Wyoming History

Historians remember Nellie Tayloe Ross as the first woman to ever serve as Governor. She was also the mother of four sons, George, James, Alfred, and William.

Although present-day Wyoming was already a United States Territory in 1862, nearly 10 percent of land in the Cowboy State was once a part of Mexico.

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.

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.

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

Due to repeated "violations of wartime rationing restrictions" in the area, the cities of Casper and Cheyenne temporarily outlawed the sale of coffee.

September 25, 1963, is a day that many people in Wyoming will never forget. President John F. Kennedy visited Cheyenne, Laramie, and Jackson.

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