Jack Watkins: The Forgotten Gunfighter Who Terrorized Wyoming

Jack Watkins emerged from the violent railroad towns of early Wyoming with a reputation as one of the fastest and most dangerous gunmen on the frontier. Known as “The Laramie Terror,” Watkins was remembered as a hunter, rancher, suspected horse thief and outlaw whose name became connected to the Bear River City Riot, notorious gunmen, stagecoach robbers and some of the most dangerous outlaw gangs in the West.In 1875, an attempt to arrest Watkins inside the Albany County courthouse erupted into gunfire. Two officers were wounded, Watkins escaped on horseback, and a posse raced after him across the Wyoming countryside. One long-distance shot reportedly knocked him from the saddle—but Watkins climbed back onto his horse and kept riding.Authorities never captured him again.In this episode of Wild West Deep Dives, we follow the limited but legendary record of Jack Watkins, from the Union Pacific railroad camps and his confrontations with lawman Nathaniel Boswell to his disappearance from history. Was he killed along the Deadwood stage road, imprisoned under another name, or did the feared Laramie Terror eventually settle down as a rancher in Mexico?Join the Wild West Deep Dives family for just $1 a month and gain access to exclusive bonus content, including the story of the first stagecoach robbery in United States history.Thank you all for the continued support. Please like, subscribe and leave a five-star rating and review wherever you listen to the podcast.#JackWatkins #TheLaramieTerror #WildWestDeepDives #WildWestHistory #AmericanWest #OldWest #WesternHistory #WyomingHistory #LaramieWyoming #FrontierHistory #OutlawHistory #Gunfighters #ForgottenHistory #HistoricalPodcast #HistoryPodcast #HistoryYouTube #TrueWest #UnionPacific #BearRiverCity #OldWestOutlaws