Wyoming
Wyoming is nicknamed the Equality State. Women in
Wyoming had equal voting rights with men before any other American women did.
Wyoming women first voted in 1870. The United States Constitution did not give
the vote to women across the nation until 1920, 50 years later. Wyoming also
was the first state to let women hold public office and serve on juries.
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Facts About Wyoming
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Capital
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Cheyenne
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Population
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523,000
people
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Rank
among states in population
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50th
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Major
cities
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Cheyenne,
Casper, Laramie
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Area
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97,800
square miles
253,000 square kilometers |
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Rank
among states in area
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9th
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Statehood
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July
10, 1890, the 44th state
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State
nickname
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The
Equality State
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Name
for residents
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Wyomingites
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State
bird
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Western
Meadowlark
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State
flower
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Indian
Paintbrush
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State
tree
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Cottonwood
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Abbreviation
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WY
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THE COWBOY STATE
Wyoming is also known as the Cowboy State. Wyoming
grasslands are good for grazing cattle. In the 1860s, ranchers from Texas began
bringing their cattle to fatten up in Wyoming. They hired cowboys to look after
their cattle. Cowboys drove the cattle to railroad stations so the cattle could
be shipped to market. Ranching is still important to the state. Visitors to Wyoming
can stay on dude ranches to learn about cowboy life. Every summer, many rodeos
are held. Cowboys compete in rodeos in such events as bull riding and cattle
roping.
Wyoming is a land of mountains and high
plains. The name Wyoming comes from a Native American word meaning “at the big
plains.” Wyoming has many wonders of nature, including Devils Tower and
Yellowstone National Park.
DEVILS TOWER
Devils Tower is in the northeastern corner of
Wyoming. A volcano created this towering pillar of rock. Melted rock shot into
the air from the volcano. It formed Devils Tower when it cooled. Columns of a
rock called basalt make up the tower.
Devils Tower is a sacred site for many Native
Americans. Several tribes called this rock Bears Lodge. They created stories to
explain the cracks in the rock between the columns of basalt. According to the
stories, a giant bear made the cracks by scratching its claws down the sides of
the tower. In 1906, Devils Tower became the first national monument in the
United States.
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
In 1872, the United States Congress created
Yellowstone National Park. It was the world’s first national park. Did you know
that Yellowstone National Park is as large as the states of Delaware and Rhode
Island combined? Yellowstone gets its name from the yellow cliffs along the
Yellowstone River. The river runs through the park.
Millions of tourists visit Yellowstone each year.
They watch Old Faithful and other geysers in the park spout hot water into the
air. They see steaming hot springs and bubbling mud pots. The mud pots are made
of heated clay. Tourists also watch bears, bison, deer, elk, moose, and other
wildlife.
The Crow, Blackfoot, Shoshone, and other Native
American peoples lived in the Yellowstone region first. Fur trapper John Colter
visited the region in 1807. He was probably the first explorer to see
Yellowstone. Colter told tales of geysers, boiling mud, and other natural
wonders. No one believed him.
Tourists also visit the Teton range south of
Yellowstone. Stunning, snowcapped mountains rise abruptly from the Wyoming
plains to form the Tetons. Grand Teton National Park is a popular place for
hiking, viewing wildlife, and enjoying scenic beauty.
THE OREGON TRAIL
Fur traders came to Wyoming to trap beaver.
The beaver pelts were used to make hats for men in Europe. The traders also
helped open the West for settlement. They discovered and marked a trail over
the Rocky Mountains. This route was called South Pass. It provided a fairly
easy route over the Rockies. South Pass enabled settlers to move west on the
Oregon Trail.
Thousands of pioneers crossed Wyoming in wagon trains on
the Oregon Trail. The pioneers were traveling to California or the Oregon
Territory. They usually stopped on their way at Fort Laramie, Wyoming’s first
permanent settlement. The fort was established in 1834. Stagecoaches and the
Pony Express also followed the Oregon Trail. The Pony Express carried the mail.
BUFFALO BILL
Buffalo Bill Cody founded the town of Cody,
Wyoming, and named it after himself. Buffalo Bill got his name from hunting
buffalo. The animals provided meat for hungry workers building railroads in the
West. In the 1880s, Buffalo Bill organized a popular Wild West Show and took it
on tour. His outdoor show featured sharpshooters, attacking Indians, buffalo
hunts, and Pony Express rides.
THE ROAD TO STATEHOOD
In 1867, gold was discovered at South Pass.
Several thousand gold-seekers rushed to the area. The miners wanted a
government to run the region. In 1868, Wyoming became a territory. That same
year, a railroad across Wyoming was completed. The railroad builders knew there
was coal in Wyoming. They could use the coal as fuel for their trains. They
could sell any extra coal.
The railroad also brought settlers to the Wyoming
Territory. Many of the settlers were miners. On July 10, 1890, Wyoming became
the 44th state. Cheyenne, a town on the railroad line, became its capital.
OIL AND THE TEAPOT DOME SCANDAL
Oil also became big business in Wyoming.
Casper and other Wyoming towns grew because of nearby oil discoveries. A major
government scandal in 1920 involved the Teapot Dome oilfields near Casper.
Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall secretly gave oil companies the rights to
oil in the Teapot Dome fields. In return, the oil companies gave Fall money.
Fall resigned and went to jail. For many years, the Teapot Dome scandal stood
as an example of corruption in American government.
Mining remains an important industry in Wyoming.
Coal, oil, and natural gas provide the state with more income and jobs than
ranching and farming do.
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