Otis Zimmerschied
Otis Zimmerschied served as Crook County Commissioner from 1916-1919 and as Crook County Sheriff from 1923-1925.
Otis was born in Illinois in 1882, one of thirteen children born to John Peter Zimmerschied and Anna Hoffman. John and Anna Zimmerschied had immigrated to America in the 1840s, John with his family from Prussia and Anna with her family from Switzerland. John and Anna had a family of 12 boys and 1 girl. The family lived in Illinois, where they operated a dairy farm. The children attended schools there, going to both English and German schools. In 1880, a bachelor uncle, Nick Hoffman, had homesteaded on Cabin Creek in Crook County, Wyoming. He had been roaming around the country as far west as California and had finally settled on the creek called Cabin in Crook County. Nick encouraged his nephews to go west and one by one they made their way to Moorcroft by train.
First came Fred and William in 1889 – they arrived by train, where Uncle Nick met them. After visiting for awhile they found employment on some of the larger ranches in northern Wyoming and southern Montana, including the HK on Kara Creek and the SH on Ranch Creek in southeastern Montana. Next to come were Henry, Pete and Otis, who arrived in 1902 – they also worked for some of the big cow outfits.
He wore many different hats during his lifetime. He was a cattle rancher, a gold miner, a mail carrier, a grocer, a café owner, and, later in life, the owner and operator of the Cottage Inn.
Otis was 20 years old when he came to Crook County with his brothers, Pete and Henry, to join other members of the family who had come earlier. He homesteaded toward the west end of Cabin Creek at the mouth of Black Canyon and cowboyed for the Standard Cattle Company and others.
He married Lila Bruner in 1906 and they had four children: Grace, Virginia (who was Chet Hejde’s mother), Pauline, and David. Otis and Lila made their livelihood on the homestead by raising cattle and farming. One unsuccessful venture with his brothers was gold mining in the Bear Lodge at the Schaffer mine in about 1913 and 1914.
In 1917, because of ill health of the children, Otis and Lila moved to Missouri. They returned to the ranch in the fall of 1918.
In the fall of 1922 he was elected Sheriff of Crook County. The family moved to Sundance where Otis served a term of two years. During the next years Otis carried the Sundance to Spearfish mail; started the Model Grocery with Ralph Partlow; owned & operated the Elk Horn Café (later selling to Charlie Ernst). He then bought the Cottage Inn which they operated until his death (Lila operated it for several more years before finally giving it up).
Otis died in 1939 from blood poisoning – the article announcing his death is subtitled “Splinter in Finger Causes Infection That Proves Fatal” – he was only 56 years old.
Otis Zimmerschied served as Crook County Commissioner from 1916-1919 and as Crook County Sheriff from 1923-1925.
Otis was born in Illinois in 1882, one of thirteen children born to John Peter Zimmerschied and Anna Hoffman. John and Anna Zimmerschied had immigrated to America in the 1840s, John with his family from Prussia and Anna with her family from Switzerland. John and Anna had a family of 12 boys and 1 girl. The family lived in Illinois, where they operated a dairy farm. The children attended schools there, going to both English and German schools. In 1880, a bachelor uncle, Nick Hoffman, had homesteaded on Cabin Creek in Crook County, Wyoming. He had been roaming around the country as far west as California and had finally settled on the creek called Cabin in Crook County. Nick encouraged his nephews to go west and one by one they made their way to Moorcroft by train.
First came Fred and William in 1889 – they arrived by train, where Uncle Nick met them. After visiting for awhile they found employment on some of the larger ranches in northern Wyoming and southern Montana, including the HK on Kara Creek and the SH on Ranch Creek in southeastern Montana. Next to come were Henry, Pete and Otis, who arrived in 1902 – they also worked for some of the big cow outfits.
He wore many different hats during his lifetime. He was a cattle rancher, a gold miner, a mail carrier, a grocer, a café owner, and, later in life, the owner and operator of the Cottage Inn.
Otis was 20 years old when he came to Crook County with his brothers, Pete and Henry, to join other members of the family who had come earlier. He homesteaded toward the west end of Cabin Creek at the mouth of Black Canyon and cowboyed for the Standard Cattle Company and others.
He married Lila Bruner in 1906 and they had four children: Grace, Virginia (who was Chet Hejde’s mother), Pauline, and David. Otis and Lila made their livelihood on the homestead by raising cattle and farming. One unsuccessful venture with his brothers was gold mining in the Bear Lodge at the Schaffer mine in about 1913 and 1914.
In 1917, because of ill health of the children, Otis and Lila moved to Missouri. They returned to the ranch in the fall of 1918.
In the fall of 1922 he was elected Sheriff of Crook County. The family moved to Sundance where Otis served a term of two years. During the next years Otis carried the Sundance to Spearfish mail; started the Model Grocery with Ralph Partlow; owned & operated the Elk Horn Café (later selling to Charlie Ernst). He then bought the Cottage Inn which they operated until his death (Lila operated it for several more years before finally giving it up).
Otis died in 1939 from blood poisoning – the article announcing his death is subtitled “Splinter in Finger Causes Infection That Proves Fatal” – he was only 56 years old.