Today was Labor Day for 2012. Labor Day statutorily occurs on the first Monday of September. The Federal holiday was created, as a Federal holiday, in 1894.
1865 Colonel Nelson Cole, with troops from Missouri, engaged Sioux, Arapaho and Cheyennes on Dry fork in the Powder River Basin.
1876 The Wyoming Weekly Leader reported that a shipment of oysters was to arrive soon.
1885 Governor Warren arrived in Rocks Springs by train, following yesterday's violent riots. Attribution: On This Day.
1918 The first uranium discovery in Wyoming was announced, with the discovery having been made near Lusk. What was uranium used for in 1918? Attribution: Wyoming State Historical Society.
1916 Cheyenne State Leader for September 3, 1916. The Eight Hour Day becomes law.
This is an interesting 1916 item to say the least. The moment at which the eight hour day became the American standard.
We're so used to thinking of the average working day lasting eight hours that we hardly give any thought to there being an error in which this wasn't the case. But there certainly was. Prior to 1916, many laborers worked well over eight hours pre day. After September 3, 1916, that work day was established and the modern work day became law.
Which is not to say that there hasn't been some retreat on this. There certainly has. At least for the "professional" class of worker the eight hour day has long ago expanded into more hours than that, and well over forty hours per week. As more and more Americans have entered this category, the working hours of American have been increasing in recent decades, with wages not doing the same.
1918: Lex Anteinternet: Labor Day, 1918. The local news
1920 Alonzo Stepp was appointed the postmaster of Fontenelle, Wyoming. He was an area rancher.
1916 Cheyenne State Leader for September 3, 1916. The Eight Hour Day becomes law.
This is an interesting 1916 item to say the least. The moment at which the eight hour day became the American standard.
We're so used to thinking of the average working day lasting eight hours that we hardly give any thought to there being an error in which this wasn't the case. But there certainly was. Prior to 1916, many laborers worked well over eight hours pre day. After September 3, 1916, that work day was established and the modern work day became law.
Which is not to say that there hasn't been some retreat on this. There certainly has. At least for the "professional" class of worker the eight hour day has long ago expanded into more hours than that, and well over forty hours per week. As more and more Americans have entered this category, the working hours of American have been increasing in recent decades, with wages not doing the same.
1918: Lex Anteinternet: Labor Day, 1918. The local news
Somehow I missed the September 3, 1918 newspapers when I posted about Labor Day 1918 here, as the both Casper papers did run articles on the Casper parade that year, and on the front page too:
Of course at least in one case, the headline was a bit odd, but liberties with headlines were a little more common at the time.
Lex Anteinternet: Labor Day, 1918.: This was Labor Day for 1918. In at least Casper and Cheyenne parades were held, something we don't see locally for Labor Day at all an...
Of course at least in one case, the headline was a bit odd, but liberties with headlines were a little more common at the time.
1920 Alonzo Stepp was appointed the postmaster of Fontenelle, Wyoming. He was an area rancher.
That may not seem remarkable, but Stepp was an African American who was exceptional for his era in numerous ways, one of which was that he was one of few black ranchers in the state at the time, with there remaining few today. The Kentucky born Stepp was college educated, having received a classical education, but immigrated to Wyoming with his wife, whom he'd met in college, to pursue ranching after having worked on a Wyoming ranch one summer while in college. That introduction to ranching came through the invitation of a college friend, who was a white student. Lon Stepp ultimately moved back to Wyoming and into ranching, working on area ranches and purchasing land over the years until he had a full time operating ranch. By 1920, he's already served as an elected district road supervisor. He occupied the postmaster position until December 15, 1941, when he died.
The Stepps would continue to ranch in the area until their ranch was one of the ones that was taken over by the government for Fontenelle Reservoir in 1963. The Stepps fought the condemnation for the reservoir in court but ultimately lost.
Fontenelle Reservoir in 1972.
Perhaps ironically, the dam for the reservoir on their land which they had opposed has proven to be leaky and the reservoir has had to been hurriedly drained twice. Irrigation from the reservoir never really developed due to the difficulties of doing that in a high desert region, and therefore the lake has principally been used for recreation.
Stepp family members remain prominent in the area today.
More on the Stepps can be found on the WyoHistory.org page on them. This entry is based on that one.
Elsewhere:
1895 William Carrol Crawford, the last surviving signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, died. Attribution: On This Day.
1918. Elsewhere; U.S. War Exposition held in Chicago.
1895 William Carrol Crawford, the last surviving signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, died. Attribution: On This Day.
1918. Elsewhere; U.S. War Exposition held in Chicago.
