Wyoming History

With the help of a new interactive map, you can now see what the Cowboy State looked like through the ages, dating back to the Cryogenian Period 750 million years ago.

Here in Wyoming, Christmas has been officially observed since the territory was first granted statehood in 1890. But a lot has changed since then.

December 25, 1866, soldiers at Fort Laramie gathered for the Christmas party. By night's end, it would be the saddest holiday celebration in Wyoming history.

150 years ago today, on December 10, 1869, legislators in the newly founded Wyoming Territory approved a bill granting women the right to vote. Voting rights were one of many historic milestones for women in what would later become the "Equality State".

December 5, 1944, a Japanese balloon bomb landed just outside of Thermopolis, Wyoming. Around 6:15 p.m., four coal miners heard a whistling noise overhead, followed by an explosion that sent flames parachuting across the night sky.

Park tells the story of Frank Emi, a second-generation Japanese American who was interred at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in North-Central Wyoming.

The Battle Pass Byway is one of the most scenic drives in the Cowboy State. The 11-mile stretch of WY-70 from Encampment to Slaughterhouse Gulch may also be the most haunted road in Wyoming.

September 6, 1887, the University of Wyoming officially opened, welcoming 42 students and five faculty members.

141 years ago today, on July 29, 1878, Thomas Edison attempted to photograph a total solar eclipse in Rawlins. According to legend, Edison's trip to Wyoming later played an important role in the invention of the light bulb.

It took Wyoming nearly 30 years after becoming a state until it adopted a state flag. Today one of the original flags hangs with pride in this museum in Buffalo.