One More For The Road

Multi-tasking is always a good idea. Like fixing the car while using your cellphone.....

One more no play 8 2 26

Cowboy State Daily is Wyoming’s largest newspaper with Wyoming’s most experienced journalists. 

<title>One More For The Road: Sunday, August 2, 2026 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

One More For The Road: Sunday, August 2, 2026

 Multi-tasking is always a good idea. Like fixing the car while using your cellphone.....

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's business and tourism reporter, Renée Jean

Renée Jean

Business

The cornerstone of a western fashion empire rising in Saratoga wasn’t a bright idea. It was a problem — a whole series of them, in fact, starting with a beautiful belt that wouldn’t fit.

From a 150-square-foot spare bedroom to two warehouses and a patented D-ring system, Dixie and Kirby Berger have built their company, Pure Dixie, into an international western fashion brand and a favorite at some of the largest rodeos in the nation, from Cheyenne Frontier Days to the National Finals Rodeo.

They did it not by avoiding mistakes but by stubbornly working through them, one bad belt and one busted box of inventory at a time. 

The bad belt was a beaded strip that caught Dixie’s eye during Cheyenne Frontier Days a decade ago.

It took her hours and hours to make the belt once she got it home, sewing each little bead into place one by one.  

When she was finished, though, it was too long for a traditional belt buckle. It wasn’t going to fit.

“I gave it to my husband and I said, ‘I made this and I can’t take it apart. It’s all beaded,’” she told Cowboy State Daily. “You need to make this fit me because if I put a traditional buckle on, it just doesn’t fit.’”

Her husband, an expert leatherworker, had been helping his wife make embroidered leather belts they were selling in little totes at local rodeos. So he took her project back to his workshop to see what he could figure out. 

The system he came up with was to place a metal ring on one end of the belt that he could fit into slots along the other end. That made the belt not only shorter, but more adjustable. 

That was the birth of the couple’s patented D-ring system, which has made their business, Pure Dixie, an international best-seller, as well as frequent vendors at choosy venues like the National Finals Rodeo and Cheyenne Frontier Days.

“That system completely changed how we thought of our products,” Berger said. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"The problems didn’t end there, though. "}]

Berger’s mom was always losing her cell phone, so one day she asked Dixie if she could make a purse for her.

“That’s how the crossbody minis came to attach to the front of the bag,” Berger said. “And so, through like a process of things that have happened in our life, the ideas kind of came full circle, almost in a moment.” 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Belt Everyone Wanted"}]

Long before any of that, though, the whole operation fit inside a single 150-square-foot bedroom. That solved a different problem for Dixie.

“I was a stay-at-home mom with three kids,” she said. “And I was not willing to give that up. So I set up my spare bedroom with an embroidery business, and then my husband had leather stuff upstairs with all the sewing machines.”

By day, Dixie watched her children and squeezed in embroidery orders whenever time allowed while her husband worked saddles and tack and chaps on his family’s ranch. 

At night, after their kids went to bed, the two combined their skills to make pieces, first just for each other and then for a growing list of customers. One of those first pieces was an embroidered leather belt with Wyoming’s bucking horse logo on it — a Christmas present for Dixie. 

Dixie was proud of that belt, so it went with her to lots of places — including ranch rodeos where other girls wanted to know where she’d gotten such a cool belt. 

When they learned she and her husband made it, Dixie found herself taking orders for more belts. Lots of them.

That led to the couple bringing some of their belts to ranch rodeos in totes and selling them on the spot. 

“So it wasn’t really on purpose,” Berger said with a chuckle. “It was definitely something that just came to us, and definitely something we’ve enjoyed pursuing.”

One day not long after Kirby came up with the D-ring system, the couple was showing off their belts to someone named Diana.

As Diana picked up each belt to inspect, she would sling the one she’d just looked at over one shoulder to look at another. 

The belts looked so nice draped over her shoulder it gave Dixie instant inspiration. 

She realized the belts could double as purse straps, creating a more customizable purse using the D-ring system her husband designed.

She feels those moments — the too-long belt,  her mom’s missing phone, and even a customer casually slinging belts over her shoulder — all stacked together into the core of Pure Dixie’s patented mix-and-match system. 

“That belt has become a pretty iconic piece for the business,” Dixie said. 

Over time Berger has continued to add mix-and-match ideas, including patches that snap on and off. Cowboy hats, ball caps, and crossbody-minis all have a set of four snaps for patches. Feel like a bucking horse one day, and a bow the next? No problem, there’s a patch for every mood and every occasion.

“I love the aspect where every girl kind of gets to design her piece, and so girls aren’t walking out of our booth looking the same,” Berger said.  “We have so many options that everybody gets to pick their unique style.” 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Two Warehouses Later"}]

Today, the business no longer fits in a tiny bedroom. The couple has built two warehouses and hired four to five full-time employees to help them scale up the business.

“We have a custom tannery that tans all of our leather,” Dixie said. “And we do have manufacturing now in Mexico that helps us, and then we do all the finish work in Saratoga.”

Learning to navigate mass manufacturing with a company in Mexico, though, was its own steep learning curve.

“So my very first box ... I spent all of my money on this box of inventory from Mexico to have my designs produced by someone just to test it and see,” she said. “So I spent all my money and every single piece came back incorrect.”

This wasn’t just a bad order. It was literally every dollar she had, tied up in a box of unusable bags. 

“I was pretty sad about it and just frustrated and pretty deflated,” she said. “And my husband said to me, ‘This is the moment where someone else gave up.’ He’s like, ‘If you can figure it out and push through it, you just went past someone who would have given up.’”

Instead of sending back the box or walking away, they hauled out every bag and fixed them one by one, leaning on the leather-working skills they’d honed since the spare-bedroom days. 

“That was probably 2016, 2017 that that happened,” she said. “So we took every single bag out. We fixed them all, since we know how to do leather work and we can fix about whatever.”

That box has rewired how Dixie thinks about every problem in her business. If she can get through it, she’s always stepping past the point where someone else would have quit.

“It’s like, if I can get through this issue, through this tariff issue, through this leather-production issue, through this logistics issue, you know, that’s where someone else gave up,” she said. “And I just don’t want to, we’ve decided we don’t want to give up. We just want to do the very best we can and keep pursuing the dream.”

For this couple, that dream looks like a world where they are building an international business together and the children are part of that effort in a tiny Wyoming town where they can remain close to family.

“We failed a lot and we did some things right,” Dixie said. “And we just kept at it. It was a step-by-step process.”

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<title>How A Saratoga Woman Built An International Western Fashion Brand From Her Bedroom | Cowboy State Daily</title>

A Saratoga woman was determined to remain a stay-at-home mom, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t build an international Western fashion brand. Her business Pure Dixie started in a 150-square-foot bedroom, now takes up two warehouses and continues to grow.

How A Saratoga Woman Built An International Western Fashion Brand From Her Bedroom

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's Feature Reporter, Andrew Rossi.

Andrew Rossi

Wyoming Life

Lander resident John Applegate built a wooden bench and placed it along the popular Tomato Loop hiking trail during the COVID pandemic in 2020. Shortly after he put it there, it was stolen.

Applegate built another wooden bench and placed it in the same spot. 

The only logical solution was to take the time and effort to build a third bench and place it at the same spot where the others were stolen.

“Third time’s the charm,” Applegate told Cowboy State Daily. “I used a bunch of recycled wood, including old cabinets from the Lander Medical Clinic, and engraved everything on the back myself.”

Applegate has done this on his own time, with his own resources. He’s not bitter about the two stolen benches, but he hopes this one stays for the benefit of everyone in Lander.

“I want to give people the ability to enjoy the scenes around Lander that I've always enjoyed growing up here,” he said.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Right Spot"}]

A few years ago, Applegate wanted to lose weight. One of the ways he shed some pounds was by repeatedly hiking the Tomato Loop Trail with his wife.

“I lost 100 pounds, and hiking that trail was part of it,” he said. “Before I lost the weight, I’d get halfway up this one hill and just about die.  There was a little bench at the top, overlooking the Lander Llama Company, and I always took my break on that bench and enjoyed the view.”

That’s what inspired Applegate to build a bench for the hilltop. He knew people would savor the opportunity to sit and absorb the view.

“It’s been a favorite spot of mine, and I always enjoy the view,” he said. “I think it offers iconic views of Lander.”

Applegate sells repurposed pallet wood and laser art through his business, Four Finger Wood Art. His finished bench was engraved with the coordinates of Lander and the iconic Steamboat emblem, and took around 40 hours to complete.

[{"type":"text","text":"Shortly after he put the bench on the Tomato Loop, it was stolen. "}]

“People told me how much they enjoyed the first bench, so I made another one,” he said. “I put a bit more design into it, more of the artistic side of what I do, and made it sturdier to accommodate more people.”

Applegate placed the second bench in the same spot in August 2025. It was gone before the end of September.

“I was driving down Mortimer Lane, which I like to do, and saw that it was missing,” he said. “I couldn’t believe it. Who would do that?”

Applegate hoped the culprits would bring the bench back so everyone could enjoy it. They never did.

“If someone likes my work so much, I’ll make them their own bench,” he said. “I’d probably make it at no cost, because that’s what I do. This bench was meant to be a quiet gift to the community. A place to pause, breathe, and enjoy the scenery. Sadly, someone took it.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"One More Time"}]

Even after his second bench was stolen, Applegate thought he'd make another one. He placed it on the same hilltop, overlooking the Lander Llama Company, on June 26.

“Built by hand, shaped by a little stubbornness, and made to belong right where it stands,” he said.

Rather than using any templates, each wooden bench was custom-designed. Applegate said he let the process and materials dictate the designs.

“I like to repurpose stuff,” he said. “It’s a challenge for me, and I like the challenge. That’s one of the reasons why I keep making them. I never make the same bench twice. They’re all different.”

Applegate had a bit more fun with this one. Once it was ready for engraving, he decided to shake things up and pay homage to the residents at the base of the hill.

“I put the Bucking Horse on the other benches, but I kept thinking about the little llamas and decided to incorporate them instead,” he said. “It turned out pretty good.”

The new bench is flanked by engravings of llamas on either side. Lander’s coordinates are still engraved on the new bench, so everyone knows where they are.

[{"type":"text","text":"“It turned out pretty good,” he said."}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Think Thrice, Thieves"}]

The new bench is the fourth wooden bench Applegate has made and gifted to the Lander community. Another bench he placed in town was also stolen shortly after he finished it.

“That one was on Buena Vista Drive before it vanished,” he said. “Someone replaced it with a marble bench, so nobody’s stealing that.”

That said, Applegate has taken certain precautions with his latest project. After three benches and three thefts, he’s built in some security.

“I won't give a whole lot of detail, but if it does go missing, I'll know when and where it goes,” he said.

The owners of the Lander Llama Company, Scott and Therese Woodruff, loved the benches and were furious when they were stolen. They’ve elected to add their own anti-theft security.

“They asked if I didn't mind if they made an anchor or something to secure it, because they enjoy that bench just as much as everybody else,” Applegate said. “I told them I’m perfectly fine with that.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"A Gift For All"}]

Now that the Tomato Loop hilltop has a spot to sit, Applegate can pursue new benches and vistas. He’s already got another one in mind.

“There’s a spot going up Sinks Canyon where a lot of people like to stop and watch the elk when they’re there,” he said. “I’m thinking I might make one for that spot, as well.”

Nevertheless, Applegate hopes he won’t have to build another bench for the Tomato Loop. He wants to enjoy his handiwork as much as anyone else.

“Honestly, if someone took this bench, that's flattering,” he said. “If they like it, I wish they would reach out, talk to me, and ask me to make one for them. I’d probably do it for free. There's no monetary value in it for me. I like the challenge and giving back to the community that's given a lot to me.”

Applegate hasn’t let himself be deterred by the previous thefts. He described the new bench as “a project I really wanted to see through.”

“It’s sitting over the same Wyoming view that made the spot worth building for in the first place,” he said. “I’m happy to finally have it finished, set in place, and ready to be enjoyed again.”

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<title>Lander Man Builds Third Wooden Bench For Community After First Two Stolen | Cowboy State Daily</title>

After the first two benches he built were stolen, a Lander man is giving it a third attempt. He's built yet another wooden bench and gave it to his neighbors so they can enjoy the iconic views of the popular Tomato Loop hiking trail. "Third time's the charm," he said.

Lander Man Builds Third Wooden Bench For Community After First Two Stolen

Business & Tourism

Anyone curious enough to explore the North Fork of the Shoshone River, leading to the East Entrance of Yellowstone National Park, might encounter a clearing in the woods with wooden benches and a simple stone altar.

Every Sunday during the summer, people from around the world find a spot on those benches to enjoy a simple moment of faith and contemplation in nature, while hoping a grizzly doesn’t join the congregation.

 of Christ Episcopal Church in Cody is a sacred spot of worship situated on the Shoshone National Forest. It’s also one of the only chapels where your Sunday Best should be supplemented with a bear spray holster.

“We had a grizzly bear stroll through during our Father’s Day service about 25 years ago,” said Reverend Douglas Sunderland, the priest in charge at Christ Episcopal Church. “He didn't pay any attention to us and walked on by. That was rather exciting.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Cody’s Chapel"}]

There are many wayfarer’s chapels in the world, including a handful in the mountains of Wyoming. They’re often situated on national forests or more secluded spots where the grandeur of stained glass, marble and incense is substituted for sunlight, warm breezes, and the smell of spruce.

“They're outdoor spaces for worship,” Sunderland said. “Christ Church has a lease on the land. We own the benches and the altar, but there’s pretty much nothing else there.”

The chapel is surrounded by pine trees. One, growing behind the altar, is called “The Trinity” because it has three separate shoots.

The Cody Wayfarer’s Chapel has been a fixture along the North Fork since 1964. Christ Episcopal Church has been holding 10 a.m. Sunday services there every summer since then.

They are non-denominational services,” Sunderland said. “They follow an Episcopal liturgy, but anyone is welcome.”

People of all faiths and creeds can stop by, and many do. Many who attend the Sunday services are Yellowstone visitors intrigued enough to stop and see why people are sitting in the middle of the forest.

Regular attendees tend to be those who live along the North Fork, permanently or temporarily, who find the chapel more accessible than an hour’s drive into Cody.

“We get a lot of people who are staying or working at the lodges up there,” Sunderland said. “Some people stop when they see the sign or come back later after seeing the sign earlier.”

Considering how much it costs to maintain a large church, keeping up the Cody Wayfarer’s Chapel is extremely economical.

“We have somebody who goes up in early June to cut the grass that's grown up under the benches and moves any debris that's fallen on the path,” Sunderland said. “We sand the benches every few years, but that’s really about it.”

The downside is the Wayfarer’s Chapel is only open for as long as the weather’s warm. That means strictly summer services.

[{"type":"text","text":"Unless you want a particularly rustic wedding ..."}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"In Good Times And In Bad"}]

Christ Episcopal Church only holds Sunday services at the chapel during the summer, but it’s open to weddings any day of the week, whenever the blushing bride and groom would like.

“Anyone can be married there,” Sunderland said. “They just need to register the date and time that they would like to use the space. We don't charge anything, but they need to let us know that they'll be there.”

Cody resident Anne Young is one of many people who’ve tied the knot at the Wayfarer’s Chapel. She married her late husband, Jim, there in 1994.

“Jim was a very outdoorsy person, and so was I,” Young told Cowboy State Daily. “We used to take pack trips into the mountains just by ourselves for a week with our horses. We wanted an informal wedding in a natural environment because that’s where we had our best times.”

Young described her wedding as “a lovely wedding in the woods,” free of any pomp or circumstance. That’s the allure of the chapel as a wedding venue and a place of worship, she said.

“It’s a simple service with a short sermon and no music,” she said. “In my opinion, the Episcopal Church often has a way of winging it, even though it's very traditional. Every service is different, but it doesn't go on and on. There are no long announcements or golden crosses. Donald Trump would hate it." 

Weddings have been booked throughout the year, even when there’s snow covering the ground. The couples who are married there see that as a plus rather than a minus.

“Our wedding was on October 22,” Young said. “The night before, it snowed, but we were so determined to have it at the chapel that we scurried up there to get the snow off all the benches. We prevailed, and it was a lovely service.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Heyday And Mayday"}]

The current Wayfarer’s Chapel isn’t the original Wayfarer’s Chapel. There was a moment when it disappeared, and almost didn’t reappear.

When the original chapel opened in 1964, it quickly became a destination vacation for leaders in the Episcopal Church.

“When clergy from other churches had a month’s vacation in the summer, they’d come out west,” Sunderland said. “They'd stay at one of the lodges on the North Fork and serve on Sundays at the chapel. All they had to do during their vacation was one Sunday service.”

That practice has since fallen off for reasons Sunderland didn’t know. Today’s services are led by local clergy and faith leaders.

Then, in the 1990s, the Wyoming Department of Transportation wanted to widen U.S. Highway 14-16-20 to accommodate more traffic to Yellowstone. The original chapel was situated in a spot that would be leveled for the project.

[{"type":"text","text":"That raised questions about its future."}]

“The U.S. Forest Service didn’t want to give us a new permit,” Young said. “They told us that they only allow recreational sites, like zip lines or lodges, so being stubborn Episcopalians, he said, ‘Oh no, you're not going to take that away from us.’”

The Forest Service was concerned about disruptions to the landscape and wildlife habitat. Christ Episcopal Church argued that a non-denominational place of worship qualified as recreational.

Young joined the effort to get a recreational permit for a new chapel. It was led by Brad Smith, a member of the Cody congregation and a lawyer for the Environmental Protection Agency, who drafted all the legal arguments.

“I can't remember all the legal arguments that Brad had, but we were finally granted permission to pick out a new site,” Young said. “A group of us went up into the woods and finally found a terrific new site. That was the fun part after all the arguing.”

That site is where the Wayfarer’s Chapel remains today. Young and Sunderland hope that’s where it will always be found.

“I haven’t heard anything to suggest it’s going anywhere,” Sunderland said.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Quiet Moments"}]

As long as there’s a Wayfarer’s Chapel between Cody and Yellowstone, there will be rustic weddings and summer Sunday services.

The chapel isn’t as accessible as many would like. The pathway from the gravel parking lot is steep and rugged and often gets the worst of any wet weather.

“It's a little hard for older people to get up the hill,” Sunderland said. “It’s uphill and a little rocky.”

As for weddings, Sunderland recommended that interested couples book two venues. Just in case.

“In case the weather is inclement and they can't be up there, they should book a reservation at the Poker Chapel on our property in Cody,” she said. “We do charge for that, but it gives you a place for their wedding.”

Cody’s Wayfarer’s Chapel is remote, rugged, and usually not in any shade. That’s what makes it so special to the thousands of people who have been there, whether for a simple Sunday sermon or one of the most poignant moments of their lives.

“The best aspect of the chapel is a worship service out in the wilderness, in the forest, in nature, and experiencing the beauty of creation and God's creation,” Sunderland said.

Young agreed. She attends the summer services whenever she can because it’s a sacred spot in a natural setting where one can find peace and calm in one of the most beautifully situated spots in Wyoming.

“Even when there’s not a service, a lot of people just like stopping there, taking a minute to appreciate the outstanding and unique beauty of our whole Yellowstone ecosystem,” she said. “Most tourists go roaring through. They don't spend enough time just sitting and enjoying it all. It restores the heart and the soul.”

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<title>Cody's Wayfarer's Chapel: A Peaceful Place To Worship, But Bring Your Bear Spray | Cowboy State Daily</title>

The Wayfarer’s Chapel is a sacred spot to worship on the Shoshone National Forest between Cody and Yellowstone. It’s also one of the only chapels where you should bring bear spray. “We had a grizzly stroll through a Father’s Day service," the reverend said.

Cody's Wayfarer's Chapel: A Peaceful Place To Worship, But Bring Your Bear Spray

Another of Wyoming’s legacy ranches is hitting the market after nearly a century of stewardship. The T Diamond Ranch comes with a front-row seat to the Black Hills, as well as history to match.

It’s tucked into Crook County just a few miles from the South Dakota border on a 433-acre spread where trout streams, 

red bluffs and Wyoming tax laws all come together for a $5 million asking price.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Deep Historic Roots"}]

Aerial photos of the property show Lower Redwater Creek meandering through, with pine-studded hills and red-rock cliffs in the background. The ranch is part of an operation that was founded by the Matthews family, who trailed into Wyoming from Texas, first settling near Gillette in 1888 then expanding outward to Sundance and Spearfish. 

In Spearfish, the family is known for the Matthews Block, which includes the Matthews Opera House, a vibrant community arts center.

T Diamond Ranch is one-fourth of a larger ranch the Matthews family owned. It includes the 1930s farmstead and dairy, along with other working ranch structures. These are not relics. They are part of what is already a working cattle ranch rated for about 50 head. 

With an existing lease in place, there’s an immediate income stream.

But it’s not just the original farmhouse and ranch structures that come with this property. There’s a 7,500-square-foot mansion as well, built In 2001.

“They spared no expense when they built it,” Hayden Outdoors listing agent Kerry Englemann told Cowboy State Daily. “It’s just a beautiful, beautiful place.” 

The home was built with entertaining in mind, so has expansive gathering spaces in addition to three bedrooms and seven full bathrooms. Large windows frame a sweeping view of the scenery, including creek bottoms below. 

The interior is finished with warm wood, high-quality appliances, and multiple fireplaces. The price competitive compared to other areas with the kind of outdoor recreation the Black Hills offer.

“This would probably be $20 million in Jackson Hole,” Englemann said. “We sold a ranch down the road there last year for $2.5 million, and it had no improvements to the property, so no residence and no working ranch headquarters.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Where The Trout Live"}]

With few neighbors nearby, and easements that protect the character of all four of the original ranches that were part of this cluster, the new owner will feel as though they’ve found a private sanctuary, he said. 

“It’s rough country, it’s Wyoming country,” Englemann said. “But when you get down to the running water, it’s just beautiful. You have those rugged red bluffs and the contrast with the green riparian area, with all the things you want to see as a country boy.”

Water is a highlight on this turnkey ranch, with substantial, long-standing water rights that support about 125 acres of riparian and irrigated hay bottom along Lower Redwater Creek. That supports one to two cuttings of grass and grass legume hay every season, he said. 

Two registered wells serve the headquarters, providing water to both residences, as well as for domestic stock use. There’s a permanent stock water pipeline easement delivering year-round stock water to the southern grazing units. 

“The highlight is the running water,” Englemann said. “The Redwater Creek — in South Dakota they call it Redwater River — is just beautiful. Those riparian areas are just lush, and there’s trout swimming.”

It’s the kind of fishing many people travel hundreds of miles to find, Englemann said. Lower Redwater Creek runs the length of the property, offering cold, clear trout water starting about 100 yards from the mansion’s backdoor. 

Hay bottoms and timbered draws create wildlife habitat too, attracting whitetail deer, mule deer, turkeys, and elk, who roam freely from the nearby Black Hills National Forest and creek corridor, as well as plenty of upland birds that work the field edges and frequent the creek, Englemann said.

The ranch is also situated to access the Black Hills in both Wyoming and South Dakota, but it comes with a much lower tax bill than its neighboring state. 

“I don’t know what the exact percentages are, but when I look at properties that are similar to my property in South Dakota, my tax bill for that property is somewhere around $7,000 to $8,000 a year,” he said. “And if you go across the border to Wyoming those taxes might be around $1,200 a year. So it’s a huge discrepancy in terms of property taxes.”

The range of outdoor recreation opportunities includes horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking and backcountry skiing. The historic mining town of Deadwood, Devils Tower, Spearfish Canyon, Black Hills National Forest — all are within a half-hour or so drive. 

Rapid City, a regional hub with medical specialists, an airport with flights to Denver and Dallas as well as seasonal routes to Chicago, Las Vegas and Orlando, is 63 miles away. 

Noncommercial recreation on the ranch is protected in perpetuity by a conservation partnership, ensuring the property’s open-space character and ranching heritage remain intact.

T Diamond Ranch 35 Aerial primary residence and grounds from above adjusted 1784821086 scaled 8 1 26

<title>T Diamond Ranch, Legacy Black Hills Spread, Hits Wyoming Market For $5 Million | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Another of Wyoming’s legacy ranches is hitting the market after nearly a century of stewardship. The T Diamond Ranch in Crook County comes with a 7,500-square-foot mansion, trout streams, scenic red bluffs, and a front-row seat to the Black Hills.

T Diamond Ranch, Legacy Black Hills Spread, Hits Wyoming Market For $5 Million

Kolby fedore

Kolby Fedore

Around Wyoming

For nearly 60 years, Vern Palmer has been obsessed with Wyoming license plates.

The 90-year-old Big Piney man has spent decades roaming old ranches, forgotten dumping grounds and dusty corners of Sublette County looking for pieces of Wyoming history most people would walk right past.

[{"type":"text","text":"It all started with his oldest son, Jim."}]

Together, the two spent weekends crisscrossing ranches, hunting for rusted treasures hidden beneath the sagebrush. Along the way they uncovered old bottles, antique tools, barbed wire, weathered signs and hundreds of Wyoming license plates.

Today, Palmer's collection includes every Wyoming license plate from 1914 to the present, along with every Sublette County plate issued since county numbers were added in the early 1930s. He's also just four states shy of collecting one plate from all 50.

[{"type":"text","text":"But after six decades of searching, there's one he hasn't yet found."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"The elusive 1913 Wyoming license plate."}]

"I do think that it's around Big Piney somewhere," Palmer said. "I found the 1914 plate pretty close to my home, but I have not found the 1913."

For nearly 60 years, Vern Palmer has searched Wyoming ranches and forgotten dumps for old Wyoming license plates. At 90, the Big Piney mechanic has a Wyoming license plate from every year, except one. Palmer says he's not giving up his search.

One More For The Road: Sunday, August 2, 2026

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