Henry Mayor

This is the Henry Mayor Homestead at Four Mile in 1939. Henry and his wife Marie were Swiss and came to this area in 1922.
Arid homesteads such as this one often made use of a special type of windmill. It was created by mechanic Daniel Halladay in 1854. The blades were adjusted to harness the winds of the Great Plains without being torn apart and a vertical fin was added to keep it headed into the wind. The motion of the blades powered a crankshaft, which was used to pump water. Such windmills still dot the plains, although many have been replaced with solar generators for more reliable power.

In 1922 after serving in World War I, Louis Mayor convinced his family to homestead in Wyoming. They did, settling along Four Mile Creek north of Kaycee. The family came from Switzerland originally, but Louis was born in Missouri. Things went well for a few years, while rain was abundant. Life for the Mayor family homestead soon became more difficult, including the death of young son Raney from illness, and the passing of Marie just two years later. There are many such homesteaders that have come and gone from the Four Mile area.

Photo left to right: Henry Mayor, Marie Mayor, baby Elise, Louis Mayor (oldest son of Henry), and Charles Carrel (father of Marie). Elise Mayor McKenna was a school teacher, a leader in the community, and was very well respected

---