Category Archives: Wyoming

A Madam’s Scrapbook: Remnants of Laramie’s Red-Light District

On the corner of the town stands a crazy, tumble-down rookery, full from cellar to shingles of liquors, gambling devices and everything that can be used to corrupt and rob men. Ruffians and tin-horn gamblers make night and day hideous … Continue reading →

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Wyoming’s Chinese Dragon

For more than twenty years, the communities in Rock Springs’ and Evanston’s Chinatowns shared and displayed a large, colorful dragon during their Lunar (Chinese) New Year Parade. The soon-to-be famous dragon first made front page news in 1895, when it … Continue reading →

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Towards a Definition of Backcountry Skiing

Recently while researching at the American Heritage Center, I discovered the papers of a living legend who, nearly fifty years ago, attempted to describe one of the more significant modern developments in outdoor recreation. I am referring to William Morse … Continue reading →

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A Room for the Year: The University of Wyoming’s Early Attempts to Provide Student Housing

When the University of Wyoming opened its doors to students on September 6, 1887, university officials had to consider housing for the students arriving from outside Laramie. Due to low enrollment and the fact that most students were from Laramie, … Continue reading →

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A Cowboy State Tour of “A Sissy in Wyoming”

Larry Goodwin was a man’s man in almost every respect – Vietnam War veteran, former rodeo cowboy, power plant operator, and aircraft mechanic. And he had the build of a linebacker. But one characteristic separated Goodwin from most other men … Continue reading →

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Serving UW for 70 years: A Brief History of Wyoming Hall

After World War II, the University of Wyoming experienced tremendous growth across campus. Construction projects were a response to the rapid increase in student numbers, which was heavily influenced by the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, or the G.I. Bill … Continue reading →

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The “Peculiar Vibrations” of the Sweetwater County Seat

Were some of Sweetwater County’s earliest records stolen from the new county seat and lost in the desert way back in the 1870s? This is a popular story around Green River, the current Sweetwater County seat. It turns out, there … Continue reading →

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‘Plopped Down in the Middle of That’: Indian Boarding School Life Documented in the Warm Valley Historical Project

The Warm Valley Historical Project, funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, was conducted from 1990 to 1991 in coordination with the Shoshone Episcopal Mission to interview residents about Wind River Reservation life during the early … Continue reading →

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The Buffalo Bill Dam – Discover the Story of Wyoming’s Tallest Dam

The Buffalo Bill Dam was designed by engineer Daniel Webster Cole and built between 1905 and 1910. It was one of the first projects undertaken by the U.S. Reclamation Service (later known as the Bureau of Reclamation). The dam sits … Continue reading →

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Roped In: Sara Hagel and Horsehair Rope Making

What is simple work? In a fast-paced society, we often overlook jobs which require a lot of time, skill, and mistake making to master. Many jobs today are considered “simple,” “easy,” or “low-skill” despite requiring specific skills and a great … Continue reading →

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