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Indigenous People in Wyoming and the West

Women’s Suffrage and Women’s Rights

“Little Switzerland:” Star Valley and its Dairies

A long, slender valley lies in western Wyoming along the Idaho border. Four to six miles wide and twenty-one miles long, Star Valley drew its first settlers, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, because it was hard to get to—and it wasn’t in Idaho.

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Wyoming and the Texas Ranching System

How did a subtropical cattle ranching practice make it into Wyoming? Wyoming’s cattle ranching industry has deep roots in the Tamaulipas area of Mexico, the Carolinas, and Texas. Read more about how this system got established in Wyoming, who profited from it, and what happened when it met the harsh reality of Wyoming winters.

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Roundups on Wyoming’s Open Range

In the 1870s and 1880s, the cattle ranching industry in Wyoming operated mostly on neglect with one exception: the roundups. For most of the year, cattle were left to roam and graze untended. But twice a year, they were rounded up—sometimes as far as 100 miles away from their home ranch. Read more about the roundups on Wyoming’s Open Range.

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From Sparti and his Spear to Pete and his Pistol

Dressed as a cowboy and donning a large stick-on mustache, graduate student Don Bogdan quickly became recognized as the “loudest and most obvious Cowboy fan at University of Wyoming sports events.” His portrayal of Pistol Pete became a staple at sporting events at University of Wyoming. Learn more about the man behind the mustache and the origins of Wyoming’s most beloved icons.

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Jaggar in the Absarokas

In 1893, young geologist Thomas Jaggar joined Arnold Hague’s expedition to map the Absaroka Mountains east of Yellowstone. Their 77-day journey through Wyoming’s rugged terrain documented the geology of what would become Shoshone National Forest, producing some of the earliest photographs and scientific records of this remote region.

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Star Valley and its Dairy Business
Wyoming and the Texas Ranching System
Roundups on Wyoming’s Open Range
The Origin Story of Pistol Pete
Jaggar in the Absarokas

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The Mind of an Outlaw: Bill Carlisle’s Reflections on Honor, Crime, and the Changing West

Wyoming’s last train robber was a man of contradictions—a thief who refused to steal from women, a fugitive who charmed his way into homesteaders’ homes, a prisoner who taught himself needlework. In 1960 oral history interviews housed at the University of Wyoming’s American Heritage Center, Bill Carlisle spoke candidly about the psychology behind his crimes, the unwritten codes of cowboy culture that shaped his conduct, and the long road from impulsive outlaw to respected Laramie motel owner.

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mug shot of Bill Carlisle

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