Walter Earl Durand (1913–1939) was an American from Wyoming who became known as an outlaw after he escaped from jail. He killed a total of four officers in the course of resisting capture, two at his house, and two who tried to apprehend him during an 11-day manhunt in the Beartooth Mountains (near the mouth of Clarks Fork Canyon) of Wyoming.

Early life and education

Walter Earl Durand was born in 1913 to parents who were farmers in Powell, Wyoming, where he grew up.[1] He learned all about farming and hunting.

Mountain man

Durand was a mountain man who lived off the land in the mountains of Wyoming during the years following the Great Depression.[2] He was arrested for poaching elk, as he did not believe in the new hunting license system and refused to get a license.[2]

While in jail in Cody, Wyoming, Durand escaped by taking a Deputy sheriff/Jailer's gun and forcing the officer to drive him into the countryside[3] before he returned to his home. Durand shot and killed two police officers[4] who came to his house to take him back to jail; then he armed himself and headed into the wilderness of the Beartooth Mountains.[1][5]

The prosecutor initially deputized 10 men to form a posse to find and bring Durand in for trial.[1] Durand shot and killed two of the possemen who were searching for him.[1] The manhunt grew to include the FBI, sharp shooters, the Wyoming National Guard with artillery from Fort Warren, civilians, and an airplane fitted with tear gas and dynamite bombs.[1]

During the manhunt, Durand eluded the pursuers for several days. He car-jacked a vehicle and drove it to Powell, where he attempted to rob a bank.[1] He spent several minutes shooting at the windows and walls of the bank.[6] Durand took several hostages, one of whom was killed by a citizen trying to shoot and take down Durand as they left the bank.[1] After being shot by Tip Cox, [7] Durand crawled back into the bank; there he killed himself with a shot to the neck.[6]

Representation in other media

The 11-day manhunt was widely covered by the national press,[6] with Durand being nicknamed "Tarzan of the Tetons".[1] Inspired by the manhunt, the film Wyoming Outlaw was rapidly produced: the B movie starring John Wayne appeared in theaters 3 months after Durand's death.[3] Durand was later portrayed by Peter Haskell in a Hollywood biopic, The Legend of Earl Durand (1974). Singer/songwriter Charlie Brown's "The Ballad of Earl Durand", from his 1967 album Teton Tea Party,[8] was included on The Best of Broadside 1962-1988.[9]

Further reading

  • Metz, Jerred (2005). The Last Eleven Days of Earl Durand. High Plains Press. ISBN 9780931271724. A collection of interviews with participants and witnesses.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Blewer, Mac (2013-04-15). Wyoming's Outlaw Trail. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 101–. ISBN 9781439642061. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  2. 1 2 Pellegrini, Georgia (2011). Girl Hunter: Revolutionizing the Way We Eat, One Hunt at a Time. Da Capo Lifelong. pp. 78–. ISBN 9780738214665. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  3. 1 2 Simmon, Scott (2003-06-30). The Invention of the Western Film: A Cultural History of the Genre's First Half Century. Cambridge University Press. pp. 166–. ISBN 9780521555814. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  4. ↑ ODMP memorials Baker and Lewis
  5. ↑ Johnston, Jeremy M. (2009-07-08). Powell. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 81–. ISBN 9781439638088. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 Ron, Franscell (September 2011). The Crime Buff's Guide to the Outlaw Rocky Mountains. Globe Pequot. pp. 203–. ISBN 9780762768424. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  7. ↑ Metz, Jared (2005). The Last Eleven Days of Earl Durand. High Plains Pr. ISBN 978-0931271731.
  8. ↑ "Teton Tea Party with Charlie Brown". Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, Catalog. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  9. ↑ "The Best of Broadside 1962-1988: Anthems of the American Underground from the Pages of Broadside Magazine". Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, Catalog. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
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