Hill Cabin is named after William (Billy) F. Hill who owned two ranches near the upper Green River, one at Black Butte and one below Green River Lake. Billy raised cattle and hay. Like most ranchers then and now, his annual profit margin lay at the mercy of the weather, predators, disease and, often, just plain bad luck. Bill always did his haying alone which took him far longer than his neighbors, but he figured it was cheaper that way.

An avid hunter, Billy frequently hunted for elk with an old buffalo gun which required bullets made by hand. He often told a story that involved "an awkward situation" with a bear. He said he'd trailed the bear for some time before shooting and wounding it. Instead of failing, the bear turned on Billy. Animal and man stared each other down until Billy came to the sickening realization that an empty shell was stuck in his gun. Sweating, he dug at the casing with his pocketknife. The bear's gaze swung from Billy to a nearby tree and back again.