A series where we take a #lookback at the stories and history of our community, brought to you by Mick Pryor, Financial Advisor with Edward Jones.
Samuel Conant Parks, a longtime resident of Lander, was the well-known banker of the Lander First National Bank, as well as banks in Shoshoni and Cody as well. He was the longtime partner of Eugene Amoretti Sr., one of the men who helped establish the Carnegie library, and a well-respected figure in Lander’s history. What was the draw that pulled this man out to the west?
Born in 1859 in Illinois into a family who valued education, he studied for his first degree at the University of Michigan, graduating in 1885. His interests lay in education and learning, and he seems to have originally wanted to pursue work in the field of education. He spoke three languages, English, German, and French, studied abroad in Germany, and eventually worked in education in Wyoming. He taught Political Economy at the University of Wyoming in the 1890s and was appointed as a trustee of the university from 1899-1903.
While he was studying in Michigan, he clerked for his uncle in federal court, Judge Samuel C. Parks. His uncle ended up moving to Wyoming, continuing to work as a judge. Judge Parks’s son joined him, Samuel C. Parks Jr., and worked as a cashier for Eugene Amoretti Sr. at his bank. When Judge Parks’s nephew Samuel graduated from the University of Michigan, he invited him out to Wyoming while vacationing at the hot springs near Saratoga.
This was the year 1885 and was Samuel’s first experience of Wyoming and the West. While visiting Saratoga, it seems he met a surveyor headed to establish the western boundary of the Wind River reservation who invited Samuel on the journey. Samuel joined the party, surveying in the Winds from the mouth of the North Fork down to Dubois, across the Dinwoodie to the Continental Divide, and further to eventually reach the junction of the Popo Agie and Big Wind rivers. This seems to have been the major impact that held Wyoming in the mind of Samuel. From a long article written after his death by L.L. Newton, he quotes Samuel as saying: “The congenial party, the idea of pioneering, its toil, its romance and charm made deep impressions…and I resolved to remain for the winter”. He stayed through spring, and assisted on cattle roundup and branding, deepening his love of the area. He moved to Lander after completing his studies in Germany and marrying his wife in Chicago, making Lander his future and permanent home.
A recent discovery of a walking stick at the former home of Samuel, known as the ‘Parks Mansion’, has led the author to believe it is a relic of Samuel’s in remembrance of his journey through the Winds, as it is hand-hewn and inscribed with the following: “100 Miles in Wind River Mts. Aug 12 to 23 1885”. This is a marvelous artifact that reflects an influential man of Lander and his fond memories of his first foray into Wyoming. Samuel assisted, bolstered, and enlivened many spheres of work and social scenes in Lander, and bringing to light this portion of his early life is a remarkable occurrence. Many a person has come to Wyoming purely to visit and is swayed to stay after reveling in the wide vistas, hardworking individuals, and wild beauty of the state. We have so many people to look back on who helped raise the state up, and artifacts such as this can help point to these memories.
Next up for the Fremont County Museum
July 8, 7 pm at the Pioneer Museum, “Eagle Spirit Dancers” FC Pioneer Association
July 10, 6:30 pm at the Dubois Museum, “Geology in the Dubois Area w/ Dr. David Love” Wyoming Community Bank Discovery Speakers Series
July 12, 2 pm at the Dubois Museum, “Dubois Museum 50th Anniversary Celebration”
July 15, 6 pm at the Dubois Museum, “East Fork Geology Trek w/ Dr. David Love” Wind River Visitors Council Adventure Trek Series
July 15, 7 pm at the Pioneer Museum, “Eagle Spirit Dancers” FC Pioneer Association
Daily through December at the Pioneer Museum, “Sweetwater Ranch Life, The Paintings of Jack Corbett” Exhibition Opening
“Dinner and Dancing at the Cowboy Starship” August 22, 6 pm, Wind River Cultural Centers Foundationhttps://dinneranddancingatthecowboystarship.funraise.org/
Rare Relics Road Show: Save the Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026, Lander, WY, Lander Community Center, You Are Invited! Wind River Cultural Centers Foundation
Call the Dubois Museum 1-307-455-2284, the Pioneer Museum 1-307-332-3339 or the Riverton Museum 1-307-856-2665 for details regarding their programs.
The Dubois Museum, the Pioneer Museum in Lander and the Riverton Museum need your financial support. In the current economic environment, the museums are more reliant than ever on donations from the private sector to continue to provide the quality programs, collections management, exhibits and services that have become their hallmark over the last four years. Please make your tax-deductible contribution through the Wind River Cultural Centers Foundation https://windriverccf.funraise.org/ or by sending a check to Fremont County Museums, 450 N 2nd Rm 320, or taking it directly to the museum you choose to support.