Highland County Historical Society 50th anniversary of the Highland House Museum
Lead Summary
By
Pamela Nickell-
This is the 49th article in a series from the Highland County Historical Society featuring members of the Highland County Historical Society Hall of Fame and recognizing the 50th anniversary of the Highland House Museum.
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Caspar Wever Collins
1844-1865
Caspar Wever Collins, son of Catharine and William Oliver Collins, was born in 1844.
The Highland House Museum’s Southeast bedroom is designated the Caspar Collins Room with some furniture from the Collins home and portraits of Lt. Col. and William O. Collins and Lt. Caspar W. Collins painted by Norman Naylor.
As a young child, Caspar developed a talent for art.
At 17, in March 1862, he went with his father to the Dakota Territory to protect citizens and telegraph lines.
He recorded in drawings and correspondence the sites along the way. He also made maps of most of the forts his father commanded. These maps were used officially by the U.S. War Department.
On June 30, 1863, he was commissioned in the Army as a second lieutenant and became part of Company G of the 11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry. Lt. Caspar Collins was killed on July 26, 1865 while escorting a wagon train to the Platte Bridge Station.
The city of Casper, Wyo. and Fort Caspar, Wyo. are named for him. Museums and libraries, such as the Colorado State University Library, hold memorabilia of him.
An annual Caspar Collins Day event is planned each July in Fort Caspar, Wyo.
For information, go to www.fortcasparwyoming.com.
Note: Quoted from the plaque in the Highland County Historical Society Hall of Fame.
* * *
Caspar Wever Collins
1844-1865
Caspar Wever Collins, son of Catharine and William Oliver Collins, was born in 1844.
The Highland House Museum’s Southeast bedroom is designated the Caspar Collins Room with some furniture from the Collins home and portraits of Lt. Col. and William O. Collins and Lt. Caspar W. Collins painted by Norman Naylor.
As a young child, Caspar developed a talent for art.
At 17, in March 1862, he went with his father to the Dakota Territory to protect citizens and telegraph lines.
He recorded in drawings and correspondence the sites along the way. He also made maps of most of the forts his father commanded. These maps were used officially by the U.S. War Department.
On June 30, 1863, he was commissioned in the Army as a second lieutenant and became part of Company G of the 11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry. Lt. Caspar Collins was killed on July 26, 1865 while escorting a wagon train to the Platte Bridge Station.
The city of Casper, Wyo. and Fort Caspar, Wyo. are named for him. Museums and libraries, such as the Colorado State University Library, hold memorabilia of him.
An annual Caspar Collins Day event is planned each July in Fort Caspar, Wyo.
For information, go to www.fortcasparwyoming.com.
Note: Quoted from the plaque in the Highland County Historical Society Hall of Fame.