1860 Owen Wister, the author of The Virginian born in Philadelphia. It is sometimes claimed that The Virginian was the first Western novel, which it is not, but it was probably the first serious one.Wister's novel is completely set in Wyoming and is loosely based on the events that gave rise to The Johnson County War, although it takes the large cattleman's side, which most works of fiction have not. The novel itself has been used as the inspiration for numerous other works, including quite a few movies, but usually works based on it also reverse the protagonists. Wister's novel followed a visit to Wyoming, and the locations mentioned on it describe places he'd actually visited.
Wister would become a lawyer by education, but his practice period was brief as he had no real affinity for the occupation. He is principally remembered today for his novel, but he wrote on other topics as well, including on philosophy and politics. A close friend of Theodore Roosevelt, he can be identified politically with the Progressive movement.
1920 A horse and rider were struck and killed near Powder River.
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