The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Wyoming
WYOMING (Indian, Maughwauwama, “big plains”), a State of the United States, in the Rocky Mountain region, between the parallels, lat. 41° and 45° N., and between long. 104° 3' and 111° 3' W. Portions of the Louisiana Purchase, the Oregon claim, the Texas annexation and the Mexican cession are included in the State. It is bounded on the north by Montana, east by South Dakota, south by Colorado and Utah, and west by Utah, Idaho and Montana. The boundary lines are all straight. The greatest extent is from east to west, 355 miles (north to south, 276 miles). Area (excluding Yellowstone National Park), 97,575 square miles. Wyoming ranks eighth in size among the States of the Union.
Topography.— The State averages from 5,000 to 7,000 feet above sea-level and is traversed by the main chain of the Rocky Mountains. From the plateau lands rise a number of lofty ranges and peaks, some of them approaching 14,000 feet in altitude. The largest mountain masses are in the southern, northwestern and north central parts of the State. In the extreme northeast, the Black Hills of South Dakota project into Crook and Weston counties. Other conspicuous groups of outlying hills in this region are the pine-clad Hartville Mountains, north of Guernsey, and the Bear Lodge Mountains. The principal mountains in the south are, first, the Laramie Mountains, which rise to an average height of 1,000 feet above the plain, culminating m Laramie Peak (9,020 feet) and the Medicine Bow Mountains, called locally the Snowy Range, a lofty mass on whose western slopes gather the waters of the North Platte. The highest point in this range is Medicine Bow Peak (12,005 feet). The western watershed of the North Platte is formed by the Sierra Madre Mountains, projecting north from Colorado. In the extreme southwestern corner of the State are the lofty Uintah Mountains. The general trend of all these is northwest and southeast, save the Uintah Mountains, which run east and west. The entire northwest portion of the State comprises a lofty mountain mass broken here and there by small valleys. The Absaroka Range (partly in the Yellowstone National Park) forms the Continental Divide. To the west lie the Teton and Snake River ranges near the Idaho boundary. The highest point is the Grand Teton (13,747 feet). To the south and east of these lie the Gros Ventre, Salt River, Wyoming and Wind River ranges, the latter projecting well into the west central portion of the State and including such lofty peaks as Fremont (13,730 feet), Gannett (13,785 feet), the highest in the State, and Atlantic (12,700 feet). In north central Wyoming are the isolated Big Horn Mountains, culminating in Cloud Peak (13,165 feet). Other minor ranges cross south central Wyoming, prominent among them being the Green, Ferris, Seminole, Shirley and Rattlesnake mountains. These are small separated groups lying a little east of the Continental Divide, but indicating the general course of the Rockies. In this region also are the huge bare granite heaps and domes rising from the sandy plains north of the Sweetwater, known collectively as the Granite Mountains. The Continental Divide extends from the middle of the southern boundary in a northwesterly direction through Yellowstone National Park.
In the centre of Bighorn Mountains—Cloud Peak highest summit in distance. Granite rocks sculptured by glacial action
Lofty plateaus characterize all portions of the State and include the Cheyenne Plains and Goshen Hole in the southeast and east, the Laramie Plains (7,000 feet) and Red Desert in the south, lower Wind River Valley in the west central and Big Horn Basin in the northern part of the State. These are either level or rolling and lie mainly between 4,500 and 7,000 feet elevation. The eastern plains are grassy, the western and higher plateaus are covered with the characteristic sage brush. Within the mountain ranges are many small sheltered valleys or parks, the most noteworthy being Jackson's Hole in the northwest. There are several gaps in the Continental Divide of varying accessibility. Bridger's Pass (used by the Union Pacific Railroad) in southern, and South Pass in central Wyoming are the most available for railroad construction. North of these lie Union Pass and Two Ocean Pass, which are suitable only for wagons and pack trains. Hot springs are found in the region included in and adjacent to the Yellowstone National Park, at Thermopolis and elsewhere. The Thermopolis Springs (135° F.) are of medicinal value and annually attract thousands seeking the cure.
Hydrography.—The general drainage in the eastern two-thirds of the State is from south to north; in the west from north to south. The State is included within four distinct drainage areas. The major portion lies within the Missouri Basin, comprising the valleys of the North Platte, Sweetwater, Wind, Big Horn, Powder, Belle Fourche and Cheyenne rivers. The western part of the State is cut by Green River, an affluent of the Colorado, and hence within the Gulf of California drainage system. North and west of Green River rises Snake River, a tributary of the Columbia and hence within the Pacific drainage area, while through the extreme southwestern part of the State flows Bear River, the principal affluent of the Great Salt Lake, and, accordingly, a water of the Interior Basin. The water surface of the State totals only 320 square miles. The largest lakes are Yellowstone, Jackson and Shoshone, all in the northwest. There are many small lakes amid the mountains, small bodies of clear water surrounded by wooded mountains.
Geology.—Wyoming lies partly in the Great Plains and partly in the Rocky Mountain provinces, thus presenting the three chief divisions of land forms, namely, plains, plateaus and mountains. The salient structural features of the region are great anticlinal folds separated by deep synclinal basins, some of which are 100 miles long and 20 to 50 miles wide. Formations of pre-Cambrian age are exposed along the crests of the major mountain ranges, namely, the Laramie, Medicine Bow, Wind River, Big Horn and Black Hills. The rocks which compose these formations constitute a complex group of metamorphosed sediments and associated igneous intrusives. The Paleozoic is but slightly developed. Formations of Cambrian, Ordovician, Mississippian, Pennsylvanian and Permian age are found over the northern and western portions of the State. The Mesozoic is represented by slight developments of the Triassic, Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous, while the Upper Cretaceous attains a thickness of several thousand feet. The Cenozoic is characterized by a great thickness of continental Tertiary formations rich in mammalian fossils. Volcanic eruptives of Tertiary age cover large areas in and adjacent to the Yellowstone National Park. Wyoming's chief contributions to geology are found in the rich reptilian fauna from the Cretaceous and the mammalian fauna from the Tertiary and in the unsurpassed geysers of the Yellowstone. The chief resources thus far developed are oil from the Pennsylvanian and Cretaceous, and coal from the Cretaceous and Tertiary.
Minerals and Mining.—The mineral resources of the State are annually attracting greater notice. Fourteen out of the 22 counties are producers of metallic minerals. The relatively small quantities of gold, silver and copper, the metals for which the State has been prospected, have led to an underestimation of the State's resources. Placer gold was found at Atlantic City in west central Wyoming in 1842 and subsequently in small quantities in the Grand Canyon of the Snake. Lode deposits have been worked in the north Laramie Mountains and elsewhere intermittently since 1871. The veins are not phenomenally rich but are believed to persist in depth. The future of gold mining here depends on increased capital investment, modern methods of ore treatment and improved transportation and power facilities. In 1915, Wyoming ranked 15th among the States in gold production. To 1911 the total placer yield was estimated at $1,725,000; the lode yield at $4,137,000. The following table shows the production in recent years:
| YEAR | Fine ounces |
| 1913 | 847 |
| 1914 | 324 |
| 1915 | 672 |
| 1916 | 4,054 |
Silver is usually found in conjunction with gold especially in the western part of the State. The following table shows the value of the silver mined in the State during the past few years:
| YEAR | Value |
| 1912 | $200 00 |
| 1913 | 2,254 00 |
| 1914 | 100 00 |
| 1915 | 1,400 00 |
| 1916 | 3,092 00 |
A considerable portion of Wyoming is underlaid with bituminous coal of excellent quality. The best fields are those near Newcastle and at Hanna, Rock Springs, Kemmerer and Dietz. Other rich deposits exist in the north and northwest but have not been developed to any extent. In 1914 the State produced 6,475,293 tons; in 1915, 6,554,028 tons; and in 1916, 7,500,000 tons. In 1915 Wyoming ranked sixth among the States in the production of iron ore, yielding in that year 998,845 gross tons. Copper is found in central Wyoming and in the Medicine Bow Mountains in the south. The production in recent years has been as follows: 1914, 165,023 pounds; 1915, 1,020,926 pounds; 1916, 2,569,000 pounds. Petroleum is already one of the most important mineral products and the State gives every promise of becoming a leader both in production and in quality of output, some geologists even having gone so far as to say that Wyoming is literally underlaid with a sea of oil. The existence of petroleum has been known for years, but among the first to call attention to its commercial possibilities was the late Prof. Wilbur C. Knight of the State University. The cretaceous shales that have been drilled contain oils with both a paraffine and an asphalt base. Many of the former are of unsurpassed quality. The principal fields thus far developed are the Salt Creek, Powder River, Big Muddy, Basin, Lost Soldier, Pilot Butte, Crow Creek, Torchlight, Lovell, Little Buffalo and Rock Creek. The largest producing fields are the Salt Creek and Big Muddy. Early in 1918 the bringing in of a well on Rock Creek, 50 miles north of Laramie, gave great promise of large quantities of rich oil with a paraffine base in a hitherto little exploited field. In nearly all the fields the oil lies at a depth of 1,500 to 4,000 feet. The difficulties now encountered include lack of transportation facilities and detailed geologic studies of the State and the danger of litigation. The following table shows the production since 1912:
| YEAR | Barrels |
| 1912 | 1,572,306 |
| 1913 | 2,406,322 |
| 1914 | 3,560,375 |
| 1915 | 4,245,525 |
| 1916 | 6,672,000 |
| 1917 | 8,978,000 |
| 1918 | 10,546,000 |
Natural gas has been encountered in many oil fields and is used locally. In the Salt Creek field the conservation of the natural gas has become a model for the country.
Climate.— The extremes of temperature exist for a short period each year. The records show the maximum to be 116° above zero and the minimum, 45° below zero. The highest is usually about 100° and the lowest -30°. The mean temperature for January in Cheyenne and vicinities is 25.1°; in the northern part of the State, 18.1°. The mean temperature for the whole State for July is 67°. The extreme cold is not severe because of the dryness of the atmosphere. The precipitation varies from 8 to 18 inches, the average being 12.5 inches. A heavier rainfall in the Bear Lodge and Black Hill district is not unusual. The lofty and well-timbered mountain ranges receive a great deal of moisture both in the form of winter snows and, during the summer, as frequent heavy dashing rains. High winds prevail in many parts of the State, especially in spring. The climate is uniformly salubrious and various points are becoming prominent as health resorts.
Soil.— The soil of nearly all the river valleys is a dark loam and most fertile. On the higher lands and mountain slopes occurs a sandy loam, most of which is productive under irrigation. In the eastern counties dry farming has has been practiced on the whole successfully. The Red Desert is the only large infertile area in the State. Extreme aridity is here combined with alkali deposits. The soil in all the high mountain intervales or parks is very rich and, although at too high an altitude for cereal crops, produces large yields of nutritive native hay.
Flora and Fauna.—In Wyoming are found widely varying types of animal and plant life. This is due largely to the diversified climatic conditions occasioned by extremes in altitude and a wide range of local physiographic conditions. The lower portions of the State (nearly one-third the total area) are marked by the broad-1eaved cottonwood, juniper, salt-bush and yucca. A little higher, in the so-called Transition Life zone, covering about half the State, one finds the yellow pine, narrow-leaved cottonwood and pure sage brush; higher still the spruce, fir, lodgepole pine and aspen covering the mountain slopes and higher foothills. The very highest portions of the State produce only the white barked pine, the dwarfed spruce and fir, while the mountain peaks are well above timber-line and are characterized by Arctic flora.
About 13 per cent, or 12,500 square miles of the State is timbered. Of this 3,500 square miles are located within the Yellowstone National Park, and 13,490 square miles within United States forest reserves.
The fauna of the lower altitudes includes the coyote, badger, ground-squirrel, prairie-dog, gopher, cottontail rabbit, among the mammals, and such birds as the mourning dove, warbler and lark. Reptiles are few. The animal life of the Transition zone includes the white-tailed deer, coyote, jack-rabbit, cottontail rabbit, skunk, sage-hen, hawk and various types of lizards. Still higher one finds the elk, snow-shoe rabbit, mountain lion, black bear and an occasional grizzly. All life is rare above 12,500 feet and mammalian life practically non-existent at this elevation.
Game.—Wyoming is stiil one of the most favored resorts of sportsmen. The vicinity of Jackson's Hole in the northwestern corner of the State abounds in elk and deer. In many other portions hunting is also excellent. Besides elk and deer, bear, mountain lions, mountain wolves, grouse, etc., are found in nearly every county. The game laws are liberal. The streams are richly stocked with trout and Wyoming until 1919 was one of the few States not requiring fishing licenses so abundant is the supply.
Agriculture and Stock Raising.—Agriculture has made rapid strides during the past few years. In many ways it is still in the experimental stage and its possibilities limited by a cool climate due to low average base level. There are, however, certain areas of comparatively low elevation and moderate climate where a variety of crops and some of the hardier fruits have proved decidedly successful. A special value attaches to these low-lying districts inasmuch as they are immediately surrounded or bordered by extensive non-agricultural areas where mining, lumbering and stock raising are the principal industries. The melting snows of the mountains furnish a never-failing supply of water for irrigation purposes and Federal, State and private irrigation projects have already reclaimed considerable sections. In 1910 out of the total number of farms (10,987) 6,297 were wholly or in part under irrigation, the total irrigated acreage being 1,333,302, an increase of 87.1 per cent over 1900. The largest proportion of irrigated farms is in Park County (96.5 per cent), but in four other counties the proportion is over 80 per cent. Of the various irrigation enterprises in the State, 71.8 per cent are operated by individuals or partnerships; 7.8 per cent by commercial concerns; 10.3 per cent by co-operative enterprises, leaving only 10.1 per cent controlled by the various governmental projects. In 1910 there were 13,231 miles of irrigation ditches. In that year about one-eighth of the total area of the State was in farms or ranches. The average value of farm land was $10.41 per acre though in Big Horn County the average rose to nearly $50. An indication of the tendency for agriculture to supplant stock raising is seen in the fact that in the decade 1900 to 1910, there was an increase of 80.3 per cent in the total number of holdings but a decrease of 41.7 per cent in the average number of acres per holding. In the same period the value of farm lands increased 279.4 per cent, being placed in 1910 at $88,908,276, while the average value of farm land per acre increased 261.5 per cent. Tenant farming is growing though not alarmingly. Much valuable agricultural land in the valleys and basins awaits development. The following table shows the acreage, yield and value of the principal crops in 1916:
| CROP | Acreage | Production | Value | ||
| Hay (tame) | 580,000 | 1,044,000 | tons | $12,528,000 | |
| Wheat | 170,000 | 3,670,000 | bu. | 5,322,000 | |
| Oats | 250,000 | 8,750,000 | bu. | 5,250,000 | |
| Potatoes | 18,000 | 2,340,000 | bu. | 2,995,000 | |
| Barley | 25,000 | 825,000 | bu. | 718,000 | |
| Corn | 25,000 | 550,000 | bu. | 495,000 | |
| Rye | 16,000 | 248,000 | bu. | 268,000 | |
The raising of orchard and small fruits and of sugar beets though at present slight is annually increasing. There are three sugar factories in the State, at Lovell, Sheridan and Worland.
Both northern and southern Wyoming is still in large measure devoted to stock raising, though beef cattle are shipped from every county in the State. In 1917 there were on the ranches 825,000 head as compared with 750,000 in 1916. Sheep grazing has become a very important industry. Only the best breeds of sheep are kept, and the wool is of superior quality and its yield above the average. The following table indicates the extent of sheep grazing:
| YEAR | Sheep of shearing age and number of fleeces |
| 1910 | 4,650,000 |
| 1911 | 4,000,000 |
| 1912 | 3,900,000 |
| 1913 | 3,600,000 |
| 1914 | 3,560,000 |
| 1915 | 3,630,000 |
| 1916 | 3,675,000 |
| 1917 | 4,381,000 |
The Agricultural College and Experiment Station located at Laramie, the seat of the State University, have done much, through experimentation and extension instruction, to encourage types of agriculture and stock raising suited to the conditions of the State. At the present time (1919) county agricultural agents are maintained in 17 out of the 22 counties.
Manufacturing.— In 1909 the State had 268 manufacturing establishments (169 in 1904) giving employment to 3,593 persons of whom 2,867 were wage-earners. The principal concerns are railroad shops, lumber camps and factories, flour and grist mills, printing and publishing establishments, dairies, sugar factories and oil refineries. The total value of manufactured goods was estimated at $6,249,000. Eight per cent of the factories were in Cheyenne. Electric power is only slightly used. In 1909, 93.3 per cent of the primary power was derived from steam.
Transportation and Roads.—The oldest railroad in the State is the Union Pacific, crossing the southern tier of counties. From Granger in Sweetwater County the Oregon Short Line runs northwest through Lincoln County into Idaho. A number of subsidiary lines connect with the Union Pacific, chief among them being the Colorado, Wyoming and Eastern and the Saratoga and Encampment. From Cheyenne the Union Pacific has a line to Denver. The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy enters the southeast corner of the State to Cheyenne. Its main line, however, runs diagonally across the State from Nebraska to Montana through Goshen, Platte, Converse, Natrona, Fremont, Hot Springs, Washakie and Big Horn counties. A branch line runs to Cody in Park County. The Burlington also runs across the northeast corner of the State from South Dakota to Montana through Weston, Crook, Campbell and Sheridan counties. A branch runs to Buffalo in Johnson County. The Chicago and Northwestern, crossing the eastern boundary of the State in Niobrara County, parallels the main line of the Burlington through Converse and Natrona counties and terminates at Lander in Fremont County. The Colorado and Southern, running north from Denver through Cheyenne, connects with the Burlington at Wendover and the Northwestern at Orin Junction. There is a lack of north and south lines. Most of the railroads run in general east and west, tending thereby to divide the economic interests of the State into horizontal belts or zones.
Wyoming is rapidly developing a system of excellent highways. The Lincoln Highway parallels the Union Pacific and the Oregon Trail the Oregon Short Line. In general these roads are kept in good condition. An improved highway runs north from Cheyenne through Laramie, Platte, Converse, Natrona, Johnson and Sheridan counties into Montana, serving as one of the approaches to the Yellowstone National Park. Other roads leading into the northeastern counties, and from Rawlins and Green River and Lander into Jackson's Hole and the Yellowstone National Park are available for automobile traffic. In 1917 the legislature created a State Highway Commission to co-operate with the Federal government under the act of Congress of 11 July 1916, entitled “An Act to provide that the United States shall aid the States in the construction of rural post roads, etc.” State funds for the construction of highways are provided for by a tax of one-fourth mill on the dollar of valuation.
Wealth and Taxation.— In 1913 Wyoming's total receipts of income amounted to $1,529,474. Of this $849,277 was appropriated for strictly governmental costs and the balance for other purposes. The principal sources of revenue are the general property, business and license taxes and amounts derived from interest, leases and rents, and from grants and earnings of general departments. The total value of State property in 1913 was estimated at $897,500.
Charitable and Penal Institutions and Public Health.—There is a State Board of Charities and Reform, comprising five ex officio members. This board has general oversight over all State supported charitable, reformatory and penal institutions, including the State Hospital at Rock Springs, the branch hospitals at Sheridan and Casper, the Soldiers' and Sailors' Home at Buffalo, the School for Defectives at Lander, the Wyoming Industrial Institute at Worland, the Insane Asylum at Evanston, the State Penitentiary at Rawlins. At Laramie is located the Cathedral Home for Children, maintained by the Protestant Episcopal Church.
The State Board of Health, appointed by the governor with the confirmation of the senate, comprising three persons, one of whom must be a physician, appoints the county health officers, inspects public institutions in the interest of health and sanitation, makes quarantine regulations and advises counties and municipalities regarding drainage, water supply and general problems of sanitation. The State dairy and food commissioner is charged with the enforcement of all laws touching frauds, adulterations and impurities in foods. The practice of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, embalming and optometry is regulated by laws, the administration of which is in the hands of a series of State appointed boards.
Education.—Provision for public education was made at the first session of the Territorial assembly in 1869. Owing to the low density of population the problem of elementary education has been largely the problem of rural education. Educational facilities, however, have more than kept pace with the growth in population. The increase in the number of schoolhouses was slow to 1905, but since 1909 the number has doubled, reaching, in 1914, a total of 879. The number of teachers has likewise shown a marked increase. In 1894 there were 407; in 1904, 763; in 1914, 1,488. Less than 12 per cent of the teachers are men. The cost of education in 1914 was 37.93 cents per pupil per day. In 1914 there were 29,155 pupils enrolled. Since 1901 free textbooks have been provided. Certification regulations were first adopted in 1876. Various changes were made in the law till, in 1917, the whole matter was carefully gone over and an entirely new system of certification was adopted. In 1916 there were 26 four-year high schools in the State with a total enrolment of 1,648 pupils. At first public education was surpassed in importance by private education. The situation is now quite the reverse. In 1872 was established the short-lived Wyoming Institute, a Baptist school, at Laramie. Two years before, Saint Mary's School, a Roman Catholic institution, had been established at Laramie, but made little headway till after a decade. In 1885 this was supplanted by the much larger and better equipped school in Cheyenne established by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus. The first kindergarten in Wyoming was privately established in Cheyenne in 1886. In 1894-95 the Wyoming Collegiate Institute was founded at Big Horn but lasted only a short time. In 1905 was opened the Cheyenne Business College, and, in 1909, under the auspices of the Christian Church there was established Jireh College at Jireh, Niobrara County. The State University at Laramie, the creation of which was urged as early as 1878 by the governor of the Territory, was not established till 1887. In 1870 the Protestant Episcopal Church opened an Indian school among the Shoshones. In recent years the task of educating the Indians has been undertaken more seriously both by the churches and the government. The Wyoming School Journal, a periodical devoted to educational matters, issued under the auspices of the State Teachers' Association, was published for a time in the 90's. In 1904 it was re-established. There has been steady improvement in the standards of education and in school administration. In 1917 was created the State Board of Education, comprising seven members appointed by the governor for six years. The board prescribes educational policies for the State, exercises general supervision over public education, prepares outlines of study, establishes standards of work and rules for the certification of teachers. The general administration of the rules and regulations of the board is in the hands of the commissioner of education, appointed by them. Each county elects a superintendent of schools on a non-partisan basis and each school district elects its own trustees. Teachers' institutes are provided by law. At the 1917 session of the legislature the State accepted the terms of the act of Congress providing for Federal aid in vocational education.
State Capitol at Cheyenne
Government.—The Territory of Wyoming was created in 1868; the State in 1890. Equal suffrage was adopted by the first session of the Territorial assembly, making Wyoming the first Territory or State to permit full woman's suffrage. This provision was incorporated in the State constitution drawn up in 1889 and afterward ratified. In general, women voters in Wyoming have not aligned themselves with any one party or on any single issue but divide as the male voters divide. The principal executive officers are the governor, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, commissioner of taxation, superintendent of public instruction, attorney-general and examiner. The governor receives $4,000. The salaries of the remaining range from $2,400 to $3,600. Besides the above there is a State fish commissioner, game warden, food commissioner, highway engineer, commissioner of labor, geologist and adjutant-general. There are three justices in the Supreme Court, each receiving $5,000. There are seven judicial districts, the judges in each receiving a salary of $4,500. The State legislature, which meets biennially for not more than 40 days, comprises 27 senators and 57 representatives. The salary of each is $5 a day and mileage. The capitol is at Cheyenne. Wyoming has but one representative in Congress. There are 22 counties with the usual county officials. In 1910 there were 48 incorporated cities and towns. Most cities have the mayor-council type of government. In 1911 an act of the legislature made the commission form permissive. Only one city adopted this type of municipal government and afterward abandoned it. A bill to provide for the city-manager type was introduced in the 1917 session of the legislature but was defeated. A list of the Territorial and State governors appears elsewhere on this page.
Population.—The census of 1910 gave a total population of 145,965. In 1916 the population was estimated at 179,559. Of the population in 1910, 29.6 per cent was urban. There was a sex ratio of 168.8 males to 100 females. Among the native whites the ratio was 147.1 to 100, and among the foreign-born whites, 287.2 to 100. Of the total native-born population only 27.2 per cent were born in Wyoming, the remaining 72.8 per cent being natives of other States in the Union. Of the foreign-born, 14.6 per cent were Austrians, 11 per cent English, 9.7 per cent Germans, 9.2 per cent Swedes, 7.2 per cent Italians, 6.7 per cent Scotch. The counties of Albany, Laramie and Sheridan had, in 1910, a density of two to six to the square mile. All the other counties had less than two to the square mile.
Governors of Wyoming.
| TERRITORIAL | ||
| John A. Campbell | 1869-75 | |
| John M. Thayer | 1875-78 | |
| John W. Hoyt | 1878-82 | |
| William Hale | 1882-85 | |
| Francis E. Warren | 1885-86 | |
| George W. Baxter[1] | 1886 | |
| Thomas Moonlight | 1887-89 | |
| Francis E. Warren | 1889-90 | |
| STATE | ||
| Francis E. Warren | Republican | 1890 |
| Amos W. Barber[1] | Republican | 1890-92 |
| John B. Osborne | Democrat-Populist. | 1893-95 |
| William A. Richards | Republican | 1895-99 |
| De Forest Richards | Republican | 1899-1903 |
| Fenimore Chatterton[1] | Republican | 1903-05 |
| Bryant B. Brooks | Republican | 1905-11 |
| Joseph M. Carey | Democrat | 1911-15 |
| John B. Kendrick | Democrat | 1915-17 |
| Frank L. Houx[1] | Democrat | 1917-19 |
History. — Wyoming was the meeting point of a number of Indian tribes. In the southeast were the Arapaho and Cheyennes of Algonquin stock; in the north and east, the Crows and Sioux; and in the west and southwest, the Utes of Shoshonean stock. There are ancient traditions of Spanish exploration into southern Wyoming at a very early date but no adequate proof has been offered of their presence prior to the 19th century, although somewhat earlier the Indians seem to have been familiar with the Spaniards and to have had commercial intercourse with Santa Fé. The first white man to enter Wyoming of whom there is definite record was de la Verendrye, who, in 1743, advancing from Lake Nepigon, penetrated the eastern portion of the State to within sight of the Big Horn Mountains. This was an isolated venture, however, and was not followed up by further exploration on the part of the French. The expedition of Lewis and Clark did not touch Wyoming although a number of the men who accompanied it subsequently joined the various fur-trading expeditions that were quick to take advantage of the information about the west brought out by these earliest American explorers. A number of these companies operated in Wyoming, including that of Manuel Lisa, who set out from Saint Louis in 1807 and estabhshed a post at the mouth of the Big Horn River in Montana. That fall or early next spring, John Colter set out southward up the Big Horn and entered Wyoming. He advanced perhaps as far south as the site of Lander where he turned northwest and, in the course of his wanderings, probably penetrated the wonderland of Yellowstone National Park. Others of Lisa's men or the employees of the Missouri Fur Company (established 1808-09) may also have penetrated Wyoming from the north about this time. In the summer of 1811 the overland company sent out by John Jacob Astor to engage in the fur trade with headquarters at the mouth of the Columbia, traversed central Wyoming, crossed the Wind River Mountains by the Union Pass, entered the upper drainage of Green River, and thence, by another pass in the divide, followed down the Hoback River to its confluence with the Snake. They crossed the Snake and journeyed over the Teton Pass into Idaho. The following year the returning Astorians crossed the western boundary of the State, traversed once more the upper reaches of Green River and, after circuitous wanderings, crossed the Continental Divide by or near South Pass to the valley of the Sweetwater and the Platte, which they followed eastward into Nebraska. The next white men to enter Wyoming, of whom there is definite information, were a detachment sent out in 1824 from a post established at the mouth of the Big Horn by the firm of Ashley and Henry. In the spring of this year, Thomas Fitzpatrick and probably Andrew Henry, himself, one of the partners, led a division of the company up the Big Horn to Wind River and thence through South Pass to the waters of Green River. Henry probably returned by the same route, while Fitzpatrick, turning back later, descended the Sweetwater and the valley of the Platte. There is an unsubstantiated tradition that Etienne Provot, in the fall of 1823, preceded Fitzpatrick through the South Pass. In the fall of 1824 two other detachments of the Ashley-Henry men were sent through South Pass, one under conmiand of Jedediah Smith to operate northwest into Idaho and the other under William Sublette to operate westward into Utah. Ashley, himself, was the first white man to penetrate southern Wyoming, entering the State some 20 miles south of the city of Laramie. He moved northward along the eastern slopes of the Medicine Bow Mountains and then northwest across Great Divide Basin to Green River which he descended in boats into Colorado and Utah. After 1825 the fur traders criss-crossed the State in every direction. The firms of Smith, Jackson and Sublette, of Fitzpatrick, Sublette and Bridger and the American Fur Company were among the more prominent operating in this State. The summer rendezvous of these companies was usually conducted in Green River Valley or in Wind River Valley, near the eastern end of South Pass. In 1827 the Yellowstone National Park was again penetrated. The fur-trading operations of Captain Bonneville took him into this State. The first scientific explorations of the State were made by Frémont in 1842 and 1843, who examined the southern portion, and by Brevet Brig.-Gen. W. F. Raynolds, who, in 1859, examined the northern portion. The first white settlement was at Fort Laramie on the Platte in 1834. This fort was purchased by the American Fur Company in 1835, rebuilt by them and subsequently sold to the United States government. In 1843 James Bridger, the fur trader, scout and guide, established Fort Bridger on Black's Fork in the extreme southwestern corner of the State. Forts Laramie and Bridger were stations on the famous Oregon Trail, which crossed the State by way of the North Platte, the Sweetwater, South Pass, the Sandys, Green River, Black's Fork and Bear River. Over this trail moved Rev. Marcus Whitman and his wife and Rev. and Mrs. Spalding, the Oregon missionaries, in 1836, and soon after the Oregon pioneers. In 1847 came the first Mormon migration and, following them, thousands of others of their faith. The ill-fated Donner party crossed by the same route. With the discovery of gold in California other thousands poured over this first great trans-continental highway. About 1850 the Overland Trail through southern Wyoming (the route in general followed by Ashley in 1825) began to supplant in large measure the Oregon Trail. This soon became an excellent highway used by the overland stage and the pony express. In 1861 a telegraph line paralleled it. Six years later the Union Pacific entered Wyoming near Cheyenne and the following year completed its line across the State.
In 1851 an important treaty had been concluded at Fort Laramie with the plains Indians by which they were confirmed in their right to roam pretty much at will north of the Oregon Trail on their promise not to interfere with the government's project of building roads across the plains and establishing military posts at convenient points. This treaty or series of treaties rendered the overland trails safe for a number of years. In 1864 occurred the Sand Creek massacre in Colorado which started an Indian conflagration that spread next year to Wyoming. The mines of Montana and Idaho lay off the beaten line of travel and in 1865 the government undertook to construct a branch road north from the Oregon Trail, in the vicinity of Fort Laramie, to Bozeman in Montana. This road was to run through the territory reserved by the Treaty of Fort Laramie to the Sioux. Under the guidance of “Jim” Bridger a detachment under General Connor tried unsuccessfully to open the road. Despite the fact that the Sioux of this region, under their leader, Red Cloud, had refused to yield the ground or even to treat concerning it, Col. Henry B. Carrington, in 1866, was ordered to proceed with the task of opening the road and erecting and garrisoning posts along the way. Moving north to Fort Reno (later Fort McKinney) on Powder River and using this as a base, his orders called for the establishment of a garrison here and the erection of forts on Powder, Big Horn and Yellowstone rivers and the protection of the road. The last-named site was afterward eliminated but Fort Phil. Kearney and Fort C. F. Smith were located during July and August, the former near the site of Buffalo, Johnson County. The Sioux were consistently hostile and on 21 December the wood train was attacked a few miles from Fort Phil. Kearney. Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Fetterman went to their relief, enabled the wood train to reach the fort in safety, but was himself with all his officers and men, 81 all told, massacred by the Indians. In the summer of 1867 the Fetterman massacre was avenged by Maj. James Powell. War with the Cheyennes and Sioux, however, dragged on until in the spring of 1868 a treaty was concluded ar Fort Laramie by which the government agreed to withdraw its garrisons from the Bozeman road and abandon the country to the Indians. This same year another treaty, concluded at Fort Bridger, created the Wind River Reservation for the Shoshones to whom were later added the Arapaho. Peace continued in Wyoming but only through the continued relinquishment of the northern part of the territory by the whites. In 1870 a number of citizens of Cheyenne organized a mining and prospecting company to explore the Big Horn country. The Sioux were apprehensive, however, and the expedition was abandoned. Four years later, this deferred reconnaissance took place but this time as an official expedition under General Custer, again causing great uneasiness among the Sioux. Actual war broke out in 1876 in which Custer lost his life. The Sioux, however, were crushed and Wyoming made safe for the whites.
In 1854 Wyoming had been a part of Utah Territory, Oregon Territory and the newly-created Nebraska Territory. In 1859 Washington Territory was set off, including part of western Wyoming. In 1861 a part of the southern portion was included within the newly-formed Idaho Territory. In 1865 a bill was introduced into Congress to create the Territory of Wyoming and in 1867 voters of Laramie County, including the city of Cheyenne, sent a delegate to Congress. He was not permitted to take a seat but his presence in Washington did much to hasten the actual creation of the Territory by act of Congress, under date 25 July 1868. At that time there were four counties, Laramie, Albany, Carbon and Carter (Sweetwater), each running the entire length of the State from north to south. Agitation for Statehood was begun in the 80's and in September 1889 a constitutional convention met in Cheyenne. Their work was afterward ratified. By act of Congress 10 July 1890 Wyoming was admitted as the 44th State of the Union.
During the 70's the cattle industry began and continued to be one of the most important in the State. Perhaps the most prosperous years were from 1880 to 1882. Since that time the open range has been gradually but very surely restricted, while several seasons of unwonted severity notably that of 1886-87, retarded the industry. With the restriction of the range came a growing feeling of hostility between the large cattle interests and the small settlers, whose homestead locations covered the watering places to which the range cattle formerly had free access. Many of the settlers owned no cattle but eked out a precarious existence by stealing unbranded cattle (mavericks) from the herds of the great stock owners. In portions of the Territory it became impossible to get a jury of settlers to convict anyone of cattle-stealing (rustling). The cattlemen resorted to force and between 1889 and 1892 several supposed “rustlers” were lynched. This aroused an intense hatred against the cattlemen, several of whom were forced to leave Johnson County, the seat of most trouble, under cover of darkness and on swift horses. In 1892, however, the stockmen resolved on a coup and brought up from Texas an armed body of 50 men with the intention of invading northern Wyoming and killing the “rustlers.” This culminated in the so-called Johnson County raid. Proceeding by rail to Casper the raiders started north toward Buffalo, learning on the way that several “rustlers” were at the K. C. ranch on Powder River. Most of the K. C. outfit were absent on the round-up and only “Nate” Champion and “Nick” Ray and two trappers, who had stayed over night, were in the cabin. The place was surrounded, the two trappers captured and Ray shot down as he started out of the cabin. Champion bore Ray into the cabin under a fusillade and then for hours defended himself and his wounded companion, taking time to keep a careful record of the details of his siege, hour by hour. Ray died in the course of the afternoon. Toward nightfall the besiegers fired the cabin and Champion, in undertaking to effect his escape, was shot down and killed. The raiders then started north toward Buffalo, but the alarm had been given and they turned in and fortified themselves at the T. A. ranch on Crazy Woman's Fork, 12 miles south of Buffalo. Here the besiegers became the besieged, holding out for over two days against an infuriated mob of over 400. The leader of the settlers, “Arapaho Brown,” finally contrived what he called a go-devil, consisting of a breastwork of logs on wheels, which he proposed to move up toward the log buildings where the raiders were besieged and then to destroy the cabins with giant powder. Just before this prototype of the modern tank was started, in the early morning of the third day, Col. J. J. Van Horn of Fort McKinney, under orders from President Harrison, came to the rescue with three troops of cavalry. The raiders surrendered and were transferred to Cheyenne where they were released on bail on their own recognizance to appear for trial in January. At that time, on Johnson County's inability to pay the costs, the case was dropped.
Trouble has, from time to time, developed between the cattlemen and the sheepmen, in which some blood has been shed, but with the creation of the national forests and the regulation of grazing privileges, an amicable agreement has been arrived at.
In the last two decades the activities of the State have been devoted to developing the abundant natural resources available.
Bibliography.—Bancroft, ‘History of Nevada, Colorado and Wyoming’ (San Francisco 1890); Cary, ‘Life Zone Investigations in Wyoming’ (United States Department of Agri- culture, Bureau of Biological Survey, Bulletin No. 22); Carrington, ‘Ab-sa-ra-ka, Land of Massacre’ (Philadelphia 1878); Chapman, ‘Last War for the Cattle Range’ (in Outing, September 1905); Coutant, ‘History of Wyoming’ (Laramie 1899); Dale, ‘Brief Sketch of the History of Education in Wyoming’ (Department of Public Instruction Bulletin, No. 2, Cheyenne 1916); Dale, ‘The Ashley-Smith Explorations and the Discovery of a Central Route to the Pacific’ (Cleveland 1918); Hebard, ‘Civil Government of Wyoming’ (San Francisco 1917); Nelson, ‘Report on the Flora of Wyoming’ (Wyoming Experiment Station Bulletin No. 28, Laramie 1916); Talbot, ‘My People of the Plains’ (New York 1906).