Laurin's Store

The settlement of Laurin stands near the Ruby River, off State Highway 287, before you get to Alder Gulch. This photo is of the store owned by John Batiste Laurin, who founded the community in 1863.

Te trial of George Ives in December 1863 revealed enough evidence of a concealed criminal conspiracy that two vigilance committees were formed, one in Nevada City and one in Virginia City. The Nevada City vigilantes wrote out an oath, which 25 men signed. George Ives stood on the gallows and said that another man had murdered Nicholas Tbalt. Regarding this as a deathbed confession, men took it very seriously, so despite the deep snow and frigid weather, they set off for Deer Lodge, 200 miles north, to find the man.

They did not succeed. A man named Erasmus "Red" Yeager twice misled them and caused them to miss their quarry. He brought with him a warning letter, written by a George Brown, which he left with a rancher who gave it to the Vigilantes.

Having the first written evidence of the conspiracy, the Vigilantes rode back to the Bannack/Alder Gulch region and eventually trapped Yeager and Brown.

They took both men to this store, where they questioned them. According to early sources, they found enough evidence to convict both. Yeager apparently gave up the names and roles of members of the conspiracy, and told the Vigilantes that the leader was Sheriff Henry Plumm, of Bannack. After prolonged discussion and a vote, they hanged the two from the cottonwoods behind the store. The hangings of Red Yeager and George Brown were the second and third hangings out of what became a chain of 22 members of the conspiracy to be hanged.