WYOMING

The state of Wyoming has been bypassed by the sweeping changes which affected a majority of the United States in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It is ranching country with little population and many open spaces. Wyoming has small cities and it has, in recent years, prospered from its abundant energy resources. But a large portion of the state remains much as it was when pioneer wagon trains crossed it in the mid-nineteenth century.

French Canadian traders were the first Europeans to enter Wyoming, but an American fur trader, John Colter, was the first to do any important exploration. After he reported on the natural wonders of the northwestern part of Wyoming, other traders and trappers crossed the territory. The old Oregon Trail crossed Wyoming, and between 1840 and 1867 thousands traversed the territory on their way to Oregon, California, or other points west. Some were travelling to the California, Idaho, and Colorado gold countries; others were escaping from the American Civil War (1860–1865) and its aftermath; still others simply hoped for good land on which to build new homes. They stopped at landmarks like Devil's Gate and Split Rock and at supply points like Fort Laramie, but few chose to stay in the arid land of Wyoming permanently. The economy of the area at that time was largely based on trading posts which served the travelling wagon trains, most establishments were run by mountain men. Other enterprises, such as blacksmith shops and ferries or toll bridges across rivers, also sprang up to serve the needs of the pioneers.

The Union Pacific Railroad eventually brought permanent settlers to Wyoming. It was the first time a railroad had been built before the creation of a new territory. Cheyenne, Laramie, Rawlins, Rock Springs, and other towns sprang up as the railroad made its way across the country in 1866 and 1867. Each experienced a boom and then a decline as the railroad workers moved from town to town. Wyoming officially became a territory in 1868, but growth was slow. In 1869 it had a population of barely nine thousand.

After the quelling of Indian uprisings in the late 1870s, Wyoming soon became cattle country. The cattlemen and some foreign investors hoped to get rich because the grass was free and the price of cattle was high. Texas longhorns were driven to the southeastern part of the territory, and later Hereford cattle were introduced. Although sheep were also raised on the ranches, Wyoming came to depend on cattle more than any other territory. The American myth of the cowboy was especially strong in Wyoming. According to T. A. Larson's bicentennial history of Wyoming, the image of a strong, lonely figure in open cattle country appealed to a nation in which the grips of growing industrialization and urbanization appeared as signs of "a complex civilization in which the individual felt he counted for very little."

Small ranchers and cowboys had difficulty competing with big "cattle barons," who not only bought up much of the land but also held the most important influence in local and state politics. Though profiting from the land, many cattlemen lived in towns and visited their ranches only occasionally. Unfortunately for the cattle speculators, in addition to overgrazing and low cattle prices, a drought in the summer of 1886 and a harsh winter that same year had disastrous results. Shortly after Wyoming became a state in 1890, the so-called Johnson County War of 1891–1892 pitted large against small landowners and culminated in the arrest of large landowners for practicing vigilante justice.

Life in Wyoming proceeded at a slow pace throughout the early decades of the twentieth century. Stockmen suffered greatly during the Great Depression (1929–1939) of the 1930s. A long period of drought destroyed hay and grass and many animals had to be destroyed. Cattlemen were forced to accept government subsidies in order to survive. During World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945), however, despite some grumbling among cattlemen about beef rationing, cattle ranches prospered. In the decades following World War II, Wyoming's economy came to depend more and more on cattle, and very large ranches became the norm.

Wyoming's growth was minimal throughout most of its history because the land was mostly unsuitable for traditional farming. It is still sparsely populated state, ranking last in population in the 1990 census. The development of coal, oil, and natural gas resources brought some growth in the 1970s during the nationwide energy crisis; but this growth too slowed during the 1980s. The 1990s saw some improvement in the oil and coal industry; in the late 1990s Wyoming ranked first in the nation in coal production. In addition to energy production, the economy of Wyoming is based largely on feed grains and livestock, with the timber industry also an important sector. Tourism is becoming an important industry in the state, especially at the state's two national parks, Yellowstone and Grand Teton. In addition, urban dwellers are increasingly seeking seasonal or permanent havens in Wyoming's mountains and open spaces. With no personal or corporate income taxes, the state is favorable to business. It ranked 35th among the 50 states in per capita personal income in 1996.

WYOMING

FURTHER READING