Looking through old photographs is like stepping through a portal in time. They can take you back decades, even centuries. When these vintage pictures of Wyoming were unearthed, we knew we had to share them. They may even be the oldest photos of Wyoming you can find! It’s incredible the way they depict the Cowboy State in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, showing that Wyoming has both come a long way, yet some aspects largely remained unchanged.

This well-known scene is a picture of Tower Falls was taken in the 1870s, somewhere around the time explorers first came across the area we now know as Yellowstone National Park.
William Henry Jackson/Library of Congress
In the late 1860s, teams of geologists and surveyers flocked to Wyoming, then an unknown territory. This picture shows one team led by geologist John Wesley Powell as they prepare to launch into their adventure.
Libarary of Congress
The teams would set up camps like this one along their way.
Library of Congress
First published in 1868, this photo shows the stately Church Butte near Fort Bridger.
Andrew J. Russell/Library of Congress
The railroad was a big deal here out west. This picture from the mid 1860s captured the bridge construction near Citadel Rock.
Andrew J. Russell - Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library [1], Public Domain/Wikimedia
Carbon County was founded in the late 1860s and this pic shows the group of men credited with pioneering the area.
Ichabod S. Bartlett - https://archive.org/details/historyofwyoming01bart, Public Domain/Wikimedia

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Today, this site is a ruin, but this undated photo is proof that a hospital once stood there.
Public Domain/Wikimedia
Once immigrants started settling in Wyoming, it didn't take long for cities to start popping up. This picture depicts Cheyenne as an established and growing town by 1876.
U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Public Domain/Wikimedia
This 1870s snap of Teapot Rock by Green River could have been taken today - some things in Wyoming never change.
Timothy H. O'Sullivan/Library of Congress
Wyoming kept U.S. Geological Survey teams busy in the late 1800s. This photograph was taken at a U.S.G.S. camp at Red Buttes near the junction of the Sweetwater and North Platte rivers.
U.S. Geological Survey/Flickr
This 1869 picture of the Unita Summit near Bear River proves that Wyoming wilderness has always been breathtaking.
Andrew J. Russell/Library of Congress
Wyoming's natural attractions have always drawn tourists and sight-seers, like this family in the 1920s who came to see the wonders like Teepee Fountain in Thermopolis, which was man-made using the hot spring mineral water. You can still find it today in Hot Springs State Park!
simpleinsomnia/Flickr
As the 20th Century got rolling, so did road construction. A road crew working in Wyoming in the 1920s got together to capture this moment for posterity.
U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Public Domain/Wikimedia

What fascinates you most about Wyoming’s history? If you can’t get enough of our state’s past, visit some of our historic sites and you can step back in time! If you haven’t noticed, America’s Railroad Capital Is Right Here In Wyoming And It’s Well Worth A Day Trip.

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oldest photos of Wyoming

Kim Magaraci | October 23, 2020

What underrated places in Wyoming should I visit?

One of the most underrated spots you can visit in Wyoming is actually the state's very first "roadside" attraction. The Ayres Natural Bridge was a stopping point along the Oregon Trail, once immigrants realized how neat this natural wonder was. Another beautiful and underrated spot in Wyoming is Lake Helen in the Cloud Peak Wilderness. If you love overlooks, stop to see the Salt River Pass near Hoback Junction and you can practically look back in time and spot the Oregon Trail wagon pathways from above

Where is the creepiest town in Wyoming?

If you're looking for the spookiest place in Wyoming, head to the town of Kirwin. It was once a thriving mining and vacation town, but a deadly avalanche killed several residents, and chased the remainder from their homes. Ever since it was abandoned, it's been the site of all sorts of paranormal activity. Other towns with high levels of ghostly happenings include Buffalo, where you can visit the haunted Occidental Hotel and Sheridan, where you can stay at the spooky Sheridan Inn.

What places in Wyoming should I see before I die?

Some bucket-list worthy destinations in the Cowboy State include: Cascade Canyon, Jenny Lake, and the Chapel of the Transfiguration in Grand Teton National Park; Old Faithful Geyser, Steamboat Geyser, Mt. Washburn, and Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Par;, Devils Tower National Monument; Fossil Butte National Monument; Independence Rock State Historic Site; Crazy Woman Canyon in Ten Sleep; Fremont Lake in Pinedale, and the Castle Gardens Petroglyph Site. Learn about these stunning sights and more when you sign up for our daily newsletters about all things Wyoming.

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