In 1872, John “Grasshopper Jim” Frederick left Bismarck, Dakota Territory, and traveled down to the Black Hills. At least according to Frederick. As with many early characters of the Black Hills, it may be that Frederick exaggerated a bit when it came to his life. Well, more like outright lied.
Ben Ash, who helped blaze the trail from Bismarck to the Black Hills, before it was officially opened, remembered Frederick back in Bismarck, as late as 1874. He was a spittoon cleaner at the time. But such a lowly station didn’t make for a great story, and if anything, Grasshopper Jim knew how to tell a great story.
Arrival
The year was 1874, and the Custer expedition had recently discovered, or rediscovered gold in the Black Hills. While gold had been found earlier, it was with Custer that the news really broke. Yet, there was a problem; the Black Hills were officially closed off to Euro-Americans.
In late 1876 that changed. The Black Hills would be opened, and with that, an influx of gold seekers, and the merchants who sought to make a fortune off those seekers, poured into the hills.
There were those who had entered the hills illegally prior to 1876, but afterwards, the flood gates exploded. It was in this environment that Grasshopper Jim made his own claim near Bear Butte, close to where the Bismarck Trail would eventually pass by.
As many who came to the Black Hills, Grasshopper Jim quickly took to gambling, and would make a profession of it. Wearing a white hat, and riding a big white horse, Jim was a man who stood out, and shortly after arriving, he would find another way to stand out.
Gamblers were a dime a dozen, most being forgotten in the annals of history. What isn’t quite so easily forgotten though are the individuals who made a stand for something. In 1877, Jim would do just that, time and time again.
With lawmen being in short supply, Grasshopper Jim would often be called into service. In October of that year, Jim would join with Deputy Sheriff Donahue, and a few others, to capture the notorious highway man Wall.
While Wall would initially evade capture, he would foolishly try to return to the town of Crook City, where he was spotted. Following a fire fight, Wall was wounded and eventually captured.
Around the same time, still a frequent guest in Crook City, Grasshopper Jim would continue to build his own legend. 18 miles outside of Crook City, a band of Indians had attacked and killed three people, the Wagner family. Old Lame Deer, who had been causing trouble in the area for weeks, was suspected of having led the attack.
A stagecoach, which had seen the carnage, rushed into Crook City, and reported what they had seen. For Grasshopper Jim, it was clear what had to be done. The bodies of those who had been murdered needed to be gathered and be given proper burials.
Knowing that wolves and other animals would quickly destroy the bodies, Grasshopper Jim tried to organize a party to gather those who had fallen. Unable to find anyone who would take such a risk, Jim rode out alone.
Many in the city watched as he left, believing that he would not return. But as dusk began to set in, Grasshopper Jim’s bright white hat came into view. He had gathered the mutilated bodies, and brought them in for a proper burial. And with that, he had set himself apart. For now on, many would give him a wide berth.
Who Was He
So who was this legendary figure? Grasshopper Jim was born as John Frederick in Elk River, Iowa in 1854. John was named after his father, a German immigrant. Little is known about his early life.
John grew up in Iowa. For a short time, he served with the 7th US Cavalry, as a Teamster and possibly a scout. This was an aspect of his life he never spoke about, but most likely is how he found his way to Bismarck.
In Bismarck, John waited for some sort of opportunity to manifest. In the meantime, he worked lowly jobs, such as being a spittoon cleaner. But there was talk in Bismarck, and it would soon become clear that something big was going to occur in the Black Hills, which was the opportunity that John had been waiting for.
With a new start, John began formulating a new story about himself. While some of it would be true, such as the story about the Wagner family, others would be less than true. In this latter category is how he supposedly got the nickname Grasshopper Jim.
According to John, he was given the name in 1877 after having survived an ambush by a group of Indians. Lying hidden in a cave for days, he supposedly survived by eating grasshoppers, thus the name.
John was happy to spread the tale, even though in his own writings, he recalled the events very differently. In his own documents, John instead claimed that he had remained in his fort while he and his partner, Pat Murray, rescued two wagon trains, and 19 men, from an ambush.
The truth of the matter was that John was already known as Grasshopper Jim before settling in the Black Hills. Adding extra confusion to the mix, John would even at times claim that he had the name before he left Clinton, Iowa in 1873; a claim that is unlikely as it clashes with his own claim that he was in the Black Hills by 1872. It was a name that followed him, and a name that he wanted to give a new meaning to, something that fit his new persona.
After his death, John’s wife, Clara Frederick, attempted to clear the record, making the claim that he had received the name while he was a scout under General George Custer. Examining other cases of the Grasshopper name, it was most likely derogatory, or mocking, based on how he walked, or possibly the shape of his head.
Behind the Myth
Settling into the Black Hills, John quickly mixed myth with reality. Wanting to disperse with his old life, John either erased the portions he didn’t like, or changed the origins of those things that couldn’t be hidden.
As with many old west figures, part of his legend would be rightfully earned. John was a big man who gained a reputation of being a sure shot, and tough as nails. Wanting to be seen as one of the good guys, he made sure to dress as such. But underlying all of that was something a bit sinister.
While there would be glimmers of greatness, there were even more signs of ugliness through the 1870s and 1880s. When Camp Sturgis was erected near his homestead, John was quick to set up Scoop Town, all for the goal of relieving soldiers of their money.
When more legitimate means of robbing weren’t enough, John would straight out steal what he wanted. Through the 1870s, he would be arrested numerous times, for stealing everything from pocket watches to horses.
In 1881, after becoming displeased with plans by the City of Sturgis, John placed a barricade on the Deadwood and Bismarck road near his home. Between run ins between Fort Meade, and Sturgis, John would be quite busy.
More rumors would also spread about John. He was known to be an angry man who had a violent streak. One story that largely has been lost to history concerns an incident with a woman in Crook City. While the details have been lost, what is clear is that his violence got out of hand.
John’s saving grace would be the eventual “civilization” of the west. As the old west and frontier lifestyle disappeared, many of the old tales also began to vanish. Reality would give way to myth, and as with many of these characters, they were able to rewrite their own legends.
A New Life
With the wild west dying out, John began creating a new life, and with that, a new persona, for himself. The major change appears to have been his marriage in 1896 to Clara, who was considerably younger than John, being 15 years his junior
Together they would create a farm, where he would also raise frogs, fish, and fowl that were sold in town. His produce would be known throughout the northern Black Hills, and he quickly made a new name for himself.
But that all nearly came to an end in 1906, after John was charged with stealing wood from Fort Meade. He was accused of taking $220 worth of wood from the Fort Meade military reservation, which amounts to around $6,641 today.
His argument was that before, Fort Meade was happy to get rid of what they considered trash, and John was even happier to take care of it. Pleading not guilty, he had little problem with clearing his name. And back to Sturgis he went.
For the next few years, John and Clara were content. Having created nine ponds on their land, they were able to raise a number of different types of fish, as well as frogs, and made a great living off of such.
In 1910, their family would become a bit larger, as Clara and John adopted a son. Living near the Fredericks, a young family, Eugene Secrest and his wife, had had a son in 1908; Freddie Eugene Secrest.
The Secrests were a poor family, and in 1909, Mrs. Secrest died. Eugene, unable to raise his child alone, sought help from his wife’s brother, Howard Baker, and his wife, Marie. They lived in the area, but had a baby girl of their own.
Eugene and Howard would eventually work for John, bailing and hauling hay. During this time, Eugene and the Bakers lived in s small cabin on John’s property, and they would often all visit one another at the Frederick’s home.
During the days, Clara would be able to play with Fred, and eventually voiced her desire to raise Fred as her own, as she had grown quite attached to the boy. After much insistence, and promises of what Clara and John could do for the child, Eugene agreed to allow them to adopt his son.
For nearly a decade after that, John and Clara simply lived their lives with their new son. John was fading into obscurity, and his violent history was largely forgotten.
Reimagining the Old West
With authors like Courtney Ryley Cooper, and newspapers looking for the sensational, the late 1910s saw a massive interest in the Old West. Figures were plucked out of the past and were reimagined. Myths would be created, and reality lost.
John took this opportunity by the horns, and once again rebranded himself. He latched onto the Grasshopper Jim persona, and milked it for all that it was worth.
Capitalizing on his new found fame, he sold himself as an expert on the Old West, and of the early days of the Black Hills. He would attempt to almost be the gate keeper of history, as he alone knew much of the valuable data that had been lost.
Soon, his stories would grow, as did his claims. Making the claim that he owned all of Bear Butte, he proposed that a monument be dedicated there of Sitting Bull, who according to John, was once his intimate friend. No monument would come of his proposal, but it was becoming clear that the greatness that John would claim had no bounds.
He would go on to make claims of royal lineage, that he had the papers proving that he was of noble European birth. Such claims would never be proved, and no papers ever materialized. But it never stopped John from telling his tale.
Nearing the end of his life, John would also put together a “Historical Museum,” which supposedly included relics from Custer’s Wars, all the way to Stone Age pieces. Visitors were promised with the rare and unique.
Eventually, John would even go on to assist the Meade County Historical association with gathering data about the early days of the Black Hills. But his work would be stopped short.
Unraveling
Often thought of as odd minded, the truth about John would eventually be found out. In April of 1930, upset that a newly married couple crossed a corner of his property, he opened fire with his shotgun. They were his new neighbors.
Mr. and Mrs. Claude Bezotell would receive a total of 17 pellets lodged into their backs and legs. While the injuries were not serious, it was clear that John was not of the right mind. He would be tried by the Meade county insanity board and committed to the state hospital in Yankton.
Many in Sturgis had longed believed that John was mentally “unbalanced,” but as he had not been violent, most just ignored it. But there was no ignoring the blasts of his shotgun.
John would live out the last three years of his life in Yankton. In the last years of his life, many of his claims began to come under scrutiny, and his recollections were seen as untrustworthy based on his mental state.
It also became clear, when comparing his accounts, that few things really stood up to scrutiny. Not only did John’s stories change from one account to the other, but the timeline he created was simply impossible. Like most of his ilk, being a cheerful liar was just part of the job description.
On January 20, 1933, John would pass away at the age of 78. He was seen as the last of the famous characters from the pioneer days of the Black Hills, and thus much of his sinister streak was simply forgotten. He was a hero of the Old West.
But not all remembered him as such. After Clara passed away in 1948, the estate of the Fredericks would face a number of legal challenges that wound their way through the court system, until it landed in the state Supreme Court.
While Clara and John would claim that they would shower their adopted son, Fred, with all that they could, and eventually leave their estate to him, their will would show something else. Fred was instead disinherited.
The crux of the matter was based on an oral contract. Standing up for Fred was Howard and Marie Baker, Fred’s aunt and uncle. According to the Bakers, Clara was insistent on adopting Fred, and made the promise that if John and her could, Fred would be their one and only heir. That he would receive everything after they passed away.
Clara would pressure Eugene Secrest on a continual basis, while also speaking with the Bakers with the hope they could persuade Eugene to give up his child. Months would pass as the negotiations were had, but Clara wanted Fred to be her son. And to make it so, she promised the world.
In 1949, the Supreme Court would rule that the contract was binding, and that Fred was the deserving heir of the Frederick’s estate which was worth $10,000, or around $114,000 today. And with that ruling, the tale of Grasshopper Jim was finished.