of the original Baken family of Baken Park, Daughter of William Baken/Katherine “Kate” McGreevey. She died in 1914 in an automobile accident and is buried in Sundance with her husband and son.
Annie’s father William Baken was born in New York and “Upon reaching years of maturity” followed the trade of a carpenter and builder. His grandfather was a native of England, whence he emigrated to America prior to the Revolutionary war.
Annie’s mother Kate McGreevey was born in Ireland and grew up in Rossie NY, where she married William Baken in 1860. To this union were born seven children, four boys and three girls. They farmed outside of Rossie until 1876, when they sold the farm and headed west – they went first to Utah, then after several years moved to Haily, Idaho. In 1891 they came to the Black Hills, where the mining boom was at its height, settling first at Hill City, operating the Cowboy Gold Mine. Soon after their arrival Mr Baken died and his body was taken back to Rossie, NY for burial -- after that Kate made her home with her children at Hill City, Keystone and Rapid City. She was living with her daughter Annie Brockett in Sundance when Annie met with an automobile accident that cost her her life. After that she lived with her son William in Rapid City ( he was the Pennington County sheriff at the time) until her death in 1916 – her body was also taken back to Rossie NY for burial next to her husband. Son Edward was also located in Rapid City – on the 1930 census he is listed as running a “tourist park”, which became known as “Baken Park.”
There was some controversy surrounding the death of their son William. He served as deputy sheriff, game warden, sheriff and was chief of police in 1917, 1920 and 1930, he retired that year. He was shot to death and a man named James T Lawton confessed to the crime and was sentenced to life in Prison, his sentence was commuted to 51 years and he was paroled in 1956. Evidently, there was considerable doubt reading the newspaper and the transcript of the questioning of Lawton that he was indeed guilty.
Be that as it may…this testimonial ”With scarcely an exception the county officials of Pennington county have been men of ability who have discharged their official duties efficiently and William P. Baken, the present sheriff of the county, is an excellent man for the place, fearless, capable and conscientious.”
William Ellsworth Brockett was born in Berlin WI in 1860 and married Annie Baken at Park City UT Sept 12, 1885. To this union two sons were born Frederick “Ted” and Herbert. He was married a second time to Blanch Calhoon and to them were born two daughters Amy May and Mary Eleanor. He went to Helena MT in 1880 where he engaged in the mining business and later to Park City UT where he was employed as a master mechanic of a large Silver mining company. In 1891 he went to Hill City SD for the Harney Peak Tin Company and later to Deadwood where he erected and installed the first cyanide plant in the Black Hills. He also spent a number of years in Mexico on gold and coal mining work for New York interests. He later went to West Africa, where he spent several years supervising an English corporation on gold mining development work. Also spent many years in the old and gas fields of Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. He lived at Sundance for nine years where he was engaged in the hardware business and for the past six years he was interested in mining near Lander WY, where he was living at the time of his death."
His first wife Annie Baken was of the original Baken family of Baken Park, Daughter of William Baken/Katherine “Kate” McGreevey. She died in 1914 in an automobile accident and is buried in Sundance with her husband and son.
Annie’s father William Baken was born in New York and “Upon reaching years of maturity” followed the trade of a carpenter and builder. His grandfather was a native of England, whence he emigrated to America prior to the Revolutionary war.
Annie’s mother Kate McGreevey was born in Ireland and grew up in Rossie NY, where she married William Baken in 1860. To this union were born seven children, four boys and three girls. They farmed outside of Rossie until 1876, when they sold the farm and headed west – they went first to Utah, then after several years moved to Haily, Idaho. In 1891 they came to the Black Hills, where the mining boom was at its height, settling first at Hill City, operating the Cowboy Gold Mine. Soon after their arrival Mr Baken died and his body was taken back to Rossie, NY for burial -- after that Kate made her home with her children at Hill City, Keystone and Rapid City. She was living with her daughter Annie Brockett in Sundance when Annie met with an automobile accident that cost her her life. After that she lived with her son William in Rapid City ( he was the Pennington County sheriff at the time) until her death in 1916 – her body was also taken back to Rossie NY for burial next to her husband. Son Edward was also located in Rapid City – on the 1930 census he is listed as running a “tourist park”, which became known as “Baken Park.”
There was some controversy surrounding the death of their son William. He served as deputy sheriff, game warden, sheriff and was chief of police in 1917, 1920 and 1930, he retired that year. He was shot to death and a man named James T Lawton confessed to the crime and was sentenced to life in Prison, his sentence was commuted to 51 years and he was paroled in 1956. Evidently, there was considerable doubt reading the newspaper and the transcript of the questioning of Lawton that he was indeed guilty.
Be that as it may…this testimonial ”With scarcely an exception the county officials of Pennington county have been men of ability who have discharged their official duties efficiently and William P. Baken, the present sheriff of the county, is an excellent man for the place, fearless, capable and conscientious.”