Tag Archives: Wyoming history

Heart Mountain through Pencil and Paper

It was 1942; Japan had just bombed Pearl Harbor, and the American people were worried about Japanese spies on American soil. Amid the tension of WWII following the bombing, the U.S. government believed that the best course of action to … Continue reading

Posted in American history, Asian American history, Heart Mountain, Heart Mountain Relocation Center, Japanese internment, Uncategorized, Under-documented communities, World War II, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Joseph S. Palen: Cheyenne Frontier Days Chronicler

If you’re interested in the history of Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD), a great place to start is the J. S. Palen papers at the American Heritage Center. Born in 1912 in Salina, Kansas, Palen became fascinated with cowboy culture at … Continue reading

Posted in Agricultural history, Current events, popular culture, Ranch history, Rodeo history, Uncategorized, Western history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Reluctant Taxer Stan Hathaway

In February 1969, Wyoming Governor Stan Hathaway took pen in hand to enact a 1% severance tax rate on all mineral production. Wyoming had levied no severance taxes on minerals from the time of statehood in 1890 until that time. Legislative rumblings for … Continue reading

Posted in Economic History, energy resources, Political history, Uncategorized, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

U.S. Senator Gale McGee Buttonholed by Mom and Dad

The presidential inauguration last week brings to mind a couple of fun stories told by former U.S. Senator Gale McGee of Wyoming. In 1982, an oral history was conducted with McGee for placement in the John F. Kennedy Library. McGee … Continue reading

Posted in Political history, Politics, Post World War II, Uncategorized, University of Wyoming history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Finis Mitchell (and Matthew Troyanek) Trailing through the Wind Rivers

In my preparations to become a backpacker seeking adventures in Wyoming’s Wind River Mountains, my research led me to take the footsteps of a man from the golden age of American mountaineering, whose chronicles and photographs bade me to these … Continue reading

Posted in environmental history, Mountaineering, outdoor recreation, Photographic collections, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Men of Mystery: Tom Horn, William A. Pinkerton, and Frank Canton

Tom Horn’s enduring reputation rests on the moment in 1903 when he was hanged in Cheyenne, Wyoming, for the murder of fourteen-year-old Willie Nickell. It was, in some ways, an ironic end, for Horn was not an “outlaw” like Jesse James … Continue reading

Posted in Law Enforcement, outlaws, Uncategorized, Western history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Past Pandemic In Wyoming: The Spanish Flu, 1918-1919

Though disease epidemics were common throughout America and the West in earlier times, the worst epidemic in terms of loss of human life came to Wyoming early in the 20th century, in the fall of 1918.  From October of that … Continue reading

Posted in Coronavirus outbreak, COVID-19, Disease outbreaks, Flu, Pandemics, Public health, Uncategorized, University of Wyoming history, World War I, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Votes for Women – The 1920 Ratification Campaign

Grace Raymond Hebard and Carrie Chapman Catt On June 4, 1919, the Senate passed the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution. The amendment stated: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or … Continue reading

Posted in Local history, Politics, Suffrage -- United States, University of Wyoming, University of Wyoming history, Western history, western politics and leadership, Women -- suffrage, women's history, Wyoming, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

E. Deane Hunton – The Man Behind Wyoming’s Iconic Steamboat Logo

E. Deane Hunton was born in Virginia in 1885. When he was three years old his family moved out around Wheatland, Wyoming. E. Deane Hunton attended the University of Wyoming where he obtained a degree in mining engineering. During his … Continue reading

Posted in Local history, Sports and Recreation, University of Wyoming, University of Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Putting the Women Back into Women’s Suffrage

2019 marks the 150th anniversary of the passage of Wyoming’s 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 … Continue reading

Posted in grants, Laramie, Local history, Suffrage -- United States, University of Wyoming, University of Wyoming history, Women -- suffrage, women's history, Wyoming, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments