| Dates |
Events |
| 1743 |
The Verendryes and companions are first white men to sight the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming.
|
| 1803 |
Louisiana Purchase (including present Wyoming) is completed.
|
| 1805 |
General James Wilkinson is appointed governor of region embracing Wyoming., Lewis and Clark employ Sacajawea as guide.
|
| 1806 |
John Colter comes to region (credited with being first native born American to enter what is now Wyoming).
|
| 1807 |
Ezekiel Williams heads trapping party that enters Wyoming.
Fresh from the Lewis and Clark
expedition, mountain man, fur trapper, and explorer John Colter is first white man to enter Tog-Wo-Tee
(pronounced Toe-ga-TEE) Pass. He stumbles upon a land where hot water
shoots straight into the air, the earth bubbles as if it were boiling, and
almost extinct geysers thunder as if possessed by angry spirits. He calls the
area in his written reports "Colter's Hell." |
| I807-08 |
Edward Rose takes up permanent residence in Big Horn Basin (first American to do so).
|
| 1809 |
Many white trappers operate in what now is eastern Wyoming.
|
| 1811 |
Wilson Price Hunt's party,
the first organized expedition through Wyoming, crossed the
state on the way to Astoria, in present day Oregon. |
| 1812 |
Robert Stuart and companions returning from Astoria (it is believed) discover South Pass; builds first cabin erected by whites in Wyoming.
|
| 1822 |
General William Ashley establishes trading post on the Yellowstone, Jim Bridger arrives with Ashley.
|
| 1824 |
Ashley party names Sweetwater River.
South Pass is rediscovered and crossed by Ashley trappers, headed by Thomas Fitzpatrick and Jedediah Smith.
|
| 1825 |
Beginning of fur trade rendezvous period. Ashley's
yearly journey begins in St. Louis and takes him deep into the heart
of the Rockies. His wagons are the first vehicles to penetrate the
west, blazing a wagon road for the settlers who will follow a decade
later. When Ashley finally reaches his men each year, it is cause
for celebration--a wild party they call "the rendezvous." |
| 1826 |
General Ashley sells his trapping interests in Wyoming.
|
| 1827 |
First wheeled vehicle, a four-pounder cannon, crosses South Pass.
|
| 1828 |
The first of Wyoming posts, known as 'Portuguese Houses,' is established on Middle Fork of Powder River, 11 miles east of Kaycee.
|
| 1829 |
Smith, Jackson, and Sublette bring supplies to the rendezvous near the mouth of Popo Agie in wagons drawn by mules (first wagons ever brought to Wyoming).
|
| 1830 |
Kit Carson, noted scout, arrives.
|
| 1832 |
Captain B. L. E. Bonneville, with 110 men, 20 wagon loads of provisions, goods and ammunition, headed for Pierre's Hole,
takes first wagons through South Pass and establishes Fort Bonneville Green River
near present-day Daniel. |
|
1833 |
Bonneville records presence of oil in Popo Agie region of Wyoming.
|
| 1834 |
Ft. Laramie, first permanent trading post in Wyoming,
established by William Sublette and Robert Campbell. Military post
1849 - 1890. Most of the great Indian treaties will be signed there
|
| 1835 |
Rev. Samuel Parker held first Protestant service in
Wyoming near present Bondurant.
Rendezvous missionary Dr. Marcus Whitman removes, to the
amusement and amazement of the assembled multitudes, a 2-inch arrow
or spearhead that had been lodged in Jim Bridger's shoulder for the
preceding 3 years. |
| 1836 |
Narcissa Whitmarrand Eliza Spalding, brides of the
missionaries, first White women to pass over the Oregon Trail to the
Far West. |
|
1837 |
Rendezvous is attended by more than 2,000 trappers,
traders and Indians. Styles have already begun to change and top
money is not received for the furs |
| 1838 |
Jim Baker joins American Fur Company; becomes noted scout and guide.
|
| 1840 |
Father P. J. De Smet celebrates first Mass in Wyoming on Green River
near present-day Daniel.
|
| 1842 |
John C. Fremont leads an expedition to select sites for a line of
military posts with a view to territorial acquisitions in the Far
West.
The great migration begins on the Oregon Trail. Elijah White leads large party of missionaries and settlers across
Wyoming to Oregon.
Gold is discovered in the South Pass district, but the major gold
rush will be delayed by the coming Civil War and will start late in
the 1860s.
|
| 1843 |
Ft. Bridger, second permanent settlement, established
by Jim Bridger and Louis Vasquez. Military post 1858 - 1890.
Fremont's second expedition crosses Laramie Plains.
|
| 1845 |
Federal troops under Colonel Stephen W. Kearny march from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Laramie.
|
| 1846 |
President Polk approves an act to establish military posts along the Oregon Trail.
|
| 1847 |
Brigham Young leads first group of Mormons across Wyoming. Mormons build a ferry across Platte River near Fort Casper site.
|
| 1849 |
Fort Laramie is purchased by the United States for $4,000.
|
| 1851 |
Captain Howard Stansbury completes a reconnaissance for a
railway route.
Steamboat 'El Paso' sails up the Platte River to Guernsey, first
steamship on the Platte River in Wyoming.
|
|
1852 |
William Vaux, post chaplain, opened first school in Wyoming at Ft.
Laramie, assisted by his daughter, Victoria.
Peak year for emigration on Oregon Trail.
|
| 1853 |
Ft. Supply, first agricultural settlement, established
by Mormons near Ft. Bridger. Deserted and burned in 1857. |
| 1854 |
Grattan Massacre occurs near Fort Laramie.
|
| 1855 |
General W. S. Harney leads military expedition against the Sioux.
|
| 1856 |
Mormon 'hand-cart' exodus enters Wyoming' en route to Utah.
|
| 1857 |
Colonel A. S. Johnston's expedition marches across Wyoming
against Mormons. Mormons burn buildings at Fort Bridger and Fort Supply.
Camp Scott is established as winter quarters for Johnston's army.
Jim Bridger leases Fort Bridger to the Government.
Lieutenant G. K. Warren explores Wyoming from Fort Laramie
to the western slope of the Black Hills:
Coloniel E. V. Sumner leads troops against the Cheyenne.
|
| 1858-59 |
Russell, Majors, and Waddell transport more than 16,000,000
pounds of freight to Utah, passing through Wyoming on Oregon
Trail.
|
| 1859 |
Central, Overland, California and Pike's Peak Express Company
is established by Russell, Majors, and Waddell.
Fort Bridger becomes a Government military reservation.
|
| 1860 |
Pony Express started and crosses Wyoming.
Second school in Wyoming established at Ft. Bridger by Judge
William A. Carter, with Miss Fannie Foot as teacher.
|
| 1861 |
Creighton completes transcontinental telegraph line across Wyoming.
Pony Express
discontinued. |
| 1862 |
March. Ben Holladay takes over equipment of Russell, Majors,
and Waddell. Indians raid stage line and steal equipment.
Ft. Halleck (1862 - 1866) established on Overland Trail.
Overland stage line changed route from Oregon Trail to Overland
(Cherokee) Trail.
July. Government mail route is changed from central Wyoming to southern part of State because of Indian depredations.
|
| 1863 |
Bozeman Road through Wyoming established.
First newspaper in Wyoming, The Daily Telegraph, established at Ft.
Bridger.
A Mormon freights a cargo of soda to Salt Lake, the first known export of mineral from the territory.
Troops under General P. E. Connor sent to Wyoming to suppress Indians.
De Lacy prospecting expedition discovers Shoshone Lake.
|
| 1864 |
Indians wage war along Platte in Wyoming as a result of Sand Creek Massacre in Colorado.
|
| 1865 |
January 5. First proposal for temporary government for Territory of Wyoming is made by James M. Ashley, later governor of Montana Territory.
Fort Reno (1865-1868)
established.
July. Battle of Platte Bridge.
Lt. Caspar Collins killed.
Powder River Indian Expedition under Gen. Patrick E. Connor.
The "Bloody Year on the Plains."
|
| 1866 |
Ft. Phil Kearny (1866 - 1868) established on Bozeman
Trail.
Fetterman Massacre occurs. John "Portugee" Phillips' rides to
carry news to Ft. Laramie.
Nelson Story drove first herd of cattle through Wyoming, going
north to Montana.
Ft. Sanders (1866 - 1882) established on the Laramie plains'
Overland Trail.
|
| 1867 |
January 9. Laramie County is created by Dakota Legislature, and on December 27, Carter County.
Union Pacific builds into Wyoming.
Fort Fetterman
(1867-1882) is established.
Town of Cheyenne is founded.
Wagon Box Fight takes place in the Big Horns.
Fort D. A. Russell (now Fort F. E. Warren)
and Camp Carlin is established.
Carissa lode is discovered at South Pass.
|
| 1868 |
Peace Commission signs treaties with Sioux, Crow, and Arapaho at Fort Laramie; with Bannock and Eastern Shoshone at Fort
Bridger.
Wind River
Reservation
for Shoshone Indians created by treaty.
July 25. Territory of Wyoming is created by Congress.
Camp Augur is established (later called Camp Brown, then
changed in 1878 to Fort Washakie).
Fort Fred
Steele (1868 - 1886) established.
Albany and Carter Counties are organized.
Episcopal church builds first church building in Wyoming at
Cheyenne.
|
| 1869 |
Wyoming
Territory organized.
April 15. J. A. Campbell inaugurated as first governor of Wyoming.
Cheyenne designated as territorial capital.
October 12. First territorial legislature convenes.
December 10. Act granting suffrage to women is approved (the first in United States).
Union Pacific Railway is completed across territory.
Act is passed prohibiting intermarriage of whites and Negroes.
Carter County is changed to Sweetwater County.
Uinta County is organized.
|
| 1870 |
Population 9, 118.
First homestead entry is perfected in the territory.
Women serve on grand and petit juries at Laramie.
February 17.
Mrs. Esther M. Morris, of South Pass, is appointed first woman justice of the peace.
March. Women first empaneled for jury service, Laramie.
September 6. First equal suffrage vote cast by Mrs. Louisa Swain
of Laramie.
F t. Stambaugh
(1870 - 1878) founded .
Washburn and Doane Expedition explores Yellowstone National Park region.
|
| 1871 |
Legislature passes Militia Act; three militia districts created.
First Wyoming high school opens in Cheyenne.
William "Buffalo Bill" Cody begins guiding hunting parties,
including a Yale paleontologist through the Yellowstone and Big Horn
Basin area. |
| 1872 |
'Yellowstone Wonderland' is established as first national park.
State Penitentiary is built at Laramie; destroyed by fire soon after; partially rebuilt in 1873.
|
| 1873 |
Wyoming Stock Growers Association organizes.
|
| 1876 |
Cheyenne and Black Hills stage line is launched.
Ft. McKinney (1877 - 1894) established.
Custer leads expedition in northern Wyoming.
Battle of Little Big Horn in Montana. |
| 1877 |
Agreement made with Shoshone Indians to allow
Arapahoes to move onto Wind River Reservation for temporary quarters (have remained there ever since).
Cantonment Reno is redesignated Fort McKinney.
Chief Joseph leads his Nez Perce people through the "Devil's
Doorway" in the Yellowstone area during their attempted escape to
Canada. |
| 1879 |
Lotteries and games of chance are outlawed by legislation.
|
| 1880 |
Cheyenne Club built by wealthy cattlemen.
Population, 20,789.
|
|
1881 |
Jim Bridger, famous scout and guide, died in Missouri,
July 17. Buried at Westport, Missouri. |
| 1883 |
Cheyenne completes incandescent lighting system.
|
| 1884 |
Fremont County is organized.
|
| 1885 |
Anti-Chinese
Massacre in Rock Springs.
|
| 1886 |
Northwestern Railroad reached eastern boundary of
Wyoming. Cheyenne and Northern Railroad reached Douglas.
First county library law in U.S. enacted by Wyoming Territorial
Legislative Assembly.
First county library established in Cheyenne .
First county fair in state, Johnson County.
Governor Warren approves act providing for capitol building.
Commission is appointed to build capitol and State university.
Legislature provides for construction of Institution for Deaf, Dumb and Blind at Cheyenne.
Severe winter kills thousands of cattle.
Fremont and Elkhorn Valley Railroad builds branch to Douglas called Wyoming and Central.
|
| 1887 |
Corner stone of capitol building is laid at Cheyenne.
|
| 1888 |
September 6. University of Wyoming opens at Laramie.
Capitol building completed.
Crook and Pease (Johnson) Counties are organized.
400 Mormon families move into Big Horn Basin.
Wyoming National Guard is established.
Legislature appropriates funds for penitentiary at Rawlins.
Converse, Natrona, and Sheridan Counties are created.
|
| 1889 |
November. Wyoming adopts State constitution.
|
| 1890 |
Population, 62,553.
July 10, Wyoming is admitted into the Union as the
44th State.
October 14. Francis
E. Warren (last territorial governor) is inaugurated as governor of State.
First Wyoming congressmen are elected: Joseph M. Carey (last delegate) and Francis E. Warren, U. S. senators; Clarence D. Clark, representative-at-large.
Big Horn and Weston Counties are created.
First oil well is brought in by Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Company
in the Shannon field of the Salt Creek district.
|
| 1891 |
President Harrison establishes Yellowstone Timber Land Reserve, first in the United States.
|
| 1892 |
Johnson County Cattle War.
|
|
1894 |
Mrs. Cort F. Meyer (Estelle Reel) elected State
Superintendent of Public Instruction, one of the first women in the
U.S. elected to a state office. |
| 1895 |
Oil refinery is built at Casper.
Dupont Powder Company begins development of soda deposits
in Wyoming.
|
| 1896 |
Hot Springs is purchased from Shoshone Indians.
After using a couple of other names for their town, Buffalo
Bill's company picks Cody in the hopes that his reputation will
bring in settlers. It works. |
| 1897 |
September 23. First Cheyenne Frontier Day is celebrated.
|
| 1898 |
New penitentiary is completed at Rawlins.
Legislature enacts law taxing migratory stock from adjoining
States.
Jim Baker, scout and mountain man, died May 15. |
| 1899 |
U.P. mail train is robbed of $60,000 in unsigned bank notes at
Wilcox.
|
| 1900 |
Population, 92,531.
Chief Washakie buried with full military honors in post cemetery
at Ft. Washakie. |
| 1901 |
Wyoming Frontier Prison in Rawlins opens for
prisoners. |
|
1902 |
J.C. Penney opens his first store in Kemmerer on April
13th. Yellowstone Forest Reserve (Shoshone National Forest) is the
first national forest in the country. |
| 1903 |
November
20. Tom Horn is hanged in Cheyenne; buried in Boulder, Colorado.
|
|
1904 |
Brothers Howard, Alden, and Willis Eaton establish the
West's first dude ranch near Sheridan. |
| 1905 |
Governor's Mansion is ready for occupancy.
State Fair is established at Douglas.
|
| 1906 |
Riverton townsite is thrown open to settlers.
First auto accident in Wyoming occurs.
September 24.
Devil's Tower National Monument, first in U.S., is established.
|
| 1909 |
Park County is organized.
|
| 1910 |
Population, 145,965.
Willis Van Devanter, Wyoming lawyer, named to U.S. Supreme Court.
Mrs. Mary G. Bellamy of Laramie first woman elected to Wyoming
legislature.
First amendment to Wyoming Constitution ratified.
|
| 1911 |
Campbell, Goshen, Hot Springs, Lincoln, Niobrara, Platte, and Washakie Counties are organized.
|
| 1913 |
First automobile license in Wyoming is issued to J. M. Schwoob.
A wolf is trained to carry mail over deep snows.
|
| 1916 |
'Bill' Carlisle robs Union
Pacific train.
Sunrise is named model town by Colorado Fuel & Iron Company. |
| 1917 |
Buffalo Bill dies in Denver.
State Flower and State Flag are adopted by legislature.
Jim Baker's cabin is moved to Cheyenne.
Wyoming male citizens register for World War draft.
|
| 1918 |
State votes for prohibition three to one.
Uranium discovered
in Wyoming, near Lusk. |
| 1919 |
All Wyoming breweries suspend operations during national emergency.
'Bill' Carlisle, train bandit, escapes from penitentiary.
|
| 1920 |
Population, 194,531.
Transcontinental air mail planes are launched.
Night air mail flying is inaugurated across Wyoming.
|
| 1921 |
Great oil well roars in at the Teapot Dome.
Teton and Sublette Counties are organized.
|
| 1923 |
Governor William B. Ross dies in office.
99 coal miners die in explosion at Kemmerer mine.
|
| 1924 |
Nellie Tayloe Ross
elected governor, first woman to hold such office in the United States. (In 1933 she
will be appointed Director of the
U.S. Mint, first woman to hold that office.)
|
| 1925 |
Teapot Dome oil case is tried before judge Kennedy at Cheyenne; decision upholds Sinclair lease.
New Douglas airplane makes first flight across the State.
Gros Ventre River is dammed by huge slide. |
| 1927 |
Gros Ventre dam breaks and wipes out town of Kelley. |
| 1930 |
Population, 225,565.
|
| 1931 |
Fort D. A. Russell is officially renamed Fort Francis E. Warren
in honor of Senator Warren of Wyoming..
Governor Frank Emerson dies in office. |
| 1935 |
December 10 designated Wyoming Day, commemorating Governor John A. Campbell's signing of the act granting women in
Wyoming Territory the right of suffrage.
|
|
1937 |
A United Airlines passenger plane crashes in Wasatch Mountains with 19 aboard.
|
| 1938 |
Fort Laramie is taken over by Federal Government and made 74th National Monument. |
