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Indigenous People in Wyoming and the West

Protecting Public Land

Shortly after Congress gave him the power to do so, President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 created the nation’s first national monument at Devils Tower. Wyoming’s lone congressman, Frank Mondell, fearing federal overreach and always in favor of developing, not protecting, public land was distinctly unenthusiastic about the move.

Marking the Wagon Box Site

One summer morning in 1908, Sam Gibson rode horseback along Little Piney Creek near Sheridan County’s southern border. His companion, Charles Bezold, rode alongside, eager to hear the older man’s stories of an Indian Wars battle 40 years before. They knew they were near the site of the Wagon Box Fight ...

A Woman Alone on her Claim

Chicago native Florence Blake risked her life in a bull pasture; traveled to Devil’s Tower and Yellowstone Park; and attended many all-night dances—all part of her life as a single woman homesteader in Campbell County, Wyoming in the early 1920s. She lived in Wyoming seven months each year.

Rancher, Hunter, Archaeologist

Longtime University of Wyoming archaeologist George Frison’s thinking about ancient bison kill sites was deeply informed by his early life as a hunter and rancher. Over a long career Frison won the affection and respect of students and colleagues; his many awards included election to the National Academy of Sciences.

A Murder and a Prison Break

When Noah Richardson brought his gal to a gathering of cowboys in 1905, he expected her to leave with him. The charm of Allie Means that day won him the girl but lost him his life. Read more about the desperate crimes of Noah Richardson and the chain of events spurred on by the murder of Allie Means.

Pony Express

Contrary to legend, the sole purpose of the Pony Express was to secure a $1 million U.S. Mail subsidy by showing mail could be delivered on time between Missouri and California—even through winter. But in the contest between the Pony Express and Wyoming winter, winter won.

Protecting Public Land

Marking the Wagon Box Site

A Woman Alone on her Claim

Rancher, Hunter, Archaeologist

A Murder and a Prison Break

Pony Express

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Florence Blake Had Grit

Florence Blake had grit, and she loved Wyoming. Not even the rigors of a November 1919 drive from Gillette to her prospective claim “through slick gumbo spots” daunted her.

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September 2023