This month we feature car-travelers writing home about Wyoming, a military/scientific expedition and history summer camps sponsored by the Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum.

On the road for fun

After World War I, people in America’s fast-growing, car-purchasing middle class could afford pleasure trips and began sending home picture postcards. The cards reveal a great deal about the attitudes, class and prejudices of their senders and vendors, and hint at what Wyoming people wanted the world to see. Read more in R. Kurt Johnson’s article, “Greetings from Wyoming: Postcards and the Tourist Culture.”

Exploring for the government before the Civil War

In 1859-1860 Capt. William Raynolds led scientists, artists and soldiers who mapped much of present Wyoming and Montana. Their maps show a West frozen in time, home to Native people. But the maps were tools too of the nation’s sense of itself and its Manifest Destiny—to dispossess people who already lived here. Read more in James H. Nottage’s article, “Rivers, Mountains and Plains: The Raynolds Expedition of 1859-1860.”

History Summer Camps sponsored 
by the Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum

Explore River History
July 10-14, entering grades 1-4
July 24-28, entering grades 5-8

The July 10-14 camp is full. To be put on the waiting list, or if you have questions about either camp, contact Catherine Maguire at catherine@jacksonholehistory.org.

Upcoming Events around Wyoming

For June calendar events, visit the Wyoming Historical Society’s new website. If you know of upcoming history-related events in Wyoming, send a note to editor@wyohistory.org.

View the Calendar

Latest from the Blog

History’s Not Static
Several recent events, including her induction into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, have brought Agnes Wright Spring further into the public eye. The attention has drawn both praise and thoughtful criticism of her work.

Lizabeth Wiley and Greybull’s Town Records
Ordinances and town-council meeting minutes do not reveal much about Wiley’s fight against the KKK. They do show her extensive support of the Fire Department and better safety regulations. Her fight to uphold the prohibition laws also makes only a brief appearance in the minutes, with her appointment of a special police officer to monitor public dances.

Judging History
On Monday, May 1 in Laramie we were fortunate to have a chance to judge at Wyoming History Day. More than a hundred students from a dozen or so Wyoming schools participated; 42 of them will take their projects to compete at National History Day at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md., just north of Washington, D.C., in June.