A threatening note, a mother and daughter’s departure from the Bighorn Basin, and a mystery that took two decades to unravel are the focus of an upcoming presentation at the Washakie Museum.
Local researcher Terril Mills will present “Where’s Maggie?” on Thursday, October 29, from 6 to 7 p.m., sharing his investigation into what happened to Maggie Gorman and her daughter, Rose.
After her husband’s death, Maggie received a note warning her to leave. Its message was blunt: leave by August 20 or risk joining him in death. The writers signed themselves “The Committee of the ones to deal out justice in short order.”
Maggie and Rose subsequently left the Bighorn Basin. Their departure became a story of disappearance, with the belief that they were never heard from again.
According to the presentation’s description, that account was incomplete. Mills eventually found what happened to them and uncovered how they had managed to remain hidden for so long.
A Question That Became a Two-Decade Search
Mills grew up on his family’s ranch north of Ten Sleep, where he still lives. He earned an associate degree in general education from Ricks College in Rexburg and an agribusiness degree from Brigham Young University.
After returning to Ten Sleep, he attended a local history presentation by John Davis about Tom and Maggie Gorman, including Tom’s death at the hands of his brother, James.
The story left Mills wondering what became of Maggie. That question launched 20 years of research, and the October 29 presentation will share the results of his search.
For those interested in Bighorn Basin history, the program offers a chance to follow a local researcher’s effort to trace a family beyond the point where the familiar story ends.
Event details:
- Presentation: “Where’s Maggie?” by Terril Mills
- Date: Thursday, October 29, 2026
- Time: 6–7 p.m.
- Location: Washakie Museum, Worland
- Admission: $8 for members; $10 for nonmembers
Visit the Washakie Museum website for registration information.
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