Name: Wyoming's Historic Ranches
Brand: Nancy Weidel
SKU: 9781467131490
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Wyoming's Historic Ranches

9781467131490

$24.99

Wyoming is so closely identified with ranching that it is often known as "the Cowboy State." The prosperity associated with the cattle industry drew wealthy investors to Wyoming Territory in the 1870s and early 1880s. They stocked the range with thousands of cows and made considerable fortunes until the harsh winter of 1886-1887, when the cattle market collapsed. Many of those early ranchers left Wyoming, which opened the door for the establishment of what would become a huge sheep business. During the 1890s and the early decades of the 20th century, the various Homestead Acts drew others to Wyoming in search of a brighter future. As most of Wyoming's land was suited for grazing, not farming, smaller ranches began to play a more important role in the state's growth. Wyoming's Historic Ranches provides a rare glimpse of the cattle baron ranches as well as the more modest operations that are tucked away along remote valleys and streams, not visible to the average visitor or resident of the state.

Cody

9780738548357

$24.99

Founded in 1896 by William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody and members of the Shoshone Land and Irrigation Company, Cody lies 53 miles east of Yellowstone National Park. Situated in a geographical area known as the Big Horn Basin, the town is surrounded by part of the front range of the Absaroka Mountains. The Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad's
arrival in 1901 coincided with Cody's incorporation as a town. The Irma Hotel, named for Buffalo Bill's youngest daughter, opened in 1902 and provided visitors with a modern, luxurious place to stay. In 1909, Cody became the county seat of the newly formed Park County. Cody and the surrounding areas are known for their superb scenery, excellent hunting and fishing, gas and mineral reserves, and vast ranching lands.

Douglas

9780738580593

$24.99

The town of Douglas is located in east-central Wyoming in a gentle valley, with the mountains of Medicine Bow National Forest on one side and the beautiful Wyoming plains on the other. Established in 1887 by the Fremont, Elkhorn, and Missouri Valley Railroad, the town was named by representatives from the railroad's Chicago headquarters after the great orator and Illinois senator Stephen Douglas. Douglas, probably known best for his part in the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, was an enthusiastic advocate of westward expansion. To many of the locals--and by official proclamation in 1985--Douglas is considered the "Home of the Jackalope," an animal well known in American folklore as being part antelope and part jackrabbit. Be it fact or fiction, the town has successfully marketed the Jackalope through festivals, souvenirs, and even hunting licenses. The area is rich in history, from military establishments, immigrant trails, ranching, and homesteading, to its beautiful scenery, such as the Ayres Natural Bridge, depicted on the cover.

Casper

9780738599632

$24.99

Spread along the North Platte River in central Wyoming, the city of Casper was established in 1888 near the site of old Fort Caspar. As a stop along the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad, Casper quickly became an important hub for the region's wool and beef industries. With the discovery of oil nearby soon after the town was founded, Casper was declared the "Oil Capital of the Rockies" and quickly expanded. Since those early days, Casper has survived many booms and busts to become one of the largest cities in the state of Wyoming. The area is rich in history, from pioneer trails such as the Oregon, California Bozeman, and Mormon Trails to early-day homesteaders, and has remained central to Wyoming's politics and industry. Casper today is a growing city with strong ties to agriculture, oil, gas, and wind energy and has several museums with historical, fossil, and art collections.

Laramie

9780738548975

$24.99

While it was still part of Dakota Territory, the town of Laramie was founded in 1868 with the arrival of the Union Pacific Railroad. Laramie's placement on the high plains at an elevation of 7,200 feet has
not made for an easy existence, but the hardy ranching families and cowboys, with their cattle hunkered down against the winds and snow, survived in spite of their harsh surroundings and even thrived in this unique eastern Wyoming town. This is the place where the infamous Jack McCall hid from the authorities, where Teddy Roosevelt rode the range, and where Butch Cassidy was held at the Wyoming Territorial Prison. From its early, rowdy days as an end-of-the-tracks tent town on the railroad, with gambling halls and an active nightlife, through the growing-up years of mills, quarries, and local wartime heroes, to the establishment of Wyoming's only state university, Laramie's remarkable story is told here through historic photographs.

Pinedale

9780738558837

$24.99

John F. Patterson founded Pinedale in 1904 after proposing the establishment of a town along Pine Creek in western Wyoming. Patterson offered to build and stock a general store if local ranchers Charles Petersen and Robert Graham would donate five acres each for the site. Petersen and Graham agreed to this plan, a surveyor was hired, and Pinedale--named after the post office on Petersen's ranch--was officially established. Free town lots were offered to early settlers, and Pinedale was incorporated in 1912, becoming the farthest incorporated town from a railroad, and later from a major highway, in the country. The community survived in fierce isolation, and the townspeople originally made their living supplying the ranchers, outfitters, and tie hacks. Ranching and tourism helped sustain Pinedale from the beginning, and in the 1990s, the community underwent a fundamental change with the introduction of natural-gas mining in the area. Pinedale residents continue to live and thrive on this harsh but beautiful land.

Cheyenne

9780738558936

$24.99

Cheyenne, known from its earliest days as the "Magic City of the Plains," sprang up almost overnight in 1867 to meet the Union Pacific Railroad's anticipated westward expansion. Named after the Cheyenne Indian tribe that lived in the area, the wild frontier settlement quickly evolved from a tent town to one of the most sophisticated cities west of the Mississippi River. Cheyenne was settled by a variety of people, including cattle barons, soldiers from nearby Fort D. A. Russell, merchants, railroad workers, prostitutes, and gamblers. Buildings such as the Cheyenne Club, the Opera House, the Inter Ocean Hotel, the mansions along Ferguson Street, and a lively downtown defined Cheyenne as a prosperous city by the early 1880s. As Wyoming's capital grew, annual events such as Frontier Days brought the legend of Cheyenne into the first two decades of the 20th century.

Rock Springs

9780738556420

$24.99

An ancient inland sea, surrounded by lush vegetation and inhabited by dinosaurs, helped create the mineral-rich landscape where Rock Springs, Wyoming, now sits. French trappers first encountered American Indians who were traveling via a natural corridor that traverses the region, and eventually pioneer trails used this same route in the great westward expansion. The First Transcontinental Railroad arrived in 1868, and the national demand for energy in the form of fossil fuels turned everyone's attention to the vast coal deposits. Thus the frontier outpost of Rock Springs became an important energy center, and immigrants from around the world came to work in the mines and make this land their home. As local businessman Leonard Hay used to say, "All wealth comes from the earth." Today other minerals have joined coal as new sources of wealth for Rock Springs, and plans are being made to harness the wind that carved out this unique landscape.

Superior and South Superior

9780738581897

$24.99

Superior and South Superior, established early in the 20th century, were unique individually but fully dependent upon each other. Superior, the company town, was nearly entirely owned by the Union Pacific Coal Company, which created the bulk of jobs in the communities. South Superior was privately owned and as a result most of the commercial business in town was located there. When the Union Pacific Railroad began switching from steam power for its locomotives to diesel power, the market for coal disappeared. The classic western pattern for ghost town creation was set. But though Superior disappeared, South Superior, while badly hurt economically, survived. It took the Superior name and was able to look forward to a diminished but stable and hopeful future.

South Pass City and the Sweetwater Mines

9780738588933

$24.99

In 1868, the Sweetwater Mines gold rush swept civilization into wilderness. Prospectors and miners swarmed gulches and hilltops in hopes of locating a new El Dorado. South Pass City, Atlantic City, and Miners Delight became local centers of commerce, governance, and social life. Thousands of new residents bolstered the political push to create Wyoming Territory. Soon, many proclaimed the district a humbug and moved on. Those who remained established a fresh existence where potential abounded in every experience. Their efforts ensured that the mines would boom again.
?For the first time, a history of the Sweetwater Mines, from their establishment to the present, is told through photographs from both private and public collections. Many of these images have never been published before. Here, historical records are mingled with accurate oral tradition in a blend of images and information that provides a broad view of South Pass City and the Sweetwater Mines. Jon Lane and Susan Layman are employed at South Pass City State Historic Site, and are members of the Friends of South Pass. Along with their coworkers, neighbors, and boosters of local history, they work to preserve and interpret the story of the Sweetwater Mines for others to learn from and enjoy.

South Pass City and the Sweetwater Mines

Grand Encampment

9780738588827

$24.99

For centuries, people have come to the Grand Encampment valley to fish, hunt, and enjoy the cool mountain weather. Fur trappers and traders gave the region its name, calling it Camp le Grande. During the 1897 copper mining boom, Camp le Grande became Grand Encampment when a townsite company gave birth to the Grand Encampment Copper District. Mining brought a flood of people to the area and spawned the town of Grand Encampment. The mining boom was an economic bonanza for the region during a 10-year period from 1897 to 1908. The miners were not alone as ranchers had already patented homesteads and were raising cattle and crops prior to the discovery of copper.

Hot Springs County, Wyoming

9780738520582

$24.99

Nestled in Wyoming's Big Horn Basin, Hot Springs County has been home to ranchers, freighters, railroad men, lawmen and outlaws, coal miners and oil field hands. This book, featuring over 200 vintage photographs from the Hot Springs County Museum and the Milek family collection, tells the story of the settlement and culture of the County from 1871 to 1940. One of the last regions to be settled during the United States' 19th-century westward expansion, the springs that gave Hot Springs County its name were considered sacred by many of the native tribes of the region, including the Shoshoni and Arapaho. By 1875, white men were seeking out the healing springs as well as the ranching opportunities at the western end of the county. Along with the industrious and hardworking pioneers came the outlaws and the notorious. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were common acquaintances of county residents, especially local characters such as the mysterious Minne Brown and Tom Skinner, owner of the infamous Hole in the Wall Bar. Captured here are the businesses, mining and oil camps, lifestyles, and residents of the various towns of Hot Springs County, including Thermopolis, Gebo, Crosby, Kirby, Grass Creek, and Hamilton Dome.

Gillette

9780738580265

$24.99

There is an old saying that the Powder River was "a mile wide; an inch deep; too thick to drink; too thin to plow," and yet it was fought over many times in the early settlement of northeastern Wyoming. The lure of free land attracted tough pioneer families and rowdy outlaws to the new town of Gillette. Bars and brothels competed with schools and churches for the cowboys of some of the largest cattle and sheep ranches in the state. The coal that was discovered close to the surface, which first supplied settlers through blizzards and prairie winds, now provides one-third of the nation's energy. Ranching is still important in Gillette's economy but the abundant minerals have truly put Gillette, Wyoming, on the map.

Green River

9780738548197

$24.99

Nestled in a valley at the confluence of the Green River and Bitter Creek, the town of Green River is situated among some of the most famous and beautiful rock formations in the West. This stunning backdrop was the jumping-off point for John Wesley Powell's famous river explorations. The city's story is intertwined with the arteries of westward expansion. The Colorado River system, the Cherokee and Overland Trails, the Union Pacific Railroad, the Lincoln Highway, the interstate highway system, and even America's first "Intergalactic Space Port" are all part of the story of Green River. After its humble start as an Overland Trail stage station, the town grew in anticipation of the arrival of the transcontinental railroad and eventually became the Sweetwater County seat. The Green River, ranching, recreation, and the chemical industry also play a part in the town's history.

Sundance

9780738581095

$24.99

Sundance, in the northeast corner of Wyoming, may not be the only place with that name, but it is the original Sundance--the place where the Kid got his name. There was no settlement of any sort when Crook County was created in 1875. The town was founded in 1878, named after the mountain that stands south of town where the Plains tribes held their sun dance ceremonies. Sundance is not that different from the many other small towns that sprang to life in the boom of gold, cattle, and oil throughout the West, but it is different in that it has ridden through the booms and the busts and still survives. This book contains images of people's lives as they worked and played, lived and died. It tells of those who passed through, and those who stayed and helped the community establish its roots and grow.

Lander

9780738581507

$24.99

Before Lander became a town, the area had already been the summer hunting grounds for numerous Native American tribes, seen a few rendezvous, and had become a freighting hub. Supplying goods for the miners in the South Pass area and goods for the cavalry and natives at Fort Washakie, the freight wagons rolled year-round. When the Lander townsite was plotted in 1880, the main road remained wide enough that a 20-hitch team could turn around. As more people settled in the area, Lander became an agricultural-based town. It was known throughout the state for its abundance of produce, hay, blooded horses, cattle, and sheep. But it was not all work for the settlers; the Wind River Mountains also beckoned. Lander, located at the edge of the southern half of the Shoshone National Forest, became an outfitting stop for alpinists, scientists, and others seeking adventure. Once word of the vast elk and deer herds and the abundance of trout in those high mountain lakes was out, hunters and fisherman came from all over. It also did not take long for Western adventure writers to highlight that Lander was a good place for tourists who wanted to experience the romance of the west through horseback riding, camping, and mountain adventures.

Big Piney and Marbleton

9780738575889

$24.99

Big Piney and Marbleton are one mile apart, and attempts to combine the two towns have been unsuccessful. The area had been home to family-operated cattle ranches starting in 1878, and a year later Daniel B. Budd and Hugh McKay brought 1,000 cattle from Nevada and were stopped here due to the weather. Founded by Daniel, Big Piney was incorporated in a boggy area on July 5, 1913, and is the oldest settlement in Sublette County. Daniel's eldest son, Charles, had hoped to build the town up on the bench to alleviate the problem of wet land. He founded Marbleton, the newer town, which was incorporated in 1914. Big Piney has been called the "Icebox of the Nation" because it had the coldest year-round average temperature in the country when it was officially made a weather station in 1930. Cattle remain a vibrant part of the local economy, and the land has been drilled for oil since the 1920s. Both towns have known several booms and busts, typical of the energy industry.

Weston County

9780738595443

$21.99

Tucked in the northeast corner of Wyoming against the Black Hills is Weston County. The county has served as a gateway, byway, and way of life and living. In the beginning, it was home to dinosaurs and volcanoes. Nomadic Indians then wandered through, leaving signs of their passing, and the great Sioux Indian Nations held this land dear. Finally, the area was seen as a place to settle, since the mineral-rich land and rolling grasslands provided an economic backdrop for people to stay and build a home for their families. Today, Weston County people are as diverse as this magnificent land of rugged timber that flows into sagebrush and short-grass prairies.