How To Use This Site




How To Use This Site


This blog was updated on a daily basis for about two years, with those daily entries ceasing on December 31, 2013. The blog is still active, however, and we hope that people stopping in, who find something lacking, will add to the daily entries.

The blog still receives new posts as well, but now it receives them on items of Wyoming history. That has always been a feature of the blog, but Wyoming's history is rich and there are many items that are not fully covered here, if covered at all. Over time, we hope to remedy that.

You can obtain an entire month's listings by hitting on the appropriate month below, or an individual day by hitting on that calendar date.
Use 2013 for the search date, as that's the day regular dates were established and fixed.

Alternatively, the months are listed immediately below, with the individual days appearing backwards (oldest first).

We hope you enjoy this site.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Blog Mirror: Lex Anteinternet: The Post World War One Homesteads

Lex Anteinternet: The Post World War One Homesteads: Recently, on our companion site Holscher's Hub , I posted two photo threads about Post World War One homesteads.  Those posts are here...

March 16

1836   The Republic of Texas approved a Constitution.

1907  The post office at Ralston established.

1908  Fire destroyed Shoshoni's downtown. Attribution:  On This Day.


1916  The 7th and 10th Cavalry Regiments enter Mexico to join the Punitive Expedition.  The 10th had been garrisoned in Wyoming early in the 20th Century, although I don't know where it was garrisoned at this point in time.

The Punitive Expedition: The Casper Daily Press, March 16, 1916
 

This may be the first one of these that was really fairly correct in that the American intervention was indeed very unpopular in Mexico.
 
1942  Cheyenne's USO recognized as the best in the nation. Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1963  Workmen commenced pouring cement for the Yellowtail Dam for the Big Horn Reservoir.

2020  The Diocese of Cheyenne suspends public Masses due to the Coronavirus

Yesterday we reported on some regional actions by Catholic churches to address the Coronavirus.  Since we made that post, the Diocese of Cheyenne has suspended public Masses due to the virus, effective as of the Masses today.

It's now known when they'll resume.  Confessions remain unaltered for the time being and the directive does not extend to other Catholic observances.


Friday, March 15, 2013

March 15

1784  The Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania floods.

1916  US forces cross into Mexico in search of Pancho Villa.


 Pershing in Mexico some days later.

The force was made up of 4,800 men from the 7th, 10th, and 13th Cavalry, 6th Field Artillery, the 6th and 16th Regiments of Infantry, the 1st Aero Squadron, and support personnel, with that force divided into two columns.  The western column entered Mexico from Culberson's Ranch New Mexico, entering Mexico at midnight and marching 50 miles that day to Colnia Duban.  A march of that rate remains a significant advance for an army on the march and in 1916, when the primary means of transportation was foot leather and the horse, that was a really remarkable march.
The second column crossed the borders south of Columbus with there being some legitimate fear that it might immediately encounter Carranaza's forces in hostile resistance.  In the days since the Columbus Raid Carranza had reluctantly entered into an agreement allowing U.S. forces to operate in Mexico against Villa, but the agreement was a reluctant one and it was not clear if Mexican forces would honor it.  The column technically entered at noon, but in fact entered some hours earlier.

1917 

The Douglas Budget for March 15, 1917: Douglas soldiers return home.


Douglas Guardsmen were returning just as Douglas JrROTC cadets were getting ready for their annual show.

The Douglas paper may not have been a daily, as the troops had actually returned that prior Saturday.
1919  The American Legion formed in Paris by WWI veterans. Here's the American Legion Memorial in Jackson.

The first Legion post in the United States, the Ferdinand Brandstetter Post, was formed in Van Tassel Wyoming, a now defunct Wyoming Town on the Nebraska border.

1924  The wreck of the six masted schooner Wyoming was located off of Pollock Rip, Massachusetts.  She went down with all 18 hands.

1939  Deputy Park County Sheriff D. M. Baker and Powell Police Marshall Charles Lewis shot by Earl Durand, soon to be dubbed the "Tarzan of the Tetons," when they were attempting to arrest him at his parents home.  Durand had been in the county jail for poaching and had escaped after assaulting a jailor.  This would commence his ten day effort flight into the local mountains which concluded in a failed attempt to rob the bank in Powell, during which he was killed.

1942  Cheyenne's USO building recognized as the best in the nation.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1943  The French Line ship Wyoming sunk by the U-524.

1943  Franklin Roosevelt used executive authority to proclaim 221,000 acres as the Jackson Hole National Monument, the predecessor to today's Grand Teton National Park.   Governor Hunt threatened to use the Highway Patrol to prevent Federal authority on its grounds.  Congress, for its part, refused to appropriate money for the monument. 

Photobucket

1945  Alex McPherson becomes warden of the State Penitentiary.

1955 William R. Coe, English born businessman and sometimes Cody resident, and supporter of the University of Wyoming, died in Florida.  He left a bequest to the University of Wyoming which resulted in the Coe Library.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

March 14


1850  A post office is established at Ft. Laramie, the first to be established in Wyoming.

1890  The 11th, and last, Territorial Legislature concludes.

1890  Governor Warren signs a bill to suppress gambling, on the last day of the final session of the Territorial Legislature.

1916   The Punitive Expedition: The Casper Daily Press, March 14, 1916.
 

Chicago and Northwestern Warehouse Fire, Casper Wyoming
 

A disaster struck Casper Wyoming on this day in 1917.  A warehouse belonging to the Chicago and Northwestern, and used also by C. H. Townsend, caught fire.  It was the largest fire in the town since a 1905 livery stable fire
 
1917  The Wyoming Tribune for March 14, 1917. Germany gets control fo Mexico's finances
 

Dramatic claim. . . but at that point, what good would it have done if true? 
 
The Laramie Boomerang for March 14, 1917: Laramie welcomes home its Guardsmen
 

Laramie's Guardsmen returned to an enthusiastic welcome. . . and speeches.

1948  Thomas Allen "Tom" Coburn, M.D. born in Casper. He was elected U.S. Senator for Oklahoma in 1994.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

March 13

1852     "Uncle Sam" made his debut as a cartoon character in the New York Lantern.

1884     Standard Time was adopted throughout the United States.

1908  An American car reached Evanston in a New York to Paris race.  The early automobile era saw some spectacular races and efforts of this type. At the time, highways in the region were simply dirt roads.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1916   The Punitive Expedition: The Casper Daily Press, March 13, 1916

 

1917  

The Douglas Enterprise for March 13, 1917: Company F makes it home.


Douglas' Company F arrived home the prior Saturday and the news was reported that Tuesday.  If they were home, chances are that all the men from central Wyoming had likewise returned.

In other news high school baseball teams were already playing each other, even though it was only March and that's still a winter month in Wyoming.  The high schools in the state today no longer have baseball, which isn't surprising as the weather simply isn't conducive for it.

The World War One oil boom had hit Converse County, as this paper gives evidence of.  Converse County remains a major oil location today.  The oil fields referenced in the paper largely spread out towards Casper, which was having a huge oil boom at the time.
The Cheyenne State Leader for March 13, 1917: Eight Wyoming Guardsmen enlisted in Navy.
 

Some Wyoming Guardsmen were already back under orders. . . but in the Navy.

What motivated the switch in services isn't clear, but in the immediate pre World War One period in the US the news was full of the Navy.  Whether that motivated their switch in services or not, those eight would serve out the upcoming war in a new service.  Of course, they couldn't have known that their fellows in the Guard would be back in active duty very soon.

1918  The Ohio Oil Company commences drilling a well that would become the first Lance Creek area producing oil well.

1918   An accurate prediction? The Wyoming Tribune, March 13, 1918.
 

The Belgian minister of war was predicting a big German offensive. . . followed by Germany's defeat.

A big German offensive was widely predicated at the time.  A defeat behind it?  That's the first I've read of such a prediction.  We'll be seeing how accurate it was.

In other news, the American Army was starting to see some action.  And T.R.'s son Archie had been wounded in action.
1974   Arab nations decided to end the oil embargo on the U.S.

2009  Cmdr. William C. McKinney relieved Cmdr. William M. Combes as commander of the SSBN Wyoming during a change-of-command ceremony.

2018  The Casper City Council votes to keep Casper park and historic site Fort Casper open all year long.  Closing it during the winter months had been studied as a cost savings matter but was, in the end, turned down.

2019  A winter storm so intense it qualified as a mid latitude cyclone hit Wyoming shutting things down in southeastern Wyoming. Governmental entities all over that region, and all over the state in some instances, closed due to the massive winter storm.

Early morning street scene in Casper during the "bomb cyclone".

2020  Governor Gordon declared a State of Emergency due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.  President Trump had declared a national State of Emergency earlier in the day.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

March 12

1836  The Battle of Refugio commences in the Texas revolution.  Attribution:  On This Day.

1886  The Legislature appropriated $500.00 for Governor William Hale's funeral and for a monument in his honor.  Attribution:  On This Day.

1888  Territorial Governor Thomas Moonlight hires the legendary Elwood Mead as state engineer.  Mead was the founder of Wyoming's water law, which he worked on from the period of 1888 to 1899.  He also worked on Colorado's water law during this period.  In 1907 he was appointed Chairman of the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission in Victoria Australia.  He returned to the US in 1911 and became a professor of Rural Institutions at the University of California.  He lead the Bureau of Reclamation in the Coolidge Administration.  Lake Mead is named after him.


1890  Big Horn and Weston Counties created.

1917  Buffalo Bill Memorial Association created.   Attribution: Wyoming State Historical Society.

1917   The Laramie Boomerang for March 12, 1917: Laramie Guardsmen to arrive on No. 19.
 

On Monday March 12, the news came that the Laramie contribution to the Wyoming National Guard had been mustered out of service and taken down to the Union Pacific depot in Cheyenne.

 
The unit was expected in Laramie that evening.

1918  Arthur D. Gilbert of Lost Cabin received a patent for a fish hook.

1933 President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered the first of his radio "fireside chats".

1944  Nineteen cars of a Union Pacific train derailed near the location of old Ft.Steele.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

Monday, March 11, 2013

March 11

1824  The War Department creates the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

1881  The Laramie Boomerang, Laramie's newspaper, first published. It's still being published today.

1883.  Alfred Packer arrested near Ft Fetterman, Wyoming.  Packer was wanted for murder, and the following cannibalism, of his fellows in the Colorado mountains while they were wintering over in a gold seeking expedition in the winter of 1873-74.  Packer denied the charges at first, but ultimately confessed, but was twice convicted.  His 1883 arrest reflects his attempt to flee in 1874, after his first confession.  He received a 40 year sentence for his crimes, but was released in 1901, and thereafter went to work as a guard for the Denver Post.

A dining hall at the University of Colorado is mischievously named the Alfred G. Packer Memorial Grill and sports the motto: "Have a friend for lunch!".  A menu item is the "El Canibal"  The school features an "Alfred Packers Days" event.

Packer was twice enlisted in the US Army during the Civil War.  He first served in the 16th Infantry, but was discharged after several months due to epilepsy.  He later joined the 8th Iowa Cavalry, but was again discharged for the same reason.

1887  Calamity Jane reported in town by a Cheyenne newspaper.

1888     The blizzard of 1888 struck the northeastern United States resulting in some deaths.

1888 Sheridan County organized.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1916  The Punitive Expedition: The March 11, 1916 news


The Cheyenne State Leader for March 11, 1917: Laramie planning welcome for its Guardsmen
 

Laramie's troops were still delayed in Cheyenne, but Laramie was planning a big welcome for them when they returned.  Otherwise, Ft. D. A. Russell's contingent of Guardsmen were leaving for all points.

1919  Tuesday March 11, 1919. The Arrival of Company L

In yesterday's paper it was Company I and Company L for the same company. Today that was cleared up, it was apparently Company L, and they were back in Casper.

And by back, we mean the men were back, given a rousing welcome and then discharged, set out in their civilian lives once again.

It was a handful of men, all NCOs, actually.  Their names all appeared in the paper.

1941  Roosevelt signs the Lend Lease Act.

March 10, 1941 Lend Lease, War Production,

An already weary looking FDR signs the Lend Lease Bill on March 11, 1941.

President Roosevelt signed the Lend Lease Bill, which we've written about previously, and it became law.

More on that here:

Today in World War II History—March 11, 1941

The law stated:

AN ACT 
Further to promote the defense of the United States, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate add House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as "An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States".
SEC. 2. As used in this Act -
(a) The term "defense article" means -
(1) Any weapon, munition. aircraft, vessel, or boat; (2) Any machinery, facility, tool, material, or supply necessary for the manufacture, production, processing, repair, servicing, or operation of any article described in this subsection; (3) Any component material or part of or equipment for any article described in this subsection; (4) Any agricultural, industrial or other commodity or article for defense.
Such term "defense article" includes any article described in this subsection: Manufactured or procured pursuant to section 3, or to which the United States or any foreign government has or hereafter acquires title, possession, or control.
(b) The term "defense information" means any plan, specification, design, prototype, or information pertaining to any defense article.
SEC. 3. (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, the President may, from time to time. when he deems it in the interest of national defense, authorize the Secretary Of War, the Secretary of the Navy, or the bead of any other department or agency of the Government -
(1) To manufacture in arsenals, factories, and shipyards under their jurisdiction, or otherwise procure, to the extent to which funds are made available therefor, or contracts are authorized from time to time by the Congress, or both, any defense article for the government of any country whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the United States. (2) To sell, transfer title to, exchange, lease, lend, or otherwise dispose of, to any such government any defense article, but no defense article not manufactured or procured under paragraph (1) shall in any way be disposed of under this paragraph, except after consultation with the Chief of Staff of the Army or the Chief of Naval Operations of the Navy, or both. The value of defense articles disposed of in any way under authority of this paragraph, and procured from funds heretofore appropriated, shall not exceed $1,300,000,000. The value of such defense articles shall be determined by the head of the department or agency concerned or such other department, agency or officer as shall be designated in the manner provided in the rules and regulations issued hereunder. Defense articles procured from funds hereafter appropriated to any department or agency of the Government, other than from funds authorized to he appropriated under this Act. shall not be disposed of in any way under authority of this paragraph except to the extent hereafter authorized by the Congress in the Acts appropriating such funds or otherwise. (4) To communicate to any such government any defense information pertaining to any defense article furnished to such government under paragraph (2) of this subsection. (5) To release for export any defense article disposed of in any way under this subsection to any such government.
(b) The terms and conditions upon which any such foreign government receives any aid authorized under subsection (a) shall be those which the President deems satisfactory, and the benefit to the United States may he payment or repayment in kind or property, or any other direct or indirect benefit which the President deems satisfactory.
(c) After June 30, 1943, or after the passage of a concurrent resolution by the two Houses before June 30, 1943, which declares that the powers conferred by or pursuant to subsection (a) are no longer necessary to promote the defense of the United States, neither the President nor the head of any department or agency shall exercise any of the powers conferred by or pursuant to subsection (a) except that until July 1, 1946, any of such powers may be exercised to the extent necessary to carry out a contract or agreement with such a foreign government made before July 1,1943, or before the passage of such concurrent resolution, whichever is the earlier.
(d) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize or to permit the authorization of convoying vessels by naval vessels of the United States.
(e) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize or to permit the authorization of the entry of any American vessel into a combat area in violation of section 3 of the neutrality Act of 1939.
SEC. 4 All contracts or agreements made for the disposition of any defense article or defense information pursuant to section 3 shall contain a clause by which the foreign government undertakes that it will not, without the consent of the President, transfer title to or possession of such defense article or defense information by gift, sale, or otherwise, or permit its use by anyone not an officer, employee, or agent of such foreign government.
SEC. 5. (a) The Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Navy, or the head of any other department or agency of the Government involved shall when any such defense article or defense information is exported, immediately inform the department or agency designated by the President to administer section 6 of the Act of July 2, 1940 (54 Stat. 714). of the quantities, character, value, terms of disposition and destination of the article and information so exported.
(b) The President from time to time, but not less frequently than once every ninety days, shall transmit to the Congress a report of operations under this Act except such information as he deems incompatible with the public interest to disclose. Reports provided for under this subsection shall be transmitted to the Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk of the House of representatives, as the case may be, if the Senate or the House of Representatives, as the case may be, is not in session.
SEC. 6. (a) There is hereby authorized to be appropriated from time to time, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such amounts as may be necessary to carry out the provisions and accomplish the purposes of this Act.
(b) All money and all property which is converted into money received under section 3 from any government shall, with the approval of the Director of the Budget. revert to the respective appropriation or appropriations out of which funds were expended with respect to the defense article or defense information for which such consideration is received, and shall be available for expenditure for the purpose for which such expended funds were appropriated by law, during the fiscal year in which such funds are received and the ensuing fiscal year; but in no event shall any funds so received be available for expenditure after June 30, 1946.
SEC. 7. The Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Navy, and the head of the department or agency shall in all contracts or agreements for the disposition of any defense article or defense information fully protect the rights of all citizens of the United States who have patent rights in and to any such article or information which is hereby authorized to he disposed of and the payments collected for royalties on such patents shall be paid to the owners and holders of such patents.
SEC. 8. The Secretaries of War and of the Navy are hereby authorized to purchase or otherwise acquire arms, ammunition, and implements of war produced within the jurisdiction of any country to which section 3 is applicable, whenever the President deems such purchase or acquisition to be necessary in the interests of the defense of the United States.
SEC. 9. The President may, from time to time, promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary and proper to carry out any of the provisions of this Act; and he may exercise any power or authority conferred on him by this Act through such department, agency, or officer as be shall direct.
SEC. 10. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to change existing law relating to the use of the land and naval forces of the United States, except insofar as such use relates to the manufacture, procurement, and repair of defense articles, the communication of information and other noncombatant purposes enumerated in this Act.
SEC 11. If any provision of this Act or the application of such provision to any circumstance shall be held invalid, the validity of the remainder of the Act and the applicability of such provision to other circumstances shall not be affected thereby.
Approved, March 11, 1941.

We've gone into this before, so we won't dwell on it here, but the amount of material supplied to Allied nations, starting before the US was an official Ally, was massive, and included everything from shoes and food to heavy weapons.

P40s being assembled in Iran for delivery to the Soviet Union.

Indeed, some of the equipment supplied became more associated, to some degree, with our Allies, than it did with the US, while other items were used, but not really liked.

P-39 in late war Italian service, after Italy had switched sides in the war.  Large numbers of P39s were supplied to the Soviet Union, which loved them.

And some items went on to such universal Allied use, that hardly any thought is given now to the items being supplied in this fashion.

Early British M4 Sherman (note the extra front firing machineguns.  The Sherman came to be one of the most common tanks in British service.

Soviet Sherman's in Brno, Czechoslovakia.

1942      Gen. Douglas MacArthur left the Philippines for Australia.

1973  A FBI officer shot and killed at Wounded Knee, South Dakota.

2005  Wyoming's largest movie theater opened in Cheyenne.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

2019  Cold weather drew down propane supplies to such an extent that Governor Gordon declared a state of emergency which allowed propane delivery drivers to exceed the normally allotted number of hours on the road.  The same measure was taken in neighboring states.

2020  President Trump addressed the nation on the Coronavirus Pandemic.
At the same time, a run on toilet paper and hand sanitizer was occuring in Central Wyoming.

Elsewhere:

1811   Englishman Ned Ludd led a group of British workers in a wild protest against mechanization.