Wyoming History

August 1, 1985, a tragic flash flood in Cheyenne claimed 12 lives and caused over $60 million in property damage.

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.

In "The Girl Guards of Wyoming: The Lost Women's Militia", Cheyenne author and historian Dan Lyon recounts the legendary tale of Company K, the first all-female military troop in American history.

The Capitol was originally built in 1887 for $150,000, the modern-day equivalent of $4 million. The cost to renovate just the Capitol building was $116 million in 2017.

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.

The state of Wyoming celebrates its 129th birthday tomorrow. Like many great events in American history, it would have never happened without a politician lying through his teeth.

Events kick off at noon Wednesday with food trucks and music, followed by a ribbon cutting, tours of the Capitol Square Project, live music, and fireworks.

July 4, 1867, General Greenville Dodge arrived at the Crow Creek Crossing to survey the path for the Union Pacific Railroad's westward expansion. Dodge officially named the town Cheyenne and plotted a four-square-mile area that would later become Wyoming's Capital City.

July 1, 1919, Wyoming became the last state in the region to ban alcohol. During prohibition, the towns of Kemmerer and Rock Springs became regional hubs for bootleggers and organized crime.

If not for her untimely disappearance in 1937, the most famous female aviator in history might have become a resident of the cowboy state.