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.

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Latest from Jackie Dorothy

What began as a few local bagpipers honoring the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks has become the Lander Bag Pipers, which has become a fixture in the town and memorializes the anniversiary of 9/11 each year since. Above, that first group performs a month after the attacks, as published in the Riverton Ranger/Lander Journal.

Lander Bagpipe Band Began 25 Years Ago As A Response To 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

The Lander Pipe Band began as a one-time performance in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Now 25 years later, it’s played at every local 9/11 memorial service and has become a fixture in the central Wyoming town.

Jackie DorothySeptember 10, 2026

Daisha Thomas, 15, competed in the Excel National Festival at nationals in Boston. Just before she was to compete, another skater ran into her and she ended up with stitches and a black eye. This did not deter the Wyoming skater to skate her best and become ranked 21 nationally at her level.

15-Year-Old Cody Girl Moving Up National U.S. Figure Skating Rankings

Wyoming isn’t built for competitive figure skating, with few ice rinks and elite coaching only available online. Even so, a 15-year-old Cody girl is ranked 21st nationally and the first ever from Wyoming to qualify for the U.S. Figure Skating Excel Series.

Jackie DorothySeptember 07, 2026

Many Native American tribes have legends of the "Thunder Bird," a giant bird that would soar high above the clouds. In 1890, a pair of cowboys claimed to have stumbled on a giant bird in the Arizona desert but skeptics now wonder if it was a hoax rather than a scientific discovery. Locals who claimed to have talked to these ranchers say that it was true though the creature only had a 30 foot wingspan, not 160 feet.

Wyoming History: Was Legend Rock Winged Monster Also Arizona’s ‘Thunderbird’?

Was the winged monster etched in sandstone at Legends Rock State Petroglyph Site in Wyoming also the "Thunderbird" seen in Arizona skies in 1890? A Tombstone newspaper reported it was, but there's no proof and today it lives on only in Plains Indian lore.

Jackie DorothySeptember 06, 2026

Melissa Hemkin has grown garlic for years in the Wind River Range near Lander. When she decided to expand her farm commercially, she said she chose her garlic strains not only for their flavor and ability to grow in the cooler climate, but for their backstory.

Lander Woman Grows 800 Pounds Of Heirloom Garlic, Including 400-Year-Old Variety

A Lander woman grows about 800 pounds of heirloom garlic a season in the Wind River Range, including a 400-year-old variety. Their similarity is they're all hardneck — garlic that prefers cold weather and high altitude — but range widely in taste and heat.

Jackie DorothySeptember 06, 2026

Aaron Vigil is an engineering student from University of Wyoming and grew up Worland. Although he was fascinated by space, he never thought he would work for NASA. Sunday morning, a telescope he has worked on for the past four years was launched into space.

Worland Engineer 'In Awe' Watching Sunday Launch Of NASA Telescope He Helped Build

Worland’s Aaron Vigil watched in awe Sunday as the powerful Roman telescope he helped build was launched successfully on a million-mile journey. The University of Wyoming grad spent four years helping to construct the telescope's Solar Array Sunshield.

Jackie DorothyAugust 31, 2026

The Bettis family of Danville, Virginia, has just biked through Wyoming on their 2,700-miles on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.

Mom, 8 Kids Nearly Caught In Wyoming Wildfire On 2,700-Mile Great Divide Bike Ride

A Virginia mom and eight of her 15 kids nearly got caught in a wildfire near Lander and a hit-and-run in Montana while on an epic ride of the 2,700-mile Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. She's doing it to help heal from the effects of domestic violence.

Jackie DorothyAugust 29, 2026

Harve Ray was a more notorious Hole-in-the-Wall outlaw than Butch Cassidy in the late 1800s, but no photo evidence of him existed until recently. A Wyoming historian has uncovered an 1897 photo that identifies him as part of a branding on Kirby Creek, seen above at right.

Wyoming Historian Uncovers Only Known Photo of Hole-in-the-Wall Outlaw Harve Ray

Wyoming historian Michael Bell has officially verified a photo of the notorious Hole-in-the-Wall outlaw Harve Ray who ran with Butch Cassidy in the late 1800s. The 1897 photo, the only known photo of the outlaw, shows him at a branding on Kirby Creek.

Jackie DorothyAugust 23, 2026

Wyoming History: Wagon, Whitewater Only Way To ‘Doc’ Barry’s Bighorn Dude Ranch

“Doc” Barry arrived in the Bighorn Canyon in the 1890s seeking gold, but after losing a fortune, he built a luxury dude ranch where guests could only get to via wagon or whitewater. All that remains today is a ghost camp infused with memories.

Jackie DorothyAugust 23, 2026

David Kolesky was one of the first male cheerleaders recruited to raise team and fan spirits at the Cowboy football games for the 1965 season. His best friend and fellow "yell king" Nick Vuko said that Kolesky was crazy and fun-loving.

How An Injured Football Player Became UW’s First Male Cheerleader 61 Years Ago

When Nick Vuko was sidelined with a football injury in 1965, the Wyoming tailback refused to stay off the field — returning with buddy David Kolesky as UW’s first male cheerleaders. It helped that they weren't afraid to make spectacles of themselves.

Jackie DorothyAugust 22, 2026

Longtime Meeteetse Rancher Allen Hogg Wins Four-Way Republican Primary for HD 28

Allen Hogg, whose family has ranched in the Meeteetse area since 1918, won the HD28 GOP primary over three other contenders with 49% of the vote. Hogg ran on his agricultural experience and supporting Wyoming's smaller communities.

Jackie DorothyAugust 19, 2026

Sawyer Wilson's daily chores included feeding his pigs and training them to show properly in the arena. The family had ended up with an "extra pig" and Marshmallow was drawn in the Fair to Fork lottery. He will be fattened up a bit more and then given to a charity of Sawyer's choice to help feed the hungry in his community in Hot Springs County.

Life Of A Wyoming Show Pig: Training, Tearful Goodbyes, And The Dinner Table

Raising show pigs is a huge commitment for Wyoming 4-H and FFA kids working toward the Wyoming State Fair. Then comes the bittersweet part — tearful goodbyes when the pigs are sold to become dinner for the less fortunate.

Jackie DorothyAugust 16, 2026

For 82 years, Lt. Col. John Clarke Goldtrap of Casper has been in a watery grave as a POW on the sunken wreck of the Japanese “hell ship” Oryoku Maru. Now his remains may finally be ID'd and brought home. Another Wyoming serviceman on the ship survived.

Wyoming POW On Sunken Japanese 'Hell Ship' May Be Close To Coming Home After 82 Years

For 82 years, Lt. Col. John Clarke Goldtrap of Casper has been in a watery grave as a POW on the sunken wreck of the brutal Japanese “hell ship” Oryoku Maru. Now his remains may finally be ID'd and brought home. Another Wyoming serviceman on the ship survived.

Jackie DorothyAugust 16, 2026

Other Authors

Calvin "Cal" Fulfer said that he is grateful that Terry Shryack saved the wood from an old ash tree that was mistakenly cut down nearly 30 years ago at the Washakie County Courthouse in Worland. It took the duo a year to build the 600-pound work of art that they are now planning to sell at a Cody art gallery.

Old Washakie County Ash Tree Cut Down By Mistake Remade Into 600-Pound Table

When an old ash tree was cut down by mistake at the Washakie County Courthouse in 1999, the groundskeeper rescued the wood. For nearly three decades, huge pieces of the ash sat forgotten until a Worland craftsman built a 600-pound table from it.

Jackie DorothyAugust 16, 2026

Newspapers dubbed 28-year-old Bill Carlisle the "Gentleman Bandit" after Wyoming crime sprees in 1916 and 1919 that earned him favor with locals. “He was always so good to the people that he was robbing," says R.J. Gillian, a Carlisle family friend.

Wyoming's 'Gentleman Bandit' Was National Sensation For Polite Train Robberies

Newspapers dubbed Bill Carlisle the "Gentleman Bandit" after crime sprees in the early 1900s that earned him favor with Wyoming locals. “He was so good to the people that he was robbing," said an 82-year-old whose grandma was a friend of the bandit.

Jackie DorothyAugust 09, 2026

A firefighter tends to a field of burning cheatgrass in Wyoming.

Cheatgrass An Nightmare For Wyoming Rangeland, Costing $110 Million In Losses

Cheatgrass has become a nightmare for Wyoming ranchers, costing an estimated $110 million in annual losses. Hot Springs rancher Chip Axtell estimates 20% of his own rangeland has been taken over by cheatgrass. “It grabs up all the moisture," he said.

Jackie DorothyAugust 08, 2026

Reuben Reifschneider posed in his blacksmith work clothes at the request of Art Linkletter, the host of a popular CBS variety show. Reifschneider had won the title of Wyoming's Ugliest Man in 1964 and 1965 after traveling to Hollywood. While the other contestants wore outrageous costumes, Reifschneider remained himself. His "ugly" was the ability to pop out an eye and his teeth.

'Wyoming's Ugliest Man' Earned Title Proudly On TV By Popping Out Eye And Teeth

Reuben Reifschneider proudly earned the title of “Wyoming’s Ugliest Man” twice by popping out a glass eye and his teeth on Art Linkletter’s “House Party” TV show in 1964 and 1965. “Reuben was just himself. He didn't need a costume at all,” said a friend.

Jackie DorothyAugust 08, 2026

Big-wheeled drones made by a Laramie company crawl into tight spots so well that NASA is using one at the Kennedy Space Center rocket launch site.

NASA Using Laramie Company’s Big-Wheeled Drone To Crawl Into Tight Spaces

When NASA needed to inspect a tight crawlspace for its Artemis 3 project, they contacted a small tech company in Laramie for help. The small robot features big squishy wheels and a simple body that can flip, turn and get itself out of tight spots.

Jackie DorothyAugust 02, 2026

Alesha Melton is a fifth-generation muleskinner and still has the mules her grandpa raised when she was a teenager. She has taken over the family outfitting business and when not in the backcountry, chances are she is on a movie set or in a parade with her mules.

Life Of A Modern-Day Muleskinner: Starring In Movies & Beer Ads And Guiding Hunts

As modern-day muleskinners, Randy and Alesha Melton said their mules’ film career started with a commercial for Coors. Their latest movie was “Horizon” with Kevin Costner. They also appeared on "Killer of the Flower Moon," and “The Last of Us."

Jackie DorothyAugust 02, 2026

"Cowboy" John Fremlin traded a life in the saddle for one surrounded by western antiques and treasures. Fremlin searches for items that tell a story which can be anything from an old hot rod tire to a beaded vest to 1970s collectibles.

Cowboy John's Hole-In-The-Wall Antiques Is A Western Time Capsule In Meeteetse

From Dillinger’s death mask to items owned by Buffalo Bill, “Cowboy” John Fremlin collects relics for his Hole-in-the-Wall Antique Store in Meeteetse that speak to him and have a story to tell. "I select items that have the 'wow' factor," Fremlin says.

Jackie DorothyAugust 01, 2026

In the dying coal town of Gebo during World War II, the patriotic Junior Marines were dedicated to their wartime efforts of gathering scrap iron, marching and singing. They were inspired by the Wedlock brothers, two teens who left Gebo to fight the war.

Wyoming History: How Gebo’s Gung-Ho Junior Marines Served During World War II

In the dying coal town of Gebo during World War II, the patriotic Junior Marines were gung-ho in their wartime efforts of gathering scrap iron, marching and singing. They were inspired by the Wedlock brothers, two teens who left Gebo to fight the war.

Jackie DorothyJuly 27, 2026

Electrical Engineering student, Zariah Whiteplume, keeps contacted to her culture through hoop dancing performances. Recently, she was invited to Tokyo to perform and while there, was able to visit an Otter Cafe. Otters, Whiteplume said, are often used in native regalia and it was special moment to be able to pet a live otter in Japan.

Wyoming People: International Model Grew Up On Reservations Without Running Water

Zariah Whiteplume grew up without running water or much electricity on the Wind River and Navajo reservations. This summer, she was hoop dancing and modeling in Tokyo. “I want to come back to my community and engage with the youth,” she said.

Jackie DorothyJuly 26, 2026