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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.
Showing posts with label Buffalo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Buffalo. Show all posts

Thursday, November 28, 2013

November 28

Today is Thanksgiving Day for 2013.

1872  The Diamond Hoax of 1872 exposed by geologist Clarence King, who issued his opinion that a diamond prospect that had been securing prominent national interest had been salted.

Clarence King

Many wealthy and prominent Americans had been fooled by the scheme and had invested funds to purchase what was thought to be a significant diamond strike. The 1872 date of this event shows the significance that geology had in the state's history from the very onset of the state's history.

1890  The McKinney Strip contest settled in favor of Buffalo.  This was a land contest of some sort, but I can't remember the details.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1912  Governor Carey declared the day to a day of Public Thanksgiving and Praise to Our Lord.

1914  New Your Stock Exchange reopens for the first time since July, when the crises leading up to World War One caused its closer.

1916:  The Cheyenne State Leader for November 28, 1916: Villa captures Chihuahua and moves north.
 

Villa was appearing quite resurgent, grim news for those hoping for a resolution to the border situation.

And a sugar plant was going in at Worland. . . where one still exists.  Elsewhere, the State Engineer was arguing for aid to settlers in an early economic development effort.

And the state's water contest against Colorado was making daily news.
1916  William F. Cody granted a patent for a design for a bit.


1917  Cornerstone laid for the Platte County Library.

I'm not completely certain, but I think that the old library is still there, attached to a much larger more recent structure. That sort of library update is fairly common. The Natrona County Library is the same way.

Libraries have fallen on somewhat hard times in recent years, but they remain a vital part of any community.  Most, indeed nearly any significant library, have updated their services over the years and offer a variety of them, although competing with the home computer is pretty tough.

In smaller communities, they also provide vital meeting room services.  Indeed, I was trying to remember if I've ever been in the Platte County Library.  I don't think so, but the reason I was trying to recall that is because I took a deposition in a southeastern Wyoming library years and years ago.  I'm pretty sure, however, that was the Goshen County Library.  Nonetheless, in smaller towns, finding a space in which to do something like that can be hard, and libraries can fit the bill. By the same token, I've taken a deposition in the Yale Oklahoma library, and there clearly would have been no other place in which to do that.

Anyhow, today is the centennial of the Platte County Library's cornerstone being fixed.

1918  Thanksgiving Day, 1918
The first Thanksgiving of the peace (keeping in mind that the United States only went through one wartime Thanksgiving in which it was a combatant), occurred on this day, in 1918.


I posted an item on this yesterday in that one of the Cheyenne newspapers ran an article about things being closed in Cheyenne today, and there having been late shopping last night, a century ago. Sounds a lot like today, eh?  In today's Casper Daily Press you can tell that they sent the employees home (keeping in mind that newspapers are put together the prior evening, if they're morning papers) so there'd be no paper on Friday.

That was so that people could enjoy the holidays on an American holiday that has remained much like it has always been, which is a refreshing thing to realize.

One of the things about Thanksgiving, which we've also already posted on, is a big gathering.  I've also posted on that here as well, in this entry:

Blog Mirror: Hundred-year-old Thanksgiving Menus

From A Hundred Years Ago:
Hundred-year-old Thanksgiving Menus

It's interesting to note what's on the menu not only for what's on it, but what isn't.  The authors of these menus didn't necessarily think that you had to have turkey.  Indeed, turkey is only on one of the menus.  "Roast fowl" is on two of them. But what sort of fowl were they thinking of? Any fowl?  Pheasant?

And wine isn't on the menu at all.  I note that as if you spend any time watching the endless Thanksgiving shows that will now be appearing on the Food Channel, or whatever, they're all going to have a part, or at least some surely will, where somebody talks about pairing wine with turkey (as they're all going to feature turkey. . . which is okay as I like turkey).

They're all going to have pumpkin pie as well. . . which only one of these does.  One of these, for that matter, has Maple Parfait. What's that?

Interesting stuff.

One of the things I didn't note in that entry, but which I should have, is that there was no "local food movement" at the time as all food was local.  Indeed, the most recent comment on this blog made me realize there's an element of that I'm not aware of, and as that's the purpose of this blog, exploring such topics, I'll be posting a query thread on that soon.  Anyhow, when I noted that some of these menus had "fowl" on them, it should have occurred to me that obtaining a fresh turkey probably presented greater or lesser difficulties (especially in 1918) for the cook depending upon where you lived.  Most folks probably could go to the butcher and obtain a turkey, and almost certainly some local farmer, even in Wyoming localities, raised them for the Holidays specifically.  Still, some hosts probably had menus that featured freshly obtained game, such as pheasant or, in Wyoming, ducks, geese or even sage chickens, all of which I find pretty darned tasty.

Of course, a lot of Americans were eating Thanksgiving Day dinners overseas in a mess hall of some sort in 1918.  What sort of menu did they find in the offering?  The authors of the excellent Roads to the Great War blog have that one covered:
Roads to the Great War: Thanksgiving Day 1918: Happy Thanksgiving from the Roads Editorial Team Much of the American Expeditionary Force found itself stuck in France after the Armis...
I don't know what "Dardanelle Turkey" is, unless that was the menu author's play on words Turkey keeping in mind that the recently defeated Ottoman Empire controlled the Dardanelles.  Perhaps.  But "White Fish" also on the menu. . .?  That one surprised me.

As it probably surprised some folks that Thanksgiving Day in 1918 was on November 28.  But as readers here will recall, the current calendar position of the holiday is a recent one, as this holiday used to move a fair bit around the month of November.

Any way you look at it, for most people this was likely a happier holiday than the one in 1917 had been. . . although for thousands of others, it was likely a profoundly sad one.

1919  November 28, 1919. The Union Pacific Gives Up, Mexico erupts, Ships launched and Heroines

The Union Pacific declared that it was giving up the search for Bill Carlisle on this post Thanksgiving Day (prior to it being Black Friday) and it was blaming Wyomingites for that.  It held that they were too sympathetic to the train robber and lambasted the state's residents for that in no uncertain terms.

1924  An earthquake occurred near Lander.

1927  William R. Coe made a substantial donation to the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1942  Coffee rationing goes into effect in the United States.

1954  Edward D. Crippa completed his term as appointed Senator from Wyoming, filling out the balance of Lester C. Hunt's term until an elected replacement could be seated.


1960  Hugo Gerhard Janssen, early Wyoming photographer, died in Lovell Wyoming.

1989  The Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News wins the contract to build the SSN 773, USS Cheyenne.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

November 26

1835  Texas forces defeated Mexican forces in the Grass Fight near San Antonio.

1863   President Abraham Lincoln proclaims November 26th as a national Thanksgiving Day, to be celebrated annually on the final Thursday of November (since 1941, on the fourth Thursday).

1916   The Cheyenne Leader for November 26, 1916 (but with a date error): U.S. Ready to Ratify Protocol With Mexico
 

We need to note here that the Leader made an error on its date on page 1.  To show that, we've uploaded page 2 as well.  This was the November 26 paper, note the November 25 paper.
Woodrow Wilson, the Leader reported, was ready to ratify the protocol with Mexico. But was Carranza ready?  The battle appeared to be turning for Carranza's enemy, Villa, in Chihuahua.
In Washington, John E. Osborne, former Wyoming Governor, appeared to be pondering leaving his Assistant Secretary of State position in the Wilson administration in order to head back to Wyoming. 
And sad news was reported regarding the death if Inez Milholland Bossevain, who had been in Cheyenne during the Presidential campaign.
And the Governor put out a Thanksgiving message for the upcoming holiday. 

1918  November 26, 1918. Letters home with scruffy photos. News photographs with polish appearance. Wyoming for Pershing? The murder of the Jews of Lvov, Rumors of War between Peru and Chile.
Post card home of Harold A. Stivers, 311th Infantry, 78th Division.  Stivers refers to his dress, which he regarded as a little rough.  It is interesting.  He's wearing the by then standard overseas cap and a leather jerkin.  American troops wore the jerkin much less often than the British, with whom it had become standard late in the war.  He notes that his puttees aren't wrapped correctly.  Puttees, used by the British and the French during the war, were adopted by the Americans but they didn't completely replace leggings.  After the war, the American Army quickly went back to leggings.

The contrasting photograph of Gen. Leroy S. Upton, commander of the 57th Bde, 29th Division, who presents a much more polished appearance. Gen. Upton is wearing private purchase lace up, and thick soled, riding boots with speed laces. . . a much preferable piece of footgear for actual field conditions than the standard field boots of the time.


One of the Cheyenne newspapers was declaring that Wyoming would support drafting Pershing for a 1920 Presidential run, or otherwise supporting him in that effort.

No doubt, the news was not in error.  Pershing was the son in law of Francis E. Warren, Wyoming's Senator, and very well remembered there.

And the tax on automobiles was coming off.


The other Cheyenne paper was reporting about the looming war between Chile and Peru, and on the horror of ethnic genocide in Lvov.  And there was fighting, of a different type, in the streets of New York City.

1919  USS Laramie, a fleet replenishment oiler,  launched.

1926  Utah's John M. Browning died.  Browning is regarded as the most successful firearms designer of all time.

1934  Charles E. Richardson, publisher of the Rock Springs Daily Rocket-Miner from 1974 to 2005 born in Newcastle Wyoming.

1942  Lusk announces they will forgo outdoor Christmas lights in accordance with a request from the War Production Board.  Attribution.  Wyoming History Calendar.

1948  Former Governor Frank E. Lucas died in  Buffalo, Wyoming.  He had been Wyoming's Secretary of State from 1923 to 1927, and Governor in 1925 after the death of Governor Ross.  He left office in 1927 and spent the rest of his life as the editor and publisher of the Buffalo Bulletin.

1984  Big Nose George Parrott's remains given to the Carbon County Museum.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

2004  The Snake River Ranch added to the National Registry of Historic Places. 

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

August 7

1886  Fort Fred Steele deactivated. A town remained behind where the fort had been, and survived for many decades until the Lincoln Highway bypassed it.  Attribution:  On This Day.

1892  The Johnson County invaders plead not guilty, in Cheyenne, to the charges against them. Attribution:  On This Day.

1895  The Buffalo town hall was swept away in a flood. Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1914  Jackson incorporated.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1974  The Garrett Allen Prehistoric site in Carbon County added to the National Registry of Historic Places.

2009  Cmdr. Diego Hernandez relieved Cmdr. Roger Isom as commander of the USS Wyoming SSBN 742  during a change-of-command ceremony at the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay Chapel.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

July 11

1862   The Postmaster General of the United States ordered mail carriers to forgo the trail over South Pass in favor of the Overland Trail due to the risk of Indian attacks.  Attribution:  On This Day.

1908  The USS Wyoming (BM-10) renamed the USS Cheyenne.  There's no doubt a real level of confusion on the 20th Century USS Wyoming surface vessels, which I've inadvertently contributed to, as there were two capitol ships by that name, which is very rarely noted in some sources. The first was a less substantial ship than the second.  That ship, the USS Wyoming BM-10 served under that name until 1908, when a larger class of battleships started coming in and the name was cleared for the USS Wyoming (BB-32).  I'll have to go back and correct entries on this ship, which is very frequently confused win the second battleship.  The first USS Wyoming became the USS Cheyenne, and was decommissioned twice, once putting in in the Washington Naval Militia.  It was converted to a submarine tender before World War One, which shows how much smaller this "monitor" was than the later battleships.  It was ultimately sold for scrap in 1939.

1912  There was flooding in Buffalo. Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1918  The Casper Daily Tribune for July 11, 1918. Escaped Wheatland Felon Dies In Battle

Henry Sweeney had blown the safe at the Guernsey Mercantile and ended up in the Platte County Jail.  He broke out, aided by his friend Sullivan, and they both took off and enlisted in the Army.

Sweeney died in battle, and apparently he must have felt badly about his prior life of crime, as he had Sullivan write home about it.

Sweeney, in light of giving up his life for his country, had the charges dropped.

The article didn't say what Platte County's attitude was towards Sullivan . . .

1931   Electricity brought to Dayton and Ranchester.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1947  The USS Wyoming (BB-32) entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard to begin decommissioning.  Attribution:  While this is a sad event, having caught my earlier error regarding the confusion of the BM-10 with the BB-32, I"d note that this ship's service life extended from May 21, 1911 until August 1, 1947.  Most of the entries on this site about the USS Wyoming are about this ship, but a few are on the earlier monitor, which I'll go back and correct.  On This Day.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

June 11

1865  Party of Sioux forced marched from Ft. Laramie to Ft. Kearney Nebraska.

1880  Jeanette Rankin born on a ranch near Missoula, Montana.  She was the first female member of Congress.  Her vote was one of 50 votes against the US declaring war on Germany in 1917.  She thereafter lost her seat in 1919.  She left Montana thereafter but returned in 1939 and was elected once again to Congress in 1940, running on an anti-war platform.  Contrary to the general view of her politics, she voted in favor of measures designed to build up the American military in 1940 and 41.  However, following Pearl Harbor hers was the only vote against declaring war on Japan, with her explanation being "As a woman, I can't go to war and I refuse to send anyone else." She thereafter lost her seat once again.

This is not, of course, a Wyoming item, but I'm sure that Ms. Rankin was the talk of the town in many Wyoming localities in 1917 and 1941, if at least briefly.  And she gets high marks for having the courage of her convictions, even if we don't agree with them.

1894  Red Cloud was released from the Natrona County jail, although I have no idea why he was in the jail.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1898  Recruiting began for the Alger Light Artillery of Cheyenne which would enter Federal service as "Battery A, Wyoming Light Artillery."  Attribution:  On This Day.

1912 The Franco-Wyoming Oil Company opened a refinery in Casper  near the present intersection of Beverly and Fourth streets.  This was Casper's second refinery (the first had closed), but there would be an additional one by the end of the year.

1912  Flooding occurred in Buffalo.  The Occidental Hotel was damaged in the flood.

1914  This photograph taken by Wyoming geology professor S. H. Knight at Baggs:

1918   More nifty news. . . June 11, 1918.
 

1919  Sir Barton won the Belmont Stakes thereby becoming the first horse in racing history to win the Triple Crown.


The three year old was ridden in the race by Johnny Loftus.

Sir Barton raced again in the 1920 season and set a world's record for the 1 3/16 miles dirt race that  year.  On October 12 of that year he was defeated by Man o' War in a match race at Kenilworth Park in Windsor Ontario.  He was retired and put to stun in 1921.  In 1932 he was sold into the Army Remount Service and stood at Ft. Royal, Virginia and Ft. Robinson, Nebraska.  He was then assigned to Wyoming rancher J. R. Hylton who was part of the Remount program.  The Remount Service at that time assigned out studs to ranchers in the program. 

In 1937 he died of colic and was buried on Hylton's ranch outside of Douglas.  His remains are now in Douglas' Washington Park where a memorial for the horse exists.

1942  A $26,000 modernization project was started at Casper's airport, Wardwell Field.  The field would cease being used after World War Two, when the area airport would switch to the much more substantial former air base, built during World War Two for the purpose of training bomber crews.  Today Wardwell Field is the town of Bar Nunn.  Interestingly, a nearby location is still the site of the very small Hartford Field, a tiny private air strip.

Sunday, March 3, 2013

March 3

1805   President Jefferson approved the act that created the Territory of Louisiana, which included much of Wyoming.

1836     Skirmish at Agua Dulce in which Mexicans defeat Texians.

1837     US recognizes the Republic of Texas.

1847     Col Alexander W. Doniphan captures the Mexican mint at Chihuahua.

1849     The Home Department, a predecessor of the Interior Department, was established by the Federal Government.

1857  Congress authorizes the Postmaster General to seek bids for an overland stage route for the purpose of carrying mail from the Missouri River to San Francisco.

1863  Parts of Wyoming included in Idaho Territory, which was created by Congress on this day. Attribution:  On This Day.

1870  A Court empanels six women for a six juror jury, for the first time in history. Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1871   Congress passed the Indian Appropriation Act greatly altering the relationship between Indian Tribes and the United States government.

1871   Congress established the civil service system.

1876   The first issue of the "Cheyenne Daily Sun" printed.  Attribution:  On This Day.

1876  A nighttime raid takes horses and cattle from Crook's Powder River Expedition. The cattle are recovered, but are driven to Ft. Fetterman.

1879   Congress establishes the United States Geological Survey.

1884  Buffalo incorporated.

1890  Buffalo Bill's Wild West show performs in Rome for Pope Leo.

1889  John E. Osborne concludes his service as Wyoming's Congressman.

1893  Clarence D. Clark concludes his term as Wyoming's Representative in Congress.

1895  Henry A. Coffeen concludes his term as Wyoming's Representative in Congress.

1895  Joseph M. Carey concluded his term as Senator from Wyoming.

1899  John E. Osborne concludes his term as Wyoming's Representative in Congress.

1909  Order placed for the USS Wyoming, BB-32, to be built.

1916  A spinsters convention is held in Gillette. Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1917 The Cheyenne State Leader for March 3, 197 Troops arriving home
 

The Leader was also reporting on the Wyoming Guardsmen arriving home, and that the Colorado Guardsmen were enjoying Ft. D. A. Russell.

Villa was back in the news, reportedly getting ready to nab Carranza.
The Wyoming Tribune for March 3, 1917. Admitting the plot
 

Germany, surprisingly enough, did take ownership of the Zimmerman Note, although I'm still not too sure where the concept that they were seeking to draw the Japanese into the war, in addition to the Mexicans, comes from.

And the Wyoming National Guard was arriving in Cheyenne.

In addition, the German government forbid women's clothing from changing styles more than once every six months. 
1938  Ground broken on the Union building at UW.

2011 Governor Mead signed the bill referring the hunting rights amendment to the next general election.

2016  The Federal Government proposes delisting the grizzly bear from the Endangered Species List in the Yellowstone region.  This action does not result in the bear being taken off the list, but commences the process which is likely to lead to the grizzly being officially delisted as recovered.

2016  A conservative member of the Wyoming legislature together with an "ultraconservative" resident of Uinta County, represented by Drake Hill, the husband of former Wyoming Secretary of Education Cindy Hill who was a bitter opponent of Mead's, sued him and the the legislature in state court alleging improprieties associated with contracts for the Capitol Square project.

Friday, February 1, 2013

February 1

Today is National Freedom Day, a date celebrating the 13th Amendment.

1790  The Supreme Court of the United States convenes for the first time.

1859  The Eldorado opens in Denver.  That city's first hotel.

1876  The Secretary of the Interior reports that Sitting Bull's band has not reported to the reservation and the matter is turned over to the Department of the Army.

1889  Running water supplied to Buffalo for the first time.  Attribution. Wyoming State Historical Society.

1919  Friday Farming. February 1, 1919. Wyoming Stockman Farmer


1921  Elias Homstand, a Norwegian citizen living in Casper, received a patent for a reciprocating saw.

1929  Carl Sandburg gave a lecture at the University of Wyoming. Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1943  A bill requiring pre marital tests for women signed by Gov. Hunt.  Such a bill would be regarded as an unconscionable sexist act today, but in the medical context of the time it was a rational attempt at controlling the spread of certain diseases.   Attribution:  Wyoming State Archives.

1944 Mike Enzie born in Bermerton Washington.  His father was in the service at the time, and the family returned to Thermopolis after his father's discharge following World War Two.  He has served as a Senator for Wyoming since 1997.

Enzi was been a very popular Wyoming politician.  He was a successful businessman in Gillette, first in his family's shoe store business, and then as an accountant, prior to entering politics locally.

1947  The Plains Cottonwood adopted as the State Tree.

2003  A 3.7 magnitude earthquake occurs near Casper.

2007  Montana filed suit against Wyoming and North Dakota, in the Supreme Court, which has original jurisdiction over suits between states, concerning water appropriations from the Tongue and Powder Rivers.  Oral arguments were heard on January 10, 2011, in the cause.  The Court issued its decision on May 2, 2011.