Writer

Jackie Dorothy

Jackie Dorothy is a reporter for Cowboy State Daily based in central Wyoming.

Over the past 20 years, Jackie has worked in television, radio and print across Wyoming. In this role, she has won numerous writing and history awards including the Wyoming Governor’s Journalist of the Year and SBA Journalist of the Year.

Jackie is also the podcast host of ‘Pioneers of Outlaw Country’ that explores little known historical stories of Wyoming with entertaining narrative.

Find Jackie Dorothy

Latest from Jackie Dorothy

Portuguese Fort Painting inset scaled 5 10 26

Wyoming History: Oldest Fur Trading Fort Survived Indian Attacks, But Not Jim Bridger

Antonio Montero and his mountain men survived a 40-day attack by Sioux warriors at what’s known today as the “Portuguese Houses,” Wyoming’s oldest fur trading fort founded in 1834. But it was rival Jim Bridger and Crows that finally chased Montero away.

Jackie DorothyMay 10, 2026

Jerry Kinkade, now 91, was a kid 80 years ago when his dad tried to run a covered wagon camping trip from Wyoming to Montana. It didn't go well and they never did another one. But now decades later, a few photos from that trip have turned up in a thrift shop 1,200 miles away.

Photos From Lost Wyoming Covered Wagon Trip Found 1,200 Miles Away In Thrift Shop

A Wyoming family’s 80-year-old photos from a doomed covered wagon camping trip found their way to a thrift shop 1,200 miles away. Jerry Kinkade remembers it well, but says that now “I am 91, so I’m gonna go chase women and drink a lot of whiskey."

Jackie DorothyMay 10, 2026

A Crowheart ranching family is compressing their waste wool into little pellets that fertilizes while helping up to 25% of their weight in water. That can be drought-busting for growers, as they hold that moisture in soil, studies show.

Wyoming Ranchers Turn Their Waste Wool Into Drought-Busting Garden Pellets

A Crowheart ranching family is compressing their waste wool into little pellets that fertilizes while holding up to 25% of their weight in water. That can be drought-busting for growers, as they hold that moisture in soil, studies show.

Jackie DorothyMay 10, 2026

Bob Edgar had preserved the story of the Lady in Blue, a murdered prostitute from the town of Arland, and was given the opportunity to rescue Belle Drewry from an unmarked grave. She was exhumed from her grave in the ghost town of Arland on Oct. 12, 1986 and given a proper funeral and burial in the Old Trail Town the following spring.

Wyoming History: Digging Up The Bones Of A Notorious Old West Prostitute

A notorious Old West Wyoming prostitute known as the Lady in Blue was murdered in a revenge killing in 1897 near Meeteetse. Nearly 90 years later, her bones were dug up and reburied — and part of her dress was still her signature cobalt blue.

Jackie DorothyMay 03, 2026

Sam Cremer arrived in the Bighorn Basin in his early 20s and nearly did not survive his first few years “bronc stomping” for the Embar Ranch. Despite threatening to quit the rough life, he never did and cowboyed late into life. He lived to be 92-years-old and a father of three.

Wyoming History: The Adventures Of Sam Cremer, The Unluckiest Cowboy In The West

By all accounts, Sam Cremer was top cowboy in Wyoming in the early 1900s and a good hand on a roundup wagon. He also was unlucky — really unlucky. He was known to “get himself in more uncalled-for trouble than a pack of kids around a hornet’s nest."

Jackie DorothyMay 02, 2026

Plant Now, Drop Later: Wyoming Pumpkin King Shares His Super Pumpkin Seeds

Worland's Jay Richard, known as Wyoming's Pumpkin King, is making available hundreds of his super pumpkin seeds to raise money for the Worland Community Garden. Richard is best known for dropping 2,000-pound pumpkins from a giant crane each autumn.

Jackie DorothyMay 02, 2026

Nate Champion and other small-time cowboys were targeted by the Johnson County Regulators/Invaders in spring 1892. They had become outlaws overnight when the Maverick law passed in Cheyenne, outlawing the branding of ‘maverick’ cows to anyone but the Wyoming Stock Growers Association. Mary Taylor Cash was only a young teenager when the trouble erupted and knew many of the men who were on the list to be assassinated.

Wyoming History: The 14-Year-Old Girl Who Survived The Johnson County War

Mary Taylor Cash was just 14 years old when her brother was nearly killed during the Johnson County Invasion of 1892. It was just one of many stories Cash told her granddaughter in 1959 about the northern Wyoming range war that ran from 1889 to 1893.

Jackie DorothyApril 27, 2026

Cookie jars are a common decoration in most kitchens in Thermopolis, Wyoming because of the popularity of the Cookie Jar Auctions in the small community. Each year, tens of thousands of dollars are raised to help pay the medical bills of the residents most in need. John Gerrells, who first proposed the idea over 30 years ago, has boxes full of cookie jars ready for the next auction and has kept a few of his favorites as keepsakes. His sheep wagon cookie jar has become a running joke between him and a friend who take turns bringing it to the auctions and bidding on it.

Thermopolis Has Ponied Up $1 Million For Cookie Jars Over Past 30 Years

Cookie jar auctions have become the go-to fundraiser in Thermopolis, Wyoming, where the 4,600 residents have ponied up more than $1 million over the past 30 years. This year, the record $70,000 raised will help the auction’s founder fight cancer.

Jackie DorothyApril 25, 2026

A glitch in the software of this electronic sign at Alpine Animal Hospital in Laramie, Wyoming, shows it's minus 196 degrees. If true, it would by far be the coldest place ever recorded on the planet.

Temperatures To Plunge 40 Degrees Across Much Of Wyoming

Wednesday morning will be the last warm weather for the rest of the week across much of Wyoming, as Don Day and other meteorologists predict a 40-degree drop in temps starting Wednesday. “It is going to get colder and stay cool for several days,” he said.

Jackie DorothyApril 21, 2026

Scotty Ratliff worked for two decades to get an updated edition of “Tribal Government: Wind River Indian Reservation” available for the general public and Wyoming schools. He said that teaching tribal government should be included in all Wyoming government classes in the Cowboy State.

Former Wyoming Legislator Revives Long-Lost Guide To Tribal Government

Scotty Ratliff worked for two decades to get an updated edition of “Tribal Government: Wind River Indian Reservation” available to the public and Wyoming schools. Teaching tribal government should be included in all Wyoming government classes, he says.

Jackie DorothyApril 19, 2026

Remembering Jara: The Wyoming K-9 Officer Who Had A Cartel Hit On Her

Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Jara was so good at sniffing out drugs, a Mexican cartel put out a hit on her. The K-9 also saved lives and was on the “Dr. Phil” show. She received a hero’s sendoff when she died earlier this month.

Jackie DorothyApril 19, 2026

Ernest Whaley, the son of Clifford Whaley, lived in Wyoming for a few years after the death of his first wife. He returned to New York, his hometown, when his mom asked him to come back. The photo of him in his cowboy hat is a prized photo of his family who have always been proud of their Western roots.

Old Photos Reunite New York And Wyoming Branches Of Whaley Family After 125 Years

The Whaley family arrived in Shell, Wyoming, in 1890, and remains in the Big Horn Basin. A son moved to New York in the early 1900s, and his line disappeared until a great-grandson posted old photos, reuniting the Wyoming and New York Whaleys.

Jackie DorothyApril 18, 2026

Other Authors

Left, Beth and Tom Ronketty pose with two photos that they believe are Billy the Kid before he became an outlaw. The photo has been in Beth’s family since the late 1800s and she had grown up with her dad telling her it was Billy before he shamed the family and became an outlaw. Right, the only verified photo of Billy the Kid is this damaged tintype, which sold at an auction in 2011 for $2.3 million.

New Jersey Family Claims It Has 2 Billy The Kid Photos From Before His Outlaw Days

A New Jersey family says it has two photos of Billy the Kid from before he was a notorious outlaw. If true, it would be historic as there has only been one verified image of Billy the Kid, a damaged tintype that sold at auction for $2.3 million.

Jackie DorothyApril 18, 2026

Larry Kloster of Casper painted the pinstripes on his Corvette model to match his 2025 Sea Wolf Gray, National Corvette Museum-delivered Corvette.

Wyoming Classic Car Collectors Spend Big Bucks On Miniatures To Match Their Vintage Rides

Collecting and restoring classic cars can be an obsession for those Wyomingites who are passionate about their vintage machines. They’re also willing to spend big bucks on miniature toys that match their sweet rides, and even have fun-sized car shows.

Jackie DorothyApril 12, 2026

Brandon Clark of Cheyenne quit his reliable truck-driving career to pursue his art. His first piece is a mountain lion that he has dreamt about creating for 30 years and is now becoming a reality. The statue is being cast into bronze and Clark said he has thrown caution to the wind to bring the art to life.

Cheyenne Trucker Was On A Road To Destruction, Then Sculpting Saved His Life

When Brandon Clark wasn’t drowning himself at the bottom of a bottle, he found himself staring out the windshield of his big rig, watching his life pass him by. Then a lifelong passion for art and sculpting changed — and saved — his life.

Jackie DorothyApril 12, 2026

The Safari Club in Thermopolis will soon lose its large collection of taxidermy animals. The restaurant has recently been denied its liquor license because their lease will expire this October. Management is encouraging guests to BYOB to enjoy with their meals.

Thermopolis Safari Club’s Big Game Trophy Collection To Hit Auction Block

After more than 40 years on display, the big-game taxidermy collection at the Safari Club restaurant in Thermopolis will be shipped to auction next week. A potential value hasn’t been put on the hundreds of mounts, some of which can’t be sold in the U.S.

Jackie DorothyApril 11, 2026

It's A Month Early But Even Meteorologist Don Day Says It's OK To Turn On Sprinklers

Meteorologist Don Day is the first to caution against prematurely turning sprinklers on. But even though it's a month early, he’s warmed up to it. “At this point, we don't foresee a prolonged freeze that’s long enough to cause pipes to break,” he said.

Andrew Rossi & Jackie DorothyApril 07, 2026

Calamity Jane frequently visited her sister’s family at her Borner’s Garden homestead, despite clashes with Lena’s husband, John. After Lena’s early death, John moved the children to Greybull, leaving Borner’s Garden a ghost of frontier life.

Wyoming History: Calamity Jane’s Turbulent Visits To Her Sister’s Homestead

Calamity Jane frequently visited her sister’s family at her Borner’s Garden homestead near Lander, despite clashes with Lena’s husband, John. After Lena’s early death, John moved the children to Greybull, leaving Borner’s Garden a ghost of frontier life.

Jackie DorothyApril 05, 2026

Perhaps Glenn Randall Sr.’s most celebrated work was training the dozens of horses used in the Academy Award-winning 1959 classic movie “Ben Hur.” That includes training the horses for the film’s epic chariot race.

Legendary Trainer Behind Trigger And ‘Ben Hur’ Chariot Race Got His Start In Wyoming

Called “The Greatest Horse Trainer in the World,” Glenn Randall started training horses in Torrington and moved on to other Wyoming rodeos and county fairs. Then he left for Hollywood where he trained Trigger and the "Ben Hur" chariot horses.

Jackie DorothyApril 04, 2026

Wind River Canyon White Water Rafting & Fishing has operated for over three decades in Thermopolis, Wyoming. At first they only offered white water rafting trips but as fishing has grown in popularity, the company began guiding fishing trips.

Fishing Boom Creates Wave Of New Businesses On The Bighorn River In Thermopolis

Fishing tourism is booming on the Bighorn River in Thermopolis and that's created niche businesses from fly-tying stores to sandwich shops to shuttles, rentals and real estate. “We have become a destination,” said one fishing guide.

Jackie DorothyMarch 29, 2026

Kristin Hugo of Kemmerer discovered a passion for animal bones and began collecting them as a hobby. This hobby has become her life as she spends hours on hiking tours looking for bones and carcasses. She now shares this fascination of all things dead on social media and hopes to soon start offering ‘bone-tours’ to show others how to search out carcasses in nature.

Wyoming Bone Hunter Obsessed With Wildlife — As Long As It's Dead

Kristin Hugo of Kemmerer has a fascination with dead things — especially wildlife. While bones and rotting animals are avoided by most, she seeks them out. The bone-hunter is on a mission to share her passion for remains with others.

Jackie DorothyMarch 28, 2026