How ‘Liver-Eating’ Johnson Was Buried in Wyoming Decades After His Death
John “Liver-Eating” Johnson, the legendary frontiersman known for his relentless pursuit of vengeance against Native Americans who had killed his family, found an unusual resting place decades after his death.
Life of Vengeance
Johnson was born in 1824 in Kentucky and moved west in the 1840s. In 1847, his wife and eldest daughter were killed in a Crow raid. Johnson vowed revenge and embarked on a bloody campaign against the Native Americans, often mutilating their bodies by removing parts of their livers.
Death and Obscurity
After years of conflict, Johnson retired to Montana in the 1870s. He died in 1900 at the age of 76 and was buried near Ophir, a small mining town in Wyoming. However, Johnson’s grave remained unmarked and forgotten for decades.
Rediscovery and Exhumation
In the 1980s, historian John Byrne began researching Johnson’s life and discovered the unmarked grave in Ophir. Byrne worked with Johnson’s descendants and the Wyoming State Archives to verify the identity of the remains. In 1991, Johnson’s remains were exhumed for scientific examination. Scientists determined that he had suffered from arthritis, gum disease, and other ailments common among frontiersmen of his era. They also noticed that his liver was missing, likely removed by his enemies as a trophy.
Burial with Honors
After the scientific examination, it was decided that Johnson should be reburied with the honors military veterans deserve. On July 31, 1991, a ceremony was held at the Wyoming State Veterans Cemetery in Cheyenne. Johnson’s casket was carried by honorary pallbearers dressed in period military uniforms. A 21-gun salute was fired, and a chaplain led a prayer. Johnson was finally laid to rest, decades after his tumultuous life had ended.
Legacy and Remembrance
The burial of ‘Liver-Eating’ Johnson in Wyoming marked a reconciliation between a controversial figure and the state he had called home. It also served as a reminder of the brutal history of the American West and the sacrifices made by those who lived during that time. Johnson’s grave in the Wyoming State Veterans Cemetery remains a popular destination for visitors interested in Western history. His tombstone bears the inscription, “A Mountain Man and a Legend of the Old West.”
Mountain Man ‘Liver-Eating’ Johnson Finally Laid to Rest in Wyoming
Decades after his controversial death, the legendary mountain man Liver-Eating Johnson has been buried in Wyoming, the state where he spent much of his life. Johnson, born in 1786, became infamous for his alleged cannibalism of Crow Indians after his wife was killed in an attack by a rival tribe. He lived a solitary life in the Rocky Mountains, earning the nickname “Liver-Eating” for his purported practice of eating the livers of his enemies. The location of Johnson’s grave has long been a mystery. After his death in 1834, his body was buried by fellow trappers in a secret location to protect it from desecration. In recent years, researchers and enthusiasts searched for Johnson’s grave, believing it to be in the Bridger Mountains of southwestern Wyoming. After extensive research, they narrowed down the search to a remote valley. With the help of ground-penetrating radar, archaeologists and volunteers uncovered the remains of Johnson and his two companions. The remains were positively identified through historical records and dental analysis. On Saturday, a private burial ceremony was held in the same valley where the remains were discovered. Johnson was laid to rest alongside his two companions, with a simple headstone marking their graves. The reburial of Liver-Eating Johnson brought closure to a decades-old mystery and paid homage to a controversial figure who played a significant role in the history of the American West.
