TUESDAY, May 19, 2026 |
Photo – Professor Henthorn’s camera in A-Block – Courtesy Wyoming Frontier Prison
A Michigan professor visited Rawlins to research the nation’s westward migration and discovered the story of an inmate at the historic prison.
This spring, University of Michigan-Flint History Professor Thomas Henthorn traveled the country studying the settlement of the western United States for the U.S. History course he teaches. Professor Henthorn told Bigfoot99 and Bandit102 that he visited Rawlins to document the railroad’s role in the westward movement. While in Rawlins, he found that the city’s historical archives preserved detailed records of inmates once held at the former Wyoming State Penitentiary, now the Wyoming Frontier Prison.
While browsing the prison’s records at the Carbon County Museum, Professor Henthorn came across the file of a man named Melville Davis. The University of Michigan-Flint historian said Davis was found guilty of killing his sister, Annie Rider, and was sentenced to life in the Wyoming State Penitentiary in 1913. Twenty‑five years later, in 1938, Davis committed suicide.
According to the Wyoming Frontier Prison website, Melville Davis began exhibiting increasingly erratic behavior days before Annie Rider was killed. After attempting to kiss his 13-year-old niece, Annie confronted her brother, who tried to shoot her. However, when the gun misfired, Davis struck Annie with an axe, nearly decapitating her.
Despite being described as “peculiar” throughout his life, Davis was found competent to stand trial and was convicted of second‑degree murder. On September 28th, 1938, Davis jumped from the top tier of cells to the cement floor below, suffering a fatal head injury.
Professor Henthorn said Davis’s case illustrates how people with mental illness have historically been treated.
After learning about the Davis case, Professor Henthorn contacted Wyoming Frontier Prison Historic Site Director Tina Hill for additional information. He said Hill allowed him to film portions of a historical documentary he is producing inside the Old Pen.
Professor Henthorn said his research on America’s westward expansion, including the material about Melville Davis, will be used in future U.S. History courses at the University of Michigan-Flint. The footage he collected will be edited into a YouTube video and posted to his channel, Amazing Graves, later this summer. Professor Henthorn said his channel focuses on historic graveyards and praised the Rawlins Cemetery.
Melville Davis is buried in an unmarked grave in the Rawlins Cemetery. His sister, Annie, and her husband, Frank Rider, are also interred there.
Professor Henthorn thanked the staff at the Rawlins City Hall, Carbon County Museum, and the Wyoming Frontier Prison for assisting him with his research.
A link to Professor Henthorn’s YouTube channel, Amazing Graves, can be found on Bigfoot99.com.
Amazing Graves YouTube channel: Amazing Graves – YouTube
