Caldwell's Chisholm Trail Festival Fundraiser Uncovers New Mysteries in Henry Brown Case

CALDWELL, Kan. — The Caldwell Chisholm Trail Festival held a fundraiser recently, featuring an Opera House performance and a Cold Case Graveyard tour that shed new light on one of the city's most notorious historical figures.

The Opera House show, "Shot Thru The Heart - Henry Gives Love a Bad Name," told the true story of Henry Brown, a former Caldwell marshal whose life was marked by crime and violence. The story was told from the perspective of his young widow and was performed on Valentine's Day.

The show was written by Kathy Risley.

The Cold Case Graveyard tour revealed new unsolved mysteries surrounding Brown. An excavation during the tour revealed an empty grave. When Brown's young widow traveled to Medicine Lodge to retrieve his body for reburial "just outside the line" of the cemetery, his remains were placed inside the cemetery lines, which have since shifted. Brown's exact burial location remains unknown.

Levi Thrailkill holds the key to the mystery, according to organizers. His name can be found on the Last Chance building in downtown Caldwell.

Proceeds from the event will support the May 1-2 Chisholm Trail Fest, which celebrates the area's Wild West and Chisholm Trail history. The Caldwell Historical Society provided use of the Opera House and its vintage costume collection for the fundraiser.