Wyoming

1 Location and Size

2 Topography

3 Climate

4 Plants and Animals

5 Environmental Protection

6 Population

7 Ethnic Groups

8 Languages

9 Religions

10 Transportation

11 History

12 State Government

13 Political Parties

14 Local Government

15 Judicial System

16 Migration

17 Economy

18 Income

19 Industry

20 Labor

21 Agriculture

22 Domesticated Animals

23 Fishing

24 Forestry

25 Mining

26 Energy and Power

27 Commerce

28 Public Finance

29 Taxation

30 Health

31 Housing

32 Education

33 Arts

34 Libraries and Museums

35 Communications

36 Press

37 Tourism, Travel & Recreation

38 Sports

39 Famous Wyomingites

40 Bibliography

State of Wyoming

ORIGIN OF STATE NAME: Derived from the Delaware Indian words maugh-wau-wa-ma, meaning “large plains.”

NICKNAME : The Equality State; The Cowboy State.

CAPITAL: Cheyenne.

ENTERED UNION: 10 July 1890 (44th).

OFFICIAL SEAL: A female figure holding the banner “Equal Rights” stands on a pedestal between pillars topped by lamps symbolizing the light of knowledge. Two male figures flank the pillars, on which are draped banners that proclaim “Livestock,” “Grain,” “Mines,” and “Oil.” At the bottom is a shield with an eagle, star, and Roman numerals XLIV, flanked by the dates 1869 and 1890. The whole is surrounded by the words “Great Seal of the State of Wyoming.”

FLAG: A blue field with a white inner border and a red outer border (symbolizing, respectively, the sky, purity, and the Native Americans) surrounds a bison with the state seal branded on its side.

MOTTO: Equal Rights.

SONG: “Wyoming.”

FLOWER: Indian paintbrush.

TREE: Cottonwood.

ANIMAL: Bison.

BIRD: Western meadowlark.

FISH: Cutthroat trout.

GEM: Jade.

FOSSIL: Knightia.

LEGAL HOLIDAYS: New Year’s Day, 1 January; Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. and Wyoming Equality Day, 3rd Monday in January; Presidents’ Day, 3rd Monday in February; Memorial Day, last Monday in May; Independence Day, 4 July; Labor Day, 1st Monday in September; Veterans’ Day, 11 November; Thanksgiving Day, 4th Thursday in November; Christmas Day, 25 December. Special observances are made on Arbor Day, last Monday in April; Native American Day, 2nd Friday in May; Juneteenth, 3rd Saturday in June; Birthday of Nellie Tayloe Ross, 29 November; Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, 7 December; Wyoming Day, 10 December.

TIME: 5 AM MST = noon GMT.

1 Location and Size

Located in the Rocky Mountain region of the northwestern United States, Wyoming ranks ninth in size among the 50 states. The total area of Wyoming is 97,809 square miles (253,325 square kilometers), of which land comprises 96,989 square miles (251,201 square kilometers) and inland water 820 square miles (2,124 square kilometers). The state has a maximum east–west extension of 365 miles (587 kilometers). Its extreme distance from north to south is 265 miles (426 kilometers). The state’s boundary length is 1,269 miles (2,042 kilometers).

2 Topography

The eastern third of Wyoming forms part of the Great Plains; the remainder belongs to the Rocky Mountains. Extending diagonally across the state from northwest to south is the Continental Divide, which separates the generally eastward-flowing drainage system of North America from the westward-flowing drainage of the Pacific states.

Gannett Peak, in western Wyoming, at 13,804 feet (4,210 meters), is the highest point in the state. The lowest point in the state, 3,099 feet (945 meters), occurs in the northeast, on the Belle Fourche River.

Wyoming’s largest lake, Yellowstone, lies in the heart of Yellowstone National Park. In Grand Teton National Park to the south are two smaller lakes, Jackson and Jenny. Major rivers include the Green, Yellowstone, Big Horn, Powder, Snake, Belle Fourche, and Cheyenne.

3 Climate

Wyoming is generally semiarid with localized desert conditions. Daily temperatures in Cheyenne range from 15°f (-9°c) to 38°f (3°c) in January and from 54°f (12°c) to 83°f (28°c) in July. The record low temperature, -66°f (-54°c), was set on 9 February 1933 at Riverside. The record high, 114°f (46°c), occurred at Basin on 12 July 1900.

Wyoming Population Profile

Population by Age Group

The average annual precipitation in Cheyenne is 14.5 inches (36 centimeters). The average annual snowfall in Cheyenne is 51.2 inches (130 centimeters).

4 Plants and Animals

Wyoming has more than 2,000 species of ferns, conifers, and flowering plants. Prairie grasses dominate the eastern third of the state, while desert shrubs (primarily sagebrush) cover the Great Basin in the west. Rocky Mountain forests consist largely of pine, spruce, and fir. In 2006, three plant species were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, including the Colorado butterfly plant, Ute ladies’ tresses, and desert yellowhead.

Game mammals include the mule deer, elk, and moose. The jackrabbit and antelope are plentiful. Wild turkey and sage grouse are leading game birds. There are 78 species of fish, of which rainbow trout is the favorite game fish. In 2006, the US Fish and Wildlife Service listed nine Wyoming animal species as threatened or endangered, including the black-footed ferret, grizzly bear, razorback sucker, Kendall Warm Springs dace, and Wyoming toad.

5 Environmental Protection

The state’s principal environmental concerns are conservation of scarce water resources and preservation of air quality. The Department of Environmental Quality, which was established in 1973 and reorganized in 1992, enforces measures

Wyoming Population by Race

Census 2000 was the first national census in which the instructions to respondents said, “Mark one or more races.” This table shows the number of people who are of one, two, or three or more races. For those claiming two races, the number of people belonging to the various categories is listed. The U.S. government conducts a census of the population every ten years.

to prevent pollution of Wyoming’s surface water and groundwater and administers 21 air-monitoring sites to maintain air quality. Wyoming typically spends the most money per capita on the environment and natural resources relative to all other states in the union. Programs to dispose of hazardous waste and assure safe drinking water are administered by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

In 2003, Wyoming had 42 hazardous waste sites listed in the EPA’s database, two of which were on the National Priorities List as of 2006. Wetlands cover about 1.25 million acres (505,857 hectares) of Wyoming and are administered and protected by the Wyoming Wetlands Act.

6 Population

In 2006, Wyoming ranked 51st among the United States and the District of Columbia in population, with an estimated total of 515,004. Wyoming has the second-lowest population density in the country (5.2 persons per square mile/2 persons per square kilometer). Only Alaska is more sparsely populated. The median age in 2004 was 38.4 years. In 2005, about 12% of all residents were 65 years old or older while about 23% were 18 or younger.

Leading cities in 2005 were Cheyenne, Casper, and Laramie, all of which had fewer than 60,000 residents.

7 Ethnic Groups

According to the 2000 census, there were 11,133 Native Americans residing in Wyoming, the largest tribe being the Arapaho. The black American population was 3,722. The Asian population was 2,771, with the largest group being the Chinese, who numbered 609 residents. In 2006, about 92.4% of the population was white and mostly of European descent, the largest groups being German, English, and Irish. Blacks represented just 0.7%, Hispanics and Latinos, 6.8%, and American Indians, 1.9%.

8 Languages

Generally, Wyoming English is North Midland with some South Midland elements, especially along the Nebraska border. In 2000, 93.6% of the residents five years old or older spoke only English at home. Residents who spoke other languages at home, and the number of people speaking them, include Spanish, 18,606; German, 2,382; and various Native American languages, 1,795.

9 Religions

The religiously active population in Wyoming is split between Protestants, Catholics, and Mormons. In 2004, the Catholic Church had about 50,979 members. The other large single denomination is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), with 56,665 members in 2006. Other leading denominations included the Southern Baptist Convention, 17,101 members in 2000; the United Methodist Church, 11,431 members in 2000; the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, 11,113; and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 10,038. Wyoming also had an estimated 430 Jews and 263 Muslims. There were 263,057 people (about 53% of the population) who were not counted as members of any religious organization in 2000.

10 Transportation

Wyoming is served chiefly by the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe and Union Pacific railroads. The total trackage of these two Class I railroads in 2003 was 1,846 rail miles (2,972 kilometers), out of a total of 1,882 miles (3,030 kilometers) of railroad track in the state. This is due to double- and triple-tracking, primarily to haul coal from the Powder River Basin. Amtrak passenger rail service in and through the state was discontinued in 1997. Public highways and rural and urban roads, totaling 27,594 miles (44,426 kilometers) cross the state. As of 2004, there were some 651,000 registered motor vehicles and 380,180 licensed drivers.

As of 2005, Wyoming had 90 airports and 23 heliports. Jackson Hole Airport in Jackson is the state’s main airport.

11 History

Although the first Europeans to visit Wyoming were French Canadian traders, the first modern exploration of the area was made by an American fur trader, John Colter, who traversed the northwestern part of the state in 1807–08, probably crossing what is now Yellowstone Park. After Colter, trappers and fur traders crisscrossed Wyoming.

Between 1840 and 1867, thousands of Americans crossed Wyoming on the Oregon Trail, bound for Oregon or California. Very few, however, stayed in this harsh region. The event that brought population as well as territorial status to Wyoming was the coming of the Union Pacific Railroad. In 1868, Wyoming was organized as a territory; in the following year, 1869, Wyoming became the first territory or state that allowed women to vote.

Wyoming became a center for cattle ranchers and foreign investors who hoped to make a fortune from free grass and the high price of cattle. The struggle between the large landowners and small ranchers culminated in the so-called Johnson County War of 1891–92.

Statehood Wyoming became a state in 1890, but growth remained slow. Attempts at farming proved unsuccessful in this high, arid region, and Wyoming to this day remains a sparsely settled ranching state. What growth has occurred has been primarily through the minerals industry, especially the development of coal, oil, and natural-gas resources during the 1970s national energy crisis. However, the worldwide oil glut in the early 1980s slowed the growth of the state’s energy industries.

In 1984, the growth of the state’s nonfuel mineral industry slowed as well. Since then, the state has looked to tourism as an effective means of expanding its economy. In the summer of 1988, forest fires raged across Yellowstone National Park, devastating about one-third of the park’s area.

Wyoming’s small towns were struggling to keep their young people from moving away. In 2000, Wyoming’s population was aging faster than any other state: there were more people over age 35 than 34 or under.

Unlike most of the nation, Wyoming in 2003 had a $169 million budget surplus, largely due to an increase in mineral revenues.

In 2005, Wyoming submitted a petition to delist the gray wolf from the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s list of threatened and endangered species. In July 2006, the Fish and Wildlife Service decided against this request to remove the wolves from the list.

12 State Government

The Wyoming legislature consists of a 30-member senate and a 60-member house of representatives. Senators are elected to four-year terms and representatives for two-year terms. Heading the executive branch are the following elected officials: the governor, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer, comptroller, commissioner of finance, and superintendent of public instruction. There is no lieutenant governor. A bill passed by the legislature becomes law if signed by the governor, if left unsigned by the governor for three days while the legislature is in session (or 15 days after it has adjourned), or if passed over the governor’s veto by two-thirds of the members of each house.

As of December 2004, the legislative salary was $125 per day during regular legislative sessions, and the governor’s salary was $130,000.

13 Political Parties

The Republicans have dominated Wyoming politics at the federal and state level, although the state elected a Democratic governor in 2002. There were 246,000 registered voters in 2004. In 1998, 30% of registered voters were Democratic, 59% Republican, and 11% unaffiliated or members of other parties. Democratic governor Dave Freudenthal, who was elected in 2002, was reelected in 2006. Both of Wyoming’s senators, Mike Enzi (reelected in 2002) and Craig Thomas (reelected in 2006), are Republicans, as is Wyoming’s US Representative, Barbara Cubin (reelected in 2006). Following the 2006 mid-term elections, there were 23 Republicans and 7 Democrats in the state senate; 43 Republicans and 17 Democrats in the state house. Fourteen women were elected to the state legislature in the 2006 elections, or 15.6%. Republican George W. Bush received 69% of the vote in the 2000 presidential election, while 28% went to Democrat Al Gore. In 2004, Bush once again secured 69% of the vote, while Democrat John Kerry received just 29% of the vote.

14 Local Government

Wyoming is subdivided into 23 counties, 98 municipalities, 48 public school districts, and 546 special districts and authorities. County officials include a clerk, treasurer, assessor, sheriff, attorney, three commissioners, and from one to five county judges. Municipalities may decide their own form of government, including mayor-council and council-manager.

15 Judicial System

Wyoming’s judicial branch consists of a supreme court with a chief justice and four other justices, district courts with a total of 222 judges, county courts, and justice of the peace courts.

Wyoming Governors: 1890–2007

Wyoming’s violent crime rate (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) in 2004 was 229.6 per 100,000 persons. Crimes against property (burglary, larceny/theft, and motor vehicle theft) were 3,334.3 reported incidents per 100,000 people. Wyoming’s prison population totaled 1,980 as of 31 December 2004. Wyoming has a death penalty, and as of 1 January 2006, there were two persons under sentence of death.

16 Migration

Many people have passed through Wyoming, but relatively few have come to stay. Between

Wyoming Presidential Vote by Major Political Parties 1948–2004

1990 and 1998, Wyoming had a net loss of less than 500 in domestic migration but a net gain of 2,000 in international migration. In the period 2000–05, net international migration was 2,264, and net internal migration was 1,771, for a net gain of 4,035 people.

17 Economy

The economic life of Wyoming is largely sustained by agriculture (chiefly feed grains and livestock) and mining (including petroleum and gas production). Mining and petroleum production grew rapidly during the 1970s, leading to a powerful upsurge in population. The absence of personal and corporate income taxes helped foster a favorable business climate during the 1990s.

The state economy’s growth rate grew rapidly coming into the 21st century, from 1.1% in 1998 to 12.3% in 2000. Wyoming was not greatly impacted by the 2001 bust in the information technology (IT) industry, as it had not been very involved in the IT boom years of the 1990s.

In 2004, Wyoming’s gross state product (GSP) was $23.9 billion, of which mining accounted for $5.9 billion (25% of GSP), while real estate accounted for $2.1 billion (8.7% of GSP), and construction at $1.3 billion (5.3% of GSP).

18 Income

In 2005, Wyoming had a gross state product of $27 billion, 49th in the nation. In 2004, the state ranked 15th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia with a per capita (per person) income of $34,279 (the national average was $33,050). The median annual household income for 2002–04 was $43,641, compared to the national average of $44,473. For the period 2002–04, 9.6% of the state’s residents lived below the federal poverty level, compared to 12.4% nationwide.

19 Industry

Manufacturing increased strikingly in Wyoming from 1977 to 1991. Value of shipments by manufacturers more than doubled from $1.287 billion to $2.733 billion. But these figures remain very small by national standards. In 2004, Wyoming’s manufacturing sector was largely centered on only two product subsectors, chemicals and fabricated metal products. The shipment value of all manufactured products in the state in 2004 was $5.01 billion.

20 Labor

In 2006, the labor force in Wyoming numbered 292,000, with approximately 9,400 workers unemployed, yielding an unemployment rate of 3.2%, compared to the national average of 4.7%. As of that date, 7.9% of the labor force was employed in construction; 19.7% in trade, transportation, and public utilities; 6% in professional and business services; 12% in leisure and hospitality services; and 24.2% in government. Data for manufacturing, financial activities, and education and health services were unavailable.

In 2005, of Wyoming’s 228,000 employed wage and salary workers, 18,000 were members of unions. This represented 7.9% of those so employed, while the national average is 12%.

21 Agriculture

In 2004, Wyoming had about 9,200 farms and ranches covering almost 34.4 million acres (13.9 million hectares). Total farm marketings in 2005 amounted to $1.1 billion, ranking 38th among the 50 states. Of this, livestock and animal products accounted for $984 million. Crops accounted for $146 million.

Field crops in 2004 included barley, wheat, oats, sugar beets, dry beans, and hay.

22 Domesticated Animals

For most of Wyoming’s territorial and state history, cattle ranchers have dominated the economy, even though the livestock industry is not large by national standards. In 2005, Wyoming had an estimated 1.35 million cattle and calves, valued at $1.38 billion. During 2004, there were 114,000 hogs and pigs, valued at $13.7 million. Wyoming farms and ranches produced 28.8 million pounds (13.1 million kilograms) of sheep and lambs in 2003 and an estimated 3.64 million pounds (1.7 million kilograms) of shorn wool in 2004. In 2003, Wyoming farmers sold 28,000 pounds (12,700 kilograms) of chicken and produced 54 million pounds (28.6 million kilograms) of milk.

23 Fishing

There is no important commercial fishing in Wyoming. Fishing is largely recreational, and fish hatcheries and fish-planting programs keep the streams well stocked. Wyoming’s streams annually provide 1.3 million angler days and 3.4 million fish; lakes generate 1.6 million angler days and a harvest of 4.1 million fish. There are two national fish hatcheries in the state (Saratoga and Jackson). In 2004, the state issued 247,583 sport fishing licenses.

24 Forestry

Wyoming has 10,995,000 acres (4,450,000 hectares) of forested land, equal to 17.8% of the state’s land area. Of this, 5,739,000 acres (2,323,000 hectares) are usable as commercial timberland. As of 2003, the state’s four national forests (Bighorn, Bridger-Teton, Medicine Bow, and Shoshone) covered a total of 9,238,000 acres (3,739,000 hectares). In 2004, lumber production totaled 165 million board feet. Ponderosa pine accounts for about 50% of the annual cut and lodgepole pine most of the rest. The remainder consists of Douglas fir, larch, Engelmann spruce, and other species.

25 Mining

The estimated value of nonfuel mineral production for Wyoming in 2003 was nearly $1.01 billion. Wyoming produced 3.34 million metric tons of bentonite in 2003, as well as 4 million metric tons of crushed stone. No metal production has been reported since 1984. Wyoming ranked 13th nationally in the value of nonfuel mineral production. Wyoming also ranked first in the nation in soda ash and bentonite production, and second in the output of grade-A helium. The state also ranked ninth in the production of gypsum. Major uses of Wyoming bentonite were as pet waste absorbent, drilling mud, pelletizing iron ore, in foundry sand, and as a waterproof sealant.

Wyoming also led the nation in soda ash production from the world’s largest known resource of trona, a natural sodium carbonate-bicarbonate. Trona mined in Wyoming was used to produce soda ash, caustic soda, sodium sulfite, sodium bicarbonate, sodium cyanide, and calcined trona. Wyoming is also known to have deposits of gold and silver, diamonds, copper, and metals belonging to the platinum group.

26 Energy and Power

In 2004, petroleum production was 141,000 barrels per day. Proven reserves totaled 628 million barrels. In 2004, reserves of natural gas were estimated at 22.6 trillion cubic feet (642.7 billion cubic meters). Natural gas production totaled 1.59 trillion cubic feet (45.21 billion cubic meters) in 2004.

Wyoming has the three largest producing coal mines in the United States and total recoverable coal reserves estimated at 7.05 billion tons. In 2000, the state’s active mines produced 396,493,000 tons of coal.

Electric power production in 2003 totaled 43.6 billion kilowatt hours. Total installed capacity was 6.5 million kilowatts. In 2000, Wyoming’s total per capita energy consumption was 844 million Btu (212.7 million kilo-calories), ranking it third among the 50 states, behind Alaska and Louisiana. Exported energy, however, is counted as intrastate consumption, thus inflating per capita energy usage.

27 Commerce

Wholesale sales totaled $3.3 billion in 2002; retail sales were $5.7 billion. Wyoming’s exports of products to other countries were valued at $669.07 million in 2005.

28 Public Finance

Wyoming’s biennial budget is prepared by the governor and submitted to the legislature at the beginning of each even-numbered calendar year. The fiscal year is from 1 July to 30 June.

In 2004, Wyoming had revenues of $5.15 billion and expenditures of $3.59 billion. The highest general expenditures were for education ($1.07 billion), public welfare ($497 million), and highways ($415 million). The outstanding state debt was $909 million, or $1,797.49 per capita (per person).

29 Taxation

The state sales tax is 4%. Other taxes include those on cigarettes and gasoline, in addition to other taxes. Wyoming has no personal or corporate income tax.

The state collected $1.74 billion in taxes in 2005, of which 30% came from the general sales tax, 10.4% from property taxes, 6.9% from selective sales taxes, and 52.7% from other taxes. Wyoming ranked 3rd among the states in terms of state and local tax burden in 2005, at $3,418 per capita. The national average was $2,192.

30 Health

In October 2005, the infant mortality was 5.8 deaths per 1,000 live births. The state’s overall death rate was 8.3 per 1,000 population in 2003. The main causes of death were heart disease, cerebrovascular diseases, and cancer. Among residents 18 years of age and older, 21.6% were reported to be regular smokers. In 2002, Wyoming had the highest suicide rate in the nation at 21.1 per 100,000 population.

Wyoming’s 23 community hospitals had about 1,800 beds in 2003. The average expense for community hospital care was $943 per inpatient day in 2003. In 2004, there were 191 doctors per 100,000 residents, and 774 nurses per 100,000 residents in 2005. In 2004, about 15% of Wyoming’s residents were uninsured.

31 Housing

In 2004, there were an estimated 232,637 housing units in Wyoming, ranking the state as having the smallest housing stock in the country. About 202,496 units were occupied; 69.9% were owner-occupied. About 65.4% of all units were single-family, detached homes. It was estimated that 11,242 units lacked telephone service, 1,229 lacked complete plumbing facilities, and 1,198 lacked complete kitchen facilities. Utility gas was the most common energy source for heating. The average household size was 2.43 people.

In 2004, 3,300 new privately owned housing units were authorized for construction. The median home value was $119,654. The median cost for mortgage owners was $954 per month. Renters paid a median of $534 per month.

32 Education

In 2004, 91.9% of Wyoming residents age 25 and older were high school graduates and 22.5% had obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Total public school enrollment was estimated at 88,000 in fall 2002 and is expected to reach 89,000 in fall 2014. Expenditures for public education in 2003/04 were estimated at $947.5 million. Enrollment in private schools in fall 2003 was 2,079.

As of fall 2002, there were 32,605 students enrolled in college or graduate school. In 2005, Wyoming had nine degree-granting institutions and seven community colleges. The state controls and funds the University of Wyoming in Laramie, as well as the seven community colleges. There are no private colleges or universities, although the National Outdoor Leadership School, based in Lander, offers courses in mountaineering and ecology.

33 Arts

The Grand Teton Music Festival (formerly the Jackson Hole Fine Arts Festival) was established in 1962 and has continued to present an annual program of symphonic and chamber music performed by some of the nation’s top artists. The Cheyenne Civic Center serves as a venue for a variety of musical and theatrical groups, including the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra. Cheyenne is also home to the Cheyenne Little Theater Players, a community theater group that marked a 75-year anniversary in 2005.

The Wyoming Council on the Arts funds local activities and organizations in the visual and performing arts, including painting, music, theater, and dance. The Wyoming Council for the Humanities has an active roster of speakers and ongoing history programs, as well as sponsoring a Native American Language Preservation program.

34 Libraries and Museums

In 2001, Wyoming had 23 county public library systems with over 2.4 million volumes and a combined circulation of over 3.7 million. The University of Wyoming, in Laramie, had 1,227,000 volumes and 12,960 periodical subscriptions. There are at least 53 museums and historic sites, including the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne; the Buffalo Bill Historical Center (Cody), which exhibits paintings by Frederic Remington; and the anthropological, geological, and art museums of the University of Wyoming at Laramie.

35 Communications

In 2004, 94.6% of Wyoming households had telephones. In June of that year, there were 277,658 mobile telephone subscribers. In 2003, 65.4% of Wyoming households had a computer and 57.7% had Internet access. In 2005, Wyoming had 28 major radio stations, 7 AM and 21 FM, plus three major television stations.

36 Press

In 2005, there were nine daily newspapers and five Sunday newspapers in Wyoming. The major daily paper, the Casper Star–Tribune, had a 2005 circulation of 30,790 daily and 33,289 Sunday subscribers.

37 Tourism, Travel & Recreation

In 2004, the state hosted 8 million overnight visitors and 17.9 million day-trip travelers. The tourism and travel industry supports over 37,823 jobs. In 2002–03, Wyoming tourism increased by 6.5%, the highest increase in travel and tourism of any US state.

There are two national parks in Wyoming (Yellowstone and Grand Teton) and 9 national forests. Devils Tower and Fossil Butte are national monuments, and Fort Laramie is a national historic site. Yellowstone National Park is the oldest and largest national park in the United States, featuring some 3,000 geysers and hot springs, including the celebrated Old Faithful. Just to the south of Yellowstone is Grand Teton National Park. Adjacent to Grand Teton is the National Elk Refuge, the feeding range of the continent’s largest known herd of elk.

38 Sports

There are no major league professional sports teams in Wyoming. Participation sports in Wyoming are typically Western. Skills developed by ranch hands in herding cattle are featured at rodeos held throughout the state. Cheyenne Frontier Days is the largest of these rodeos. Skiing is also a major sport, with Jackson Hole being the largest, best-known resort.

In collegiate sports, the University of Wyoming competes in the Mountain West Conference.

39 Famous Wyomingites

Important federal officeholders from Wyoming include Willis Van Devanter (b. Indiana, 1859–1941), who served on the US Supreme Court from 1910 to 1937. Richard Cheney (b. Nebraska, 1941), Wyoming’s US representative from 1979 to 1989 and the US secretary of defense from 1989 to 1992, was elected vice-president on the Republican ticket with George W. Bush in 2000. Nellie Taylor Ross (b. Missouri, 1876–1977) became the first female governor of any state in 1925, serving later as director of the US Mint from 1933 to 1953.

Many of Wyoming’s better-known individuals are associated with the frontier. William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody (b. Iowa, 1846–1917) established the town of Cody. A number of outlaws made their headquarters in Wyoming. The most famous were “Butch Cassidy” (Robert Leroy Parker, b. Utah, 1866–1909?) and the “Sundance Kid” (Harry Longabaugh, 1863?–1909?). Wyoming’s most famous entrepreneur was James Cash Penney (b. Missouri, 1875–1971), whose early experiences with J.C. Penney department stores was in Wyoming. Jackson Pollack (1912–1956), known for his Impressionistic “all-over drip style” painting, was born in Cody.

40 Bibliography

BOOKS

Bristow, M. J. State Songs of America. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000.

DuBois, Muriel L. Wyoming Facts and Symbols. Rev. ed. Mankato, MN: Capstone, 2003.

Heinrichs, Ann. Wyoming. Minneapolis, MN: Compass Point Books, 2004.

Kent, Deborah. Wyoming. New York: Children’s Press, 2000.

Murray, Julie. Wyoming. Edina, MN: Abdo Publishing, 2006.

Thomas, William. Wyoming. Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens, 2007.

WEB SITES

State of Wyoming. Wyoming Welcomes You. www.state.wy.us (accessed March 1, 2007).

Wyoming Travel and Tourism. Wyoming: Forever West. www.wyomingtourism.org (accessed March 1, 2007).