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The Church of St. Hubert the Hunter and Library

 
 

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Also known as the Bondurant Protestant Episcopal Church, this property consists of the church, library, two outhouses, and picnic shelter. It lies within the small ranching community of Bondurant which is located in Hoback Basin southeast of Jackson. The church is a one story log structure built in 1940 and 1941. The library was completed in 1943. Local ranchers built the structures using native lodgepole pine that is abundant in the nearby mountains. The church not only serves as a religious facility but also functions as a community center and the associated library functioned as a library and school.

The founding of the church is the result of travelers being stranded in the area by a blizzard. During the winter of 1937 Wyoming's Episcopalian Bishop, Winford H. Ziegler, passed through the Hoback Basin on his way to Jackson. A blizzard forced him to stop near Bondurant and seek refuge at nearby ranches. Months later, while in Philadelphia, Bishop Ziegler had a conversation with Bishop Perry, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, regarding a diamond donated by Mrs. John Markoe. According to the story, Mrs. Markoe stipulated that the diamond was to be sold for cash to finance a memorial church. Some versions of the story suggest the deal was to build a church in the most remote place in the U.S. Upon hearing this story, Bishop Ziegler recalled the hospitality afforded him by the residents of Bondurant. He suggested that the gem be sold to build a church at Bondurant. The Presiding Bishop agreed and sold the diamond for $1,400. Bishop Ziegler returned to Bondurant in the early spring of 1939 to solicit volunteers to erect the new church. The church and library not only provided religious, health and educational needs, they provided a strong social bond for the numerous widespread ranches that comprise the Bondurant community. The construction, utilization, and operation of the Church of St. Hubert the Hunter and Library epitomize the community spirit shown by the residents of Bondurant.

 
Church-of-St-Hubert
 

 

Date Added to Register:
Thursday, January 24, 2002
 
Location:
Bondurant
 
County:
Sublette County
 
Smithsonian Number: 
48SU2673