January 29

1863  The Bear River Massacre, also called the Battle of Bear River and the Massacre at Boa Ogoi, took place in present-day Idaho. The 2nd California Volunteer Cavalry under Col. Patrick Connor attacked Shoshone gathered at the confluence of the Bear River and Beaver Creek.  The battle is little remembered but is a controversial one, as it seems quite clear that the cavalrymen lost control of themselves at the battle's conclusion and the fight degenerated into a massacre.

Wars against the Shoshones are generally rare, as they were generally allied to the US during the second half of the 19th Century.

1870  Sweetwater County organized as Carter County, with South Pass City as the county seat.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Archives.

1879     Custer Battlefield National Monument established at Little Big Horn, Montana.

1886  Leslie A. Miller born in Junction City, Kansas, a town just outside of Ft. Riley.  He would move as a boy with his family to Laramie, where he grew up and attended the University of Wyoming.  He joined the Marine Corps during World War One, served as Wyoming Governor from 1932 to 1939, some of the worst years in which to be governor, and then went on to serve on the War Production Board during World War Two.

1919  Wednesday, January 29, 1919. Colonies in issue, Secret Treaties Exposed, Immigration to be halted, State Prohibition Bill Advances as 18th Amendment Certified, Mexican Rebels reported defeated again, and Yanks can Marry By Mail.

English Inns at Court being used as an American Navy rest barracks, Red Cross supplies being unloaded.  January 29, 1919.

There was a lot to report on on this Wednesday, January 19, 1919.

The Peace Treaty was struggling on what to do with the colonies of the defeated.  Giving them nation status, unless they were European, seemed out of the question, so League of Nation mandates were being argued about instead.

The 18th Amendment was certified by Congress as ratified, but the State was still going to pass a prohibition bill anyhow, showing that the desire to act on the already acted upon purposelessly already existed. There was no reason to pass any Prohibition bill in Wyoming, but the Legislature was going to do it anyway.

And American soldiers could marry their sweethearts by mail, it was decided, exchanging vows by correspondence, apparently.  The validity of that in certain faiths, it might be noted, would be questionable.

As, in most cases, would be the purpose.  Separated by an ocean, the couples were not going to reunite until Johnny Came Marching Home anyhow.  And if he was going to instead find the Belle de France in la belle France. . . well that was probably going to happen anyhow as well.  About the only reason to do this would be to resolve questions of impending legitimacy, which perhaps would have been a concern in some instances.

And the economy was tanking while there were vast numbers of Europeans who were refugees, which no doubt put focus on immigration and which was accordingly being addressed in Congress.

Among the refugees were the Armenians.  Their plight was well known but it had not been addressed.

Apparently, to my huge surprise, leaving for Florida in the winter was already a thing.  I would not have guessed that at all, once again showing the application of Holscher's First Law of History.

Elsewhere, Mexican rebels were reported as defeated, once again.

New counties were a hot issue in the Legislature as well.

And a Laramie policeman was compelled to draw his pistol when in s scuffle with somebody who was thought to be speaking German.

Laramie, fwiw, had a German language church early on and, I think, at this time, so a Laramie resident who could speak German wouldn't be that odd.  Let alone that its a university town where, presumably, some people were still learning the language.

1923  Casper's legislative delegation proposed moving the capital to Casper from Cheyenne.  Wyoming State Historical Association.

1939     Irish poet William Butler Yeats died at age 73.

The last lines from Yeats' poem Under Ben Bulben were used on his tombstone, and oddly formed the title of a McMurtry book later adapted for the novel Hud, which is set in Texas, but whose characters are recognizable to any Westerner.  The final lines of the poem are:

Cast a cold eye
On life, on death.
Horseman, pass by!

1958  Killer Charles Starkweather apprehended by Sheriff's officers in Wyoming.

1964  The Sheridan Inn designated a Historic Landmark.  Attribution:  On This Day.

1973  The Wyoming State Capitol designated a Historic Landmark. Attribution:  On This Day.

Capitol, summer 2011.

2012   An earthquake measuring 3.2 occurred 14 miles east of Atlantic City.