Wyoming may be a sparsely populated state, but we’ve sure packed a lot of history into our past! Read about some of the most important small town events in Wyoming history below.
1. Wilcox
Wilcox was home to one of the most successful outlaw train robberies of all On June 2, 1899, Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch Gang blew a Union Pacific train off the tracks, stole $50,000 worth of cash and gold, and escaped to their Hole in the Wall hideout.
2. Jackson
Jackson was home to the very first all-woman town council, in 1920. They were also the first town to elect a female town Marshal.
3. Kemmerer
Did you know that J.C. Penney was a real person? He opened his first store in 1902 in Kemmerer, Wyoming. By 1924, his company was running had 500 stores open throughout the country, and by 1928, JC Penney's opened their 1,000th store.
4. Greybull
The Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite was discovered in 1997, and by 2002, a BLM site had been dedicated. This rural rock gulch is home to hundreds of fossilized dinosaur footprints!
5. Buffalo
Buffalo was the site of the biggest standoff of the Johnson County War, at T.A. Ranch. A conflict between the Big Cattle corporations and ranchers erupted into a full-blown battle, and locals surrounded the ranch, trapping the Big Cattle enforcers. Eventually, the US Calvary came in to ease tensions and save the outnumbered mercenary force.
6. Kaycee
For decades, the outlaws of the Wild West established a safe hiding spot outside of Kaycee in Johnson County. This remote canyon area was called the Hole in the Wall, and the geography of the region helped cattle rustlers and horse wrangers get away with their crimes.
7. Cody
The Shoshone Dam at the Buffalo Bill Reservoir is one of the most impressive feats of engineering in American history. Construction took six years and thousands of tons of dynamite. The Shosohone Dam was the first high dam in the United States, and the Hoover Dam's engineers used this project as a guide.
8. Thermopolis
The World's Largest Mineral Hot Springs are in Thermopolis and they're open to the public for free thanks to a 1896 treaty between the US Government, Shoshone and Arapaho tribes.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.