Category Archives: Wyoming

Putting the Women Back into Women’s Suffrage

In 1869, Wyoming passed its groundbreaking woman suffrage law. Wyoming’s women were voting and holding public office decades before the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified in 1920. Indeed, the successful implementation of woman suffrage in Wyoming and other western states was critical … Continue reading →

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Once A Cowboy, Always A Cowboy: The History of Homecoming at the University of Wyoming

Today, homecoming celebrations are often associated with fall and football, but it may not always have been true. The tradition of homecoming is generally a celebration of welcoming former students and members of high schools, colleges, or churches within the United … Continue reading →

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From Fandom to Fanfiction to Nonfiction: Researching the Wyoming Territorial Penitentiary

In 2008, when I rediscovered Alias Smith and Jones (ASJ), a 1970s TV show I watched as a kid, I had no idea that several years later I’d be writing a book about the Wyoming Territorial Penitentiary.  Revisiting ASJ on … Continue reading →

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Back to the Future in Wyoming: Addressing 1980s Energy Boom Impacts in Evanston

“I’ve got to see it to believe it” was Evanston mayor Dennis Ottley’s first reaction when he heard about the Overthrust Industrial Association (OIA). A 1983 issue of the Christian Science Monitor, reported that Ottley was incredulous that an industry-backed … Continue reading →

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Foremost Fungi Authority: W.G. Solheim

Wilhelm G. Solheim was born in Stoughton, Wisconsin, in 1898. He earned his M.A. degree in 1926, followed by his Doctorate in 1928, from the University of Illinois. He came to UW that next year and worked as professor emeritus … Continue reading →

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Tales and Traditions: Folklife in Wyoming

Folklife is a complex, important and large component of culture. It encompasses the art, traditions and knowledge that passes down among a group of people and can be seen through dance, music, artwork, storytelling, ceremonies and belief sharing. While sometimes … Continue reading →

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Traveling With the Ninth Cavalry

The 9th United States Cavalry was formed during the Civil War as a segregated unit with African American troopers and white officers. The regiment was stationed in the West in 1867 and served in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, … Continue reading →

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Wyoming Statesman Gale McGee Encounters a Bolivian Coup D’état

Between 1978 and 1980, the country of Bolivia was constantly in a state of crisis. There was a series of military governments that ruled briefly, each overthrown by the next. Rodger McDaniel’s 2018 book, The Man in the Arena: The … Continue reading →

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Wyoming Legislator Liz Byrd’s Quest to Honor Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 21 is Wyoming Equality Day. Perhaps you wondered this morning as you sipped your coffee about how Wyoming Equality Day originated? Cheyenne native and Wyoming state legislator Harriett Elizabeth “Liz” Byrd was the guiding individual behind it, although a … Continue reading →

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Remembering Estelle Reel: Wyoming’s Educational Pioneer

In recognition of Estelle Reel, the first woman elected and to hold the office of state superintendent of public instruction in Wyoming and the second woman elected and to hold a statewide office in the United States, January 7 of … Continue reading →

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