Harry Harriman (H.H.) “Jim” Price
Harry Harriman (H.H.) Price, known throughout his life as “Jim” was born in Tie Siding, Wyoming, September 20, 1883. At the age of 10, Jim moved with his family to Casper to live on the family ranch where he attended Casper Schools. After graduation from Casper High School in 1904, Jim attended the University of Wyoming in Laramie. He played on the University football team for two years and was also captain of the basketball team for three years. To get to the University, Jim would ride his horse to Laramie each fall, a distance of 153 miles. To help pay for his education, Jim worked in the museum and helped assemble and dust dinosaur bones.
Jim graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1910 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering. “There’s always honesty, manhood and good fellowship in thee” is stared under his name in the University of Wyoming yearbook.
On August 7, 1910, Jim married Margaret McGraugh at the McGraugh ranch in Freeland, Wyoming. It was a 5:00 AM wedding immediately followed by a wedding breakfast prepared by the bride’s mother. Jim and Margaret made their first home at the Mina Grove Ranch on Wolf Creek just west of Casper. They had seven children. Later they moved to Douglas, Wyoming, where Jim worked in the Land Office keeping survey records, assessing land values and doing general office work. Approximately two years later, they moved to Casper where Jim was City Clerk for eight years.
In about 1931, Jim’s political appointment as City Clerk ended and he and Margaret moved back to the Mina Grove Ranch. Jim was famous for his talent of breaking horses. It is said that he would gather wild horses from Casper Mountain and turn them into great cow horses. Jim was also a good shot and spent many hours hunting. In the 1930’s, Jim worked with the highway department as a cook.
In addition to the ranch and farm ground on Wolf Creek Jim and Margaret had a dairy, selling milk from door to door. One night the milk house caught fire and they lost all their winter canned goods that were stored there. Jim later replaced the milk house with a cement building.
His health began to decline in the mid 1930’s and he was unable to do some of the work he had done in the past. He became Water Commissioner and held that job for many years.
Jim was a fun-loving man who enjoyed playing practical jokes on his family and friends. He also enjoyed writing poetry and wrote poems for each of his children and grandchildren. Jim belonged to the Casper Lodge and the Natrona County Pioneers Association.
Jim’s health continued to decline and in 1963, he sold the Mina Grove Ranch to W.R. Asbell. Jim then moved to Casper where he lived with his daughter, Ilene. Jim died in Casper on October 10, 1964 after a long illness.