June 6

1886  Douglas Budget founded.  Attribution:  On This Day.

1892  Information filed in State of Wyoming v. Alexander Adamson, et al. Murder in the First Degree, chargng Alexander Adamson, William E. Guthrie, William Armstrong and J. A. Garrett with the murder of Rueben "Nick" Ray during the Johnson County War.  This was a criminal charge filed in Johnson County, as opposed to Laramie County where the charges stemming from the Johnson County War.

1894  In the reverse of the usual story, Colorado's Governor Davis H. Waite orders the Colorado state militia to protect and support tminers engaged in a strike at Cripple Creek.  Mine owners had already formed private army.

1908  A man from Cody Wyoming was the co-winner of the Evanston Wyoming to Denver horse race, one of the long distance horse races that were common in Wyoming at the time.

1912  President Taft signs the Homestead Act of 1912, which reduces the period to "prove up" from five years to three.  This was unknowingly on the eve of a major boom in homesteading, as World War One would create a huge demand for wheat for export, followed by the largest number of homestead filings in American history as would be wheat farmers attempted to gain land for the endeavor.  Attribution:  On This Day. 

Wheat farmer, Billings Montana.

1915  British commissioners began to purchase remounts in Wyoming.  The purchase of horses for British service in World War One created a boom in horse ranching which would continue, fueled both by British and American service purchases, throughout the war, but which would be followed by a horse ranching crash after the war.

 U.S. Army Remounts, Camp Kearney California, 1917.

1918  Sad news arrived in Sheridan County on this day, according to the Sheridan Media history column, when relatives of Roy H. Easton, 25, homesteader from Verona, received news that he had been killed in action in France.  He was the first Sheridan County resident to die in World War One.

1918  Getting the news of the American victory on the Marne and having a giant overreaction in Sheridan. June 6, 1918.

On June 6 the American victory at Château-Thierry was beginning to become a little more clear, although the newspapers anticipated more action.  That action was ongoing in the Belleau Wood, which was just next door and which really is part of the same battle.

In Sheridan the town in engaged in an absurd overreaction and the schools burned German books.  Learning German certainly didn't make a person some sort of German sympathizer and indeed, learning the language of your enemy is a good idea.

A Natrona County resident measuring 6'7", very tall for any age, enlisted in the Army.  I'm somewhat surprised that his height didn't disqualify him for service.  You can be too tall to join.

1944 Allied forces land in Normandy, in an event remembered as "D-Day", although that term actually refers to the day on which any major operation commences.  This is not, of course, a Wyoming event, but at least in my youth I knew more than one Wyoming native who had participated in it.  Later, I had a junior high teacher whose first husband had died in it.  A law school colleague of mine had a father who was a paratrooper in it.  And at least one well known Wyoming political figure, Teno Roncolio, participated in it.  From the prospective of the Western Allies, it might be the single most significant single day of the campaign in Europe.

All the photos above are courtesy of the United States Army.

1948  President  Truman delivered a speech from the Governor's Mansion's porch in Cheyenne.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.  He stated:

Governor Hunt, and citizens of Wyoming:

It certainly is a very great privilege and a pleasure for me to be here today. I received an invitation from Governor Hunt to call on him this afternoon, and I was most happy to accept it. I have known him a long time, and I like him, and I think he is a good Governor.

I have always been very much interested in this great city. I was here while the war was going on in my official capacity as chairman of an investigating committee to look after some construction that was going on here. And I found nothing wrong.

I hope sometime I can come back and be able to discuss the issues before the country with you. I always make it a rule never to make speeches of any kind on Sunday. I don't think it's the proper day for speeches that are not of a religious character, and since I am not a Doctor of Divinity, I can't preach you a sermon.

But I do appreciate most highly the cordiality of your welcome. It is a pleasure for me to get to see you, and it is a privilege for me to stop in Cheyenne long enough to call on your Governor.

Again, I hope that when I come here I can talk to you straight from the shoulder on certain things that confront this country.

[At this point the President was presented with an invitation and a hat. He then resumed speaking.]

Thank you very much. The invitation says, "Mr. President, your many friends in Cheyenne, Wyoming, will be greatly honored if you can attend the Cheyenne Frontier Day, July 27-31st, 1948." I have always wanted to do that, and I hope some day I will be able to do it.

Now I am going to see just how this hat works. [Putting it on.] That's all right.

Text of Speech courtesy of Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office.

2017  Steven Biegler installed as the new Catholic Bishop of Cheyenne.

2018  For the second time in a single week, a tornado touched down in Wyoming.  In this case, the tornado touched down about eight miles north of town.

Laramie has some impressive summer weather.

June 5

1853  First hostile encounter between the Sioux and the U.S. Army occurred near Ft. Laramie.

1889  Wyoming appointed a resident to the United States Military Academy for the first time.  Attribution: Wyoming State Historical Society.

1917  Conscription starts for World War One.  Or, more accurately, registration for the draft commenced.

This was the first time that the United States had conscripted soldiers, in the sense in which the term is generally used, since the Civil War and it was only the second time in US history that the nation had conscripted.

The measure had been debated and was not without controversy.  Even the name of the process, which would stick for later acts of conscription, "Selective Service", reflected that, as the system was designed around the concept of men being selected by local boards, and it was hoped that it would seem, therefore, less of a pure act of compulsion by the national government.

While it was generally supported, it remained controversial in some quarters.  Having said that, the huge patriotic drive that was engineered by the Wilson Administration to support the war effort had a definite effect  and what was feared might be a deeply unpopular move proved not to be.

It perhaps should be noted, as a historical item of interest, that while this was the second draft in American history, Americans in 1917 were only about sixty or so years past the era of compulsory male militia duty, another type of military compulsion. That duty was universal early in the country's history, but it generally wasn't terribly burdensome for most men (except, perhaps, when the militia was called out), as except during times of emergency, the militia generally mustered once a year and it generally turned into a bit of a party.  Conscription of this type, ie., the World War One draft, definitely wasn't a party.

1918   Belleau Wood. The news hits home. June 5, 1918.
 

On June 5 all the newspapers were full of the early news from Bealleau Wood, although the battle had not yet acquired that naem.

The death of Charles Fairbanks, Theodore Roosevelt's Vice President, was also on the front page.  Fairbanks hadn't been the Vice President all that long ago, but already the major figures of the early Progressive Era were starting to pass on.

It what might have been the first news of it's type to hit US newspapers (maybe), the press was also starting to worry about seaborne air raids, at this time in the form of aircraft transported by submarines.  As absurd as that may sound, the Japanese did in fact do that during World War Two, having perfected the ability between the wars, and used them in at least one small raid off of the Pacific Northwest.

Early summer weather was significant enough to make the front page in Laramie, and as any Laramie resident can attest, early Spring weather in Laramie can in fact be "unsettled."  Summers in Laramie are beautiful, but they feature some spectacular storms.
1920  The Wyoming State Council of the Knights of Columbus held its first meeting, in Casper.

1922 The United States Supreme Court rules in Wyoming's favor in Wyoming v. Colorado, thereby ruling in favor of Wyoming's prior appropriation of the Laramie River.

1923  Tuesday, June 5, 1923. North Casper to become part of Casper

It is simply unimaginable to me that North Casper was not always part of Casper.  I had, truly, believed it was.

Not so, apparently.

1933 U.S. goes off of the Gold Standard.

1982  A huge severe storm system hit Wyoming, western South  Dakota and the Texas panhandle with severe weather.

2009  A tornado touched down in Goshen County. As it was filmed, it was one of the most analyzed tornadoes at the time.

2020  A second gathering in protest of the death of George Floyd was held in Casper.  An earlier Casper event occurred several days prior, organized by a local group, where as this one was organized by one centered in Colorado.

Completely unrelated, but emblematic of the stretched financial times, the State announced it was closing ten highway rest stops in a cost saving's move.

June 4

1789   The US constitution, enacted as sovereign law, went into effect.

1812   The Louisiana Territory was renamed the Missouri Territory.

1876  A mere 83 hours after leaving New York City, the Transcontinental Express train arrives in San Francisco.

1889  Converse County Sheriff  Josiah Hazen was shot and killed attempting to arrest members of a train robbing gang that included Kid Curry, who became well known as a member of the Wild Bunch.

1914 Thursday, June 4, 1914. Graduation.

The graduating class of NCHS had their photographs on the front page of the paper.  Slightly more were female than male, which was generally the rule at the time.  Some familiar last names in the group, including one, Edness Kimball, whose name is memorialized in a city park, and who Wyoming's first female Speaker of the House, and another whose last name, Speas, adorns the fish hatchery.  A notable group, we might note, came from ranching families, including one, Grieve

Kimball, or as she's usually called, Kimball Wilkins, was remarkable in a variety of ways. And showing how much Wyoming has changed, she was elevated to speakership in 1966 as a Democrat, as the Democrats were the majority party in the Legislature in the late 1960s.  She never actually got to serve in that role, however, as the legislature met every other year, and she was elected to the State Senate that year.  She lost her bid for reelection in 1970, but was elected again to the House in 1972, serving until her death in 1980 at age 84.

Myrtle Speas went on to become a teacher, and then married and moved to Memphis.  Interestingly, she returned to the Speas Ranch in 1921 for the birth of her first child, then returning.  Her daughter, Mary, lived until 2019, dying at age 97 in Tennessee.

Draft horses, as can be seen, remained such a significant source of, well, horsepower, that there was an advertisement for them in the paper.

The Homestead Act was still in force (the peak for homestead entries was still yet to come), but there was an ad trying to lure Wyomingites to Western Canada for better opportunities . . .opportunities today which are largely available only to the very wealthy.

1918  Battle of Belleau Wood. General Bundy takes command and the French arrive. June 4, 1918.

On this day in 1918, Omar Bundy, U.S. Army, 2nd Division, took command of the entire Belleau Wood front thereby giving it a consolidated leadership. On the same day the French 167th Division arrived, which was placed under Bundy's command.

Omar Bundy, U.S. Army.

And the news of what would come to be known as the Battle of Belleau Wood began to hit the front page back in the US.

1919  June 4, 1919. Congress passes 19th Amendment.

Congress passed the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution when the Senate approved the same, providing the franchise to women:

The right had already been confirmed by a variety of states, including Wyoming.  It would be ratified by the states on August 18, 1920.

The "Silent Sentinels" ceased picking the White House on this day as a result of the passage of the 19th Amendment.  They had been picking six days a week, excluding Sundays.

1922  Legendary Wyoming oilman and philanthropist Fred Goldstein married Ida Goldberg in Denver.  Goldstein is an example of how a lack of education was not a bar to success in his era.  He only attended school through grade 8 before going to work in American Pipe & Supply, his father's company, in Denver.  This would lead to a career which would make him enormously financially successful and which would also have a dramatic impact on Casper, where he ultimately relocated to direct the company's activities there.

1931  Amelia Earhart landed at Parco and stayed the night in the famous Lincoln Highway hotel there.

A thread on that hotel on our companion blog:

The Golden Era of Classic Hotels: Parco

The Parco Hotel.

If you try to book a room in the Parco Hotel today, you won't be able to.  Indeed, you won't even be able to find Parco. But the classic building is still there, in another use, and the town is still there, under another name. 

Parco was a company town started by the Producers & Refiners Corporation to house their operations and workers in Carbon County Wyoming.  It was built in 1925.  It says something, perhaps, about the nature of transportation at the time that the company undertook this, as the existing town of Rawlins was very well established by that time and quite nearby.  I estimate Rawlins to be a mere seven miles distant, and the Wyoming Highway Department places it at three miles.  Not much.  But ParCo chose to build its refinery distant from the Union Pacific railroad town and county seat for some reason.

 Spanish architecture buildings in Sinclair.

That wasn't the only (perhaps) unusual thing ParCo did. It also hired an architect to design the company town with a distinct architectural style and to include a very distinct hotel.  The town was not only on the Union Pacific, a necessity for a Carbon County refinery, but it was also on the Lincoln Highway.  ParCo was apparently run by a type of visionary, who saw that at least travelers heading west from Laramie and who passed by Medicine Bow might be looking for attractive lodging for the night.

So the company built the Parco Hotel.  Covering an entire city block, the Spanish architecture hotel featured 60 rooms and had two bell towers.  It was quite the hotel.  ParCo, however, didn't survive the  Great Depression and sold out to Sinclair in 1934.  In the 1940s, the town, still owned by the main employer, with that employer being Sinclair, changed its name to Sinclair.  In the 1960s Sinclair sold the town's buildings to its residents.

Another view of the Parco Hotel.

When the Parco Hotel ceased to be a hotel, I have no idea, but it was long ago.  In some ways, it's almost a shock to think of there being a near luxury hotel in its current location, with the larger town of Sinclair so close, and the main employer in Parco being the refinery, which continues on in operation to this day.

Towns separated by only a few miles are unusual in Wyoming's interior. There are some other examples, but not many.  That Parco came about with Rawlins so close is a bit of a surprise, and a luxury hotel in Parco is an even greater surprise. But perhaps that says something about transpiration at the time.  Even at three miles, in 1925, could have been rough traveling in in the winter, and perhaps for refinery operations you need the workers right there.  If the refiner wasn't going to build in Rawlins, it perhaps had to have a company town where it built.  And town it built had nice buildings. That they thought of a hotel where they did, perhaps reflected the nature of travel on the early Lincoln Highway.  The trip by interstate highway from Laramie to Sinclair is 93 miles today. If a person is driving from Cheyenne its 142 miles. But on the Lincoln Highway those miles were longer, and harder.  I'd guess that the distance on the Lincoln Highway was more like 110 to 120 miles from Laramie, with an added 50 if you came from Cheyenne.  By the time you traveled that distance, in 1925, you were likely ready for a stop. Rawlins was only another few miles, but that few miles probably seemed like an unwelcome few miles in 1925.  Rawlins was, no doubt, catching all of the train travelers.  But Parco probably caught quite a few of the motorists.

1943  Little Laramie River Floods.  Attribution: Wyoming State Historical Society.

1980  Miner's Delight placed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

2002  Draper Museum of Natural History opens in Cody. Attribution:  On This Day.

2018  A rare EF3 tornado touched down in Campbell County Wyoming near Gillette in the early afternoon. The destructive tornado destroyed homes.  It was the first EF3 to touch down in Wyoming since 1987.

2018  Wyoming became the first state to have a legally sanctioned bare knuckle boxing match in decades, with the opening bouts between a host of contestants. The bout was held in the Cheyenne ice arena and drew large crowds. Wyoming authorized the bare knuckle contest based on research showing that bare knuckle boxing was perhaps less dangerous to the contestants than conventional boxing.  The bouts were also shown on Pay Per View.

June 3

1862  6th Ohio Cavalry regimental commander Lieutenant Colonel William O. Collins received orders to take three companies to South Pass to protect the employees and property of the Overland Mail Company and the Pacific Telegraph.

1888    The poem "Casey at the Bat" by Ernest Lawrence Thayer was first published, in the San Francisco Daily Examiner.

The Outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day:
The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play.
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought, if only Casey could get but a whack at that -
We'd put up even money, now, with Casey at the bat.

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
And the former was a lulu and the latter was a cake;
So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance of Casey's getting to the bat.

But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
And Blake, the much despis-ed, tore the cover off the ball;
And when the dust had lifted, and the men saw what had occurred,
There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.

Then from 5,000 throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
It knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile on Casey's face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance gleamed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped-
"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one," the umpire said.

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore.
"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone on the stand;
And its likely they'd a-killed him had not Casey raised his hand.

With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;
But Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said, "Strike two."

"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud;
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.

The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate;
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out.

1919  June 3, 1919: Anarchists bombings and The 148th Field Artillery boards the USS Peerless. . .

bringing their service in the Great War and the following Army of Occupation to an end.

The USS Peerless was the former Steamship Eagle which had been brought into U.S. service as a transport during World War One.  In that capacity, she brought the troops of the 148th FA home to the U.S., including the Wyoming National Guardsmen that served in that unit, their role in the Great War now complete.

In September she'd be returned to her civilian owner, who once again returned her to her civilian name of Eagle.  She'd remain in service as a civilian transport until 1949, when she was scrapped.

The return of the 148th was big long awaited news for Wyomingites as it meant the return of the last of Wyoming's serving National Guardsmen. The news made the front page in Cheyenne, as did the proclamation of Boy Scout Week, if inaccurately, but another big event, a series of anarchist bombings the prior day, not surprisingly became the big headline.

The 1919 anarchist bombings would fuel the Red Scare of 1919 and lead to a rapid crack down on left wing activities in the United States.  Some date the event to the bombings, but it was already ongoing and the strikes of 1919 had already begun to fuel, along with other events, national and international.

1926  Training Camp for National Guard at Pole Mountain approved.  Attribution: Wyoming State Historical Society.

1948 Thirty eight contestants entered a horse race between Sheridan Wyoming and Billings Montana, 137 miles. The state had a culture of long distance horse races at the time.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

2020  Nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd, a black resident of Minneapolis Minnesota, during an arrest by police spread to Casper.

In much of the nation the protests, which had been running over a week, had turned violent and had broken out in looting.  This included Denver, which saw street protests get out of hand. This resulted in widespread concern in Casper that this would likewise occur even though the organizing group, composed of young Natrona County residents, had eschewed any such acts.  Nonetheless such incidents across the country and the rumored involvement of outside groups less concerned about racial inequality but other causes in those incidents sparked great concern, as well as numerous rumors, and as a result the city asked downtown businesses to close for the day, even as the organizing group tried to organize a post march local buying event.

Marchers gathered in front of the county's building.

As it happened the event largely took place without incident.  A large crowd marched from Casper's new David Street Station to the County building where various participants spoke.  A young African American woman featured by the local news apparently was one of those individuals and, based upon the news reporting which featured here, was very well spoken.

The organizing group asked people to disperse at 1:00 p.m. but not everyone did and a second march crossed the town on 2nd Street. This resulted in the only injuries when a truck accidentally hit a police car and ended up in Conwell Park, injuring several of the protesters in the truck.  At the intersection of 2nd Street and Wyoming Blvd, the crowd was dispersed when occupying an intersection and a liquor store was provided with precautionary protection.  The event then became a motor march in which that group of protesters returned downtown and occasionally yelled at bystanders and police, but which by appearance had devolved to principally be an event of the type that gathers people who go to events.

Camouflaged policeman on roof of First Interstate Bank Building.

The city was witness to the unusual special of a large and serious police presence, including the staging of special response police on downtown rooftops.

Officers on top of First Interstate Bank Building and the Federal Courthouse.

In a real oddity, the event drew the presence of what might partially be regarded as counter protesters in the form of men who were heavily armed who followed the march.  That in turn caused some of the marchers to also be heavily armed.  Combined with the heavily armed police presence, the day featured what was likely an all time high presence of armed citizenry for the last century.  Nobody made recourse to arms in any fashion, however, and the two groups largely seem to have gotten along.

June 2

1865 Sioux and/or Cheyenne attack Platte Bridge Station.  The Indians approach the station and fire on it, men of the 11th Ohio give chase. They run into trouble when the Indian band they were chasing, only ten men, turns out to be a lure and they are ambushed.  Fortunately for them, at that moment a a detachment from the 11th Kansas arrived and a running fight ensued.   Two troopers were killed, and one Indian.

1884  Lilly Langtry played at the Cheyenne Opera House.

1890  Douglas restricted the watering of lawns between 4 and 8 p.m.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1899   The Wild Bunch robbed the Union Pacific Overland Flyer No. 1  near Wilcox, taking between $30,000 and $60,000.  This robbery is famous in part for the large amount taken, but also for the destruction of a rail car by explosives which were used to open a safe.  This is depicted in the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  Attribution:  On This Day.

The Overland Flyer in 1906.

Longtime Wyoming residents may wonder where on earth Wilcox is.  That's because, it isn't.  It's a named spot on the railroad just north of Rock River.  If this same crime occured today, people would report it as having occured north of Rock River.  It occured very near the junction with the Fetterman Road.

I've driven past this spot thousands of time and never realized where it was. This was a bold action, as Rock Rover was more substantial than it now is (the explosion clearly could have been heard from there) and Medicine Bow not all that far to the north. 

1899  The First Philippine Republic officially declared war against the United States, although clearly the war, which the US termed an insurrection, had been going on for some time.

To recognize it as a war would have required a declaration of war, which in turn would have recognized the sovereignty of the Philippine Republic, which would have made a mockery of the US position on the islands.

Almost always, when people accuse the US of being involved in "colonial wars", they're full of it. This, however, was a colonial war.

1924  Congress passes the Indian Citizenship Act, conferring citizenship on all Native Americans born within the territorial limits of the country.

1939  Guernsey State Park Museum opened.  Attribution: Wyoming State Historical Society.

1945  Ft. F. E. Warren made a redeployment center for Quartermaster and Transportation Corps troops, a rather surprising thing considering how late in World War Two this was.

1978  The J. C. Penny District in Kemmerer added to the National Register of Historic Places.

June 1

1832   Nathaniel J. Wyeth's Oregon expedition reached Fort Laramie. Attribution:  On This Day.

1865 Sioux and/or Cheyenne attempt to drive stock off Sweetwater Station.. They burn Rocky Ridge Station that night  but dispersed with the blackpowder stores exploded.  The five enlisted me of the 11th Ohio stationed there took refuge in the well.

1909  Pathfinder Dam completed.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1916   The local news, June 1, 1916. No Jutland yet
 

But both the epic Battle of Verdun and the ongoing Punitive Expedition were.

And there's an education headline that looks surprisingly similar to those we read today.

1931  The cornerstone for the Sublette County Courthouse.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1933  First Wyoming Highway Patrolman assumed duties.  The WYHP, as recently discussed in the Annals of Wyoming, grew out of prohibition enforcement.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

President Theodore Roosevelt's 1903 Horseback Travel Route Field Trip | WyoHistory.org

President Theodore Roosevelt's 1903 Horseback Travel Route Field Trip | WyoHistory.org

Re:  May 30 entry.

This would actually be a fairly doable route today.

May 31

1834  Sublette and Campbell start constructing Ft. William, which would later become Ft. Laramie.

1872  A boating club was organized in Cheyenne.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1877   Colonel Nelson Miles reports that 2,300 Sioux have surrendered at the Red Cloud and Spotted Tail Agencies over the past two months..

1903  Theodore Roosevelt attended church in Cheyenne (it was a Sunday) and lunched with Joseph Carey.

1913   The 17th Amendment to the US Constitution, providing for the popular election of U.S. senators, was declared in effect.

1916    So, on the day thousands lost their lives violently at sea, what did the local news look like? May 31, 1916
 

Well, given that the Battle of Jutland was a naval battle, we can't expect it to show up in the day's news, even the late editions, at all.

Indeed, something that's easy to forget about the battle, as we tend to think of the later battles of World War Two a bit more (which also features some large surface engagements, contrary to the myth to the contrary) is that World War One naval battles were exclusively visual in nature.

That's not to say that radio wasn't used, it most certainly was. But targeting was all visual.  And as the battle took place in the North Sea, dense fog and hanging smoke played a prominent role in the battle.

Now, we note that, as while the British and German fleets were using radio communications, they weren't broadcasting the news, and they wouldn't have done that even if it were the 1940s.  And the radio communications were there, but exclusively military.  News of the battle had to wait until the fleets returned home, which is interesting in that the Germans were closer to their ports, so closer to press outlets.  Indeed, the point of the battle was to keep the Germans in port, or at the bottom of the sea.

So, on this day of a major battle, maybe in some ways the major battle of World War One, what news did local residents see?

The death of Mr. Hill, and the draft Roosevelt movement were receiving headline treatment in Sheridan.

I'm surprised that there was a University of Wyoming student newspaper for this day, as I would have thought that the university would have been out of school by then.  Maybe not.  However.  Interesting to note that this was published the day after Memorial Day, so it was a contemporary paper.  Now, the current paper, The Branding Iron, is weekly, I think.  The crises of the times show up in the form of UWs early ROTC making an appearance on Memorial Day.
1921   Guido F. Schlote of Afton received a patent for a coat collar fastener.

1945  1,500,000 lbs of wool reported to have been shipped from Rock Springs during the last six weeks.  Wool was a vital defense fiber during World War Two as it formed the fabric used for all military uniforms used in the ETO and over half used in the Continental United States.  Only in the Pacific was cotton the dominant fiber.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1947  Ft. F. E. Warren becomes an Air Force Base.  Attribution:  On This Day.

2024  Midwest High School in Natrona County graduated its 100th Class.

May 30

1834  William Sublette and William Anderson arrive at "Laramee's Fork", named for the late Jacque LaRamie, a trapper who had been killed there. The next day they lay the foundation logs for Fort William, which would be come Ft. Laramie..  Attribution:  On This Day.

1854    The territories of Nebraska and Kansas were established.  Wyoming east of the Rocky Mountains was included in the Nebraska Territory.

1862  Companies A, B, C, and D of the First Battalion of the 6th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry arrived at Fort Laramie.

1865  Cheyenne and/or Sioux attack Three Crossings Station.

1871  Wyoming Stock Growers Association, which would have an enormous impact on Wyoming's history, formed.

1901         Memorial Day becomes a national observance.

1903  Theodore Roosevelt visited Cheyenne and Laramie.  He stopped first in Laramie, where he delivered a speech at Old Main.  Invited by Rough Rider veterans to ride to the next stop, Cheyenne, he did so.

1904  Sheep rancher Lincoln Morrison shot in ambush near Kirby Creek, Hot Springs County, Wyo. He survived.  His mother, Lucy Morrison Moore, “The Sheep Queen,” offers a $3,500 reward but the attempted murderer is not discovered.

1908  The commencement of a Evanston to Denver horse race.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1916   Memorial Day, 1916
 

So, on Memorial Day, 2016, let's look back a century at Memorial Day, 1916.

Armored car in a parade in New York City.  Mounted policemen, on the left edge of the photo, truly look a lot more mobile and effective than this armored car.

This had to be a really somber Memorial Day.  World War One was raging in Europe. Ships were going down in the North Atlantic.  American soldiers were chasing Villa in Mexico. All that must have hung over the heads of the citizenry like a dark cloud.

Still, usually something goes on for this holiday. And some of it ends up on the front page of the news in anticipation of the day.  Let's see what we can find around the state and nation.  We've put one up above, a parade was held in New York City that featured a rather martial, if rather antiquated looking even then, armored vehicle.

One of the Casper papers didn't see fit to really announce anything on the front page for the day.

One of the Sheridan papers urged honoring veterans.

Another Sheridan paper did honor veterans, and of the conflict with Mexico.  Memorial Day festivities were also noted.

Interestingly, the death of Confederate John Singleton Mosby was also noted.

And Colorado National Guard officials were resigning in the wake of the Ludlow strife.  Quite a paper, all in all.

An important death figured on the front page of the Cheyenne Leader. By that time, that paper was summarizing "the War", meaning the war in Europe, on a regular basis.  Memorial Day was noted in the context of the Grand Army of the Republic, i.e., the Union troops who had fought in the Civil War (although not all joined the GAR of course).

Scandal, war and violence figured on cover of the Wyoming Semi-Weekly Tribune.

 

War and the "draft Roosevelt" movement took pride of place on the cover of The Wyoming Tribune, which also noted Memorial Day in the context of the Civil  War, which after all is what it commemorated.

1997  The USS Wyoming, SSBN 742,  successfully launched one Trident II missile during the ship's Demonstration and Shakedown Operation.

2007  Laramie's post office named after the late Senator Gale McGee.

President Theodore Roosevelt's 1903 Visit to Wyoming | WyoHistory.org

President Theodore Roosevelt's 1903 Visit to Wyoming | WyoHistory.org

May 29

1815  British government opens Canadian commerce to US citizens following the end of the War of 1812.

1843   John C. Fremont again departs from St. Louis to explore the West, having only recently returned from his first western expedition.

1876  Crook's forces depart Ft. Fetterman for the second time in 1876, for a summer campaign against the Sioux.

1878  John M. Thayer concludes his term as Territorial Governor.  Thayer was originally from Massachusetts but had relocated to eastern Nebraska to farm and practice law.  He served in the Civil War and was brevetted to the rank of Major General.  He was appointed Territorial Governor by President Grant, and returned to Nebraska after his term concluded.

1878  John W. Hoyt took office as Territorial Governor.  Hoyt was a polymath who had a law degree and a medical degree, had taught chemistry, and who was interested in agriculture.  He was the University of Wyoming's first president. 

1888 First Wyoming National Guard unit, the Laramie Grays, organized.

1890  The Wyoming's first Federally recognized National Guard unit formed, Company A, 1st Wyoming Regiment, the Laramie Grays.  The Laramie Grays are a short lived cavalry unit.  In spite of the absolute dependance on the horse for the economy of the region, Wyoming National Guard units were generally infantry, and then artillery, up until after World War One.

1891  The cemetery for Ft. Bridger relocated to Ft. McPherson Nebraska. 

1903  President Theodore Roosevelt made a whistle stop in Evanstson.

1904  A Natrona County boy was shot while herding sheep at Alkali Gulch. Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1912  John W. Hoyt, former Territorial Governor and first President of the University of Wyoming, died in Washington D. C.

1919  A new city  hall is opened in Casper.  The building is no longer there.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1943   “Rosie the Riveter” appeared on the cover of “The Saturday Evening Post" in an illustration by Norman Rockwell.  The concept of Rosie the Riveter would go on to virtually define the war industry employed working woman of World War Two, and would later be the subject of a very famous war poster, by another artist.  The image has gone on to later somewhat define feminism, but the image it has come to portray is inaccurate.  In truth, women were employed in war industries during World War One as well, and in some ways female labor during World War One was not only every bit as important as it was during World War Two, but more important, as women took over many roles in agriculture normally occupied by men.  The entire concept, therefore, that World War Two caused women to enter the workplace is incorrect, as the same forces were at work during World War One.

1943   Meat and cheese began to be rationed in US.

1971  A category 2 tornado injured three people in Casper.   Attribution:  On This Day.

1984  A 5.0 magnitude earthquake occurred 23 miles from Gillette.  Attribution:  On This Day.

May 28

1865  Cheyenne and/or Sioux attacked Elkhorn Station, Wyoming with inconclusive results.  They also attacked Sweetwater Station, Wyoming and took four horses and two mules and Pole Creek Station, Wyoming.

1869   Territorial Governor Campbell issued an order for a census of Wyoming Territory.  Attribution:  On This Day.

1900  Construction began on the Sidon Canal in the Big Horn Basin.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1902  The Virginian published.

1918  Mieli Rohkea Jartti of Glencoe patented a design for a sled attachment to an automobile.

1987  Norris, Madison, Fishing Bridge Museums and the Old Faithful Inn designated a National Historic Landmarks.Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.  Attribution:  On This Day.

Boy Scout Parade, Heart Mountain Internment Center, Memorial Day 1944.

312100_548378891872281_871553704_n.jpg (JPEG Image, 768 × 522 pixels)

Memorial Day

Observers here may have noted that I failed to put up a post for Memorial Day when this post was first made, in 2012.

This is in part due to Memorial Day being one of those days that moves around as, in recent years, Congress has attempted to make national holidays into three day weekends. That's nice for people, but in some ways it also takes away from the holiday a bit.  At the same time, it sort of tells you that if a holiday hasn't been moved to the nearest Friday or Monday, next to its original location on the calendar, it means that the holiday is either hugely important, a religious holiday, or extremely minor.  The 4th of July and Flag Day, one major and one minor, do not get moved, for example.

Anyhow, Memorial Day commenced at some point either immediately after or even during the Civil War, depending upon how you reckon it, and if you are date dependent for the origin of the holiday.  In American terms, the day originally served to remember the dead of the then recent Civil War.  The holiday, in the form of "Decoration Day" was spreading by the late 1860s.  The name Memorial Day was introduced in the 1880s, but the Decoration Day name persisted until after World War Two.  The holiday became officially named Memorial Day by way of a Federal statute passed in 1967.  In 1971 the holiday was subject to the Uniform Monday Holiday Act which caused it to fall on the last Monday of May, as it does now.

The day, therefore, would have always been observed in Wyoming, which had Grand Army of the Republic lodges since prior to statehood. But, like many holidays of this type, observation of the holiday had changed over the years.  In the 1960s and 1970s, by my recollection, the day was generally observed by people visiting the grave sites of any deceased family member, and therefore it was more of a day to remember the dead, rather than a day to recall the war dead.  This, however, has changed in recent years to a very noticeable extent.  Presently, it tends to serve as a second Veterans Day, during which veterans in general are recalled.  This year, for example, Middle School children in Natrona County decorated the graves of servicemen in the county with poppies, strongly recalling the poppy campaigns of the VFW that existed for many years.

Wyoming has a strong military culture, even though the state has lost all but two of its military installations over the years. The state had the highest rate of volunteers for the service during World War Two, and it remained strongly in support of the Vietnam War even when it turned unpopular nationwide.  The state's National Guard has uniquely played a role in every US war since statehood, including Vietnam, so perhaps the state's subtle association with Memorial Day may be stronger than might be supposed.

On remembrance, we'd be remiss if we didn't point out our Some Gave All site.