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

The American West: Butch Cassidy’s Banker, Eugene Amoretti Sr.

Eugene Amoretti Sr. was the founder of Lander, Wyoming, and known friend of both outlaw Butch Cassidy and Fremont County Sheriff Charles Stough, who pursued the outlaws. Amoretti came to America to seek his fortune and died a millionaire.

Jackie DorothyFebruary 21, 2025

Wildfires Help Push 40,000 Head Drop To Wyoming’s 2024 Cattle Production

Despite a 3% decrease in cattle production in 2024, Wyoming ranchers expect 2025 will bring back a strong cattle market. The Wyoming Stock Growers Association says part of the reason for the 40,000-head decrease was the severe wildfire season.

Jackie DorothyFebruary 18, 2025

Comic Valentines were all the rage in the 1800s and early 1900s. These valentines were usually sent anonymously and could be considered spiteful. They were usually sent to either someone you hated or a friend you were making fun of.

Wyoming History: Valentine’s Day Used To Be As Much For Haters As Lovers

In the 1800s and early 1900s in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Valentine’s Day was not just for lovers, it was also for haters and just for fun. It was popular to share your anonymous feelings with humorous and derogatory Valentine’s Day cards.

Jackie DorothyFebruary 13, 2025

Don’t Crowd The Snowplow During Wyoming’s Whiteouts

So far there have been nine incidents of motorists running into snowplows this year. With big winter storms converging on Wyoming this week, WYDOT is asking drivers to slow down and steer clear of snowplows.

Jackie DorothyFebruary 10, 2025

Caitlin Youngquist (right) teaching a compost workshop for Wyoming Dept of Environmental Quality

The Art Of Turning Manure To Compost

Manure management is one of the biggest problems faced by feedlots. One soil scientist is helping a feedlot in Worland make better use of their manure by creating more compost for local farmers and gardeners.

Jackie DorothyFebruary 09, 2025

When LeAnn Baker of Worland, Wyoming, found this stone in her gravel that was hauled in, Google told her it was a magic hag stone. However, local archaeologist, Mike Bies, said it might be an artifact called a spindle whorl.

A Rock Found In Worland Could Be Magic Or An Ancient Tool

When LeAnn Baker found a rock with a smooth hole in the middle, she was told it was a magic hag stone. However, archaeologist Mike Beis said it was most likely a spindle whorl, a simple tool used by Indian tribes for centuries.

Jackie DorothyFebruary 09, 2025

What's In A Name: Dubois, Wyoming

You can always spot a tourist in Dubois, Wyoming, by how they pronounce the name of the town. In Wyoming, it's called Doo-boys, not the French pronunciation of Deh-bwah. How it got called that is shrouded in myth and mystery.

Jackie DorothyFebruary 09, 2025

U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman talks with students at Wind River Job Corps in Riverton, Wyoming.

Learning Trades Isn’t Just Landing Wyoming Youth Good Jobs, It’s Saving Lives

The teens and young adults in the Wind River Job Corps in Riverton usually get there out of desperation. But the trades there can lead to great-paying jobs. Plus, it's the only job corps in America that offers training for petroleum technicians.

Jackie DorothyFebruary 02, 2025

First Chair student Sawyer watches on as fellow student Ronin Wichern struggles to get into his skis. This is the first part of the lesson of learning to ski.

Kiddos On Skis: How Wyoming's Antelope Butte Ski Resort Teaches Littles How To Ski

At Antelope Butte, the youngest students are just three years old and when they are first put on the skis. But it doesn’t take long for them to start grasping the basic concepts and take off in controlled chaos.

Jackie DorothyFebruary 02, 2025

Students at Casper College study first study anatomy on models before being accepted into the actual cadaver lab.

Want To Donate Your Body To Science? It’s A Challenge In Wyoming

Want to donate your body to science? Although there’s a shortage of human cadavers for students to learn on, donating your body after you die can be a challenge, especially in a rural state like Wyoming.

Jackie DorothyFebruary 01, 2025

The American West: Mountain Man Joe Meek Arrived In Wyoming in 1829 As Greenhorn Teenager

The roar of the grizzly, war cries of the Blackfeet, and the lonesome song of the wind ushered 18-year-old Joe Meek to a world of the mountain men. Death was a constant companion and if you weren’t at the Rendezvous, it was assumed you had met the grim reaper along the way either by beast, enemy, or harsh weather.

Jackie DorothyFebruary 01, 2025

Layne, left, and Liam Jordan are joined by Tom Webb. A flatbed trailer acts as an improvised stage in Hyattville in October 2024.

Wyoming Twin Teens Grew Up In The Middle Of Nowhere, But Have Huge Music Dreams

Liam and Layne Jordon, 14, have grown up in the middle of nowhere in Wyoming’s Bighorn Basin. That hasn’t stopped the young musicians from pursing some big dreams of writing and performing their music for the masses.

Jackie DorothyFebruary 01, 2025

Other Authors

The Lou Taubert sign really stands out at night when its neon in in its full glory.

Race On To Save Lou Taubert Neon Sign, Last Remnant Of Casper’s “Little Las Vegas”

The Lou Taubert neon sign that towers over Center Street in Casper, Wyoming, is in desperate need of repair. It’s the last remnant of Casper's historic street of neon that earned it the nickname “Little Las Vegas.”

Jackie DorothyFebruary 01, 2025

On Aug. 9, 2014, Sylvia Bruner and her husband hiked to the Bomber Mountain site for the first time. The top of the ridge with a large piece of the wreckage visible. The rusty framework in the foreground is a part of the ball turret mount.

The 10 Young Men Who Died Giving Wyoming's Bomber Mountain Its Name

Bomber Mountain in Wyoming’s Big Horn Mountains paid dearly to earn its name when a B-17 Flying Fortress crashed into it in 1943, killing all 10 on board. The oldest was 25, and what happened to the plane was a mystery for two years.

Jackie DorothyJanuary 26, 2025

A photo of American troops trying to navigate the miserable "mud camp" area of France during World War I. A dog tag lost there by a U.S. soldier more than 100 years ago is being returned to its family in part thanks to a Wyoming author and investigator who tracked his decendants down.

Wyoming Sleuths Help Return WWI Dog Tags Buried In France For A Century

A French field infamously known as the “mud camp” is still giving up World War I relics lost there more than a century ago, including dog tags. A Wyoming author and investigator are helping them get back to their families.

Jackie DorothyJanuary 26, 2025

Larry Proietti worked at KYOY FM in Cheyenne for over 40 years.

Wyoming Radio Voice For More Than 50 Years Steps Away From The Mic

Radio is in Larry Proietti’s blood, and has been waking up his Cheyenne audience for decades. He recently retired after more than 50 years in radio, but is still working behind the scenes.

Jackie DorothyJanuary 26, 2025

The Cadaver Lab at Central Wyoming College is where a select few students can dissect and learn on actual cadaver’s. It is the only community college in Wyoming that offers this opportunity. Nursing students who wish to participate in the Cadaver Lab must pass their anatomy class with an “A” and get instructor approval.

The Cadaver Lab At Central Wyoming College Is A Rarity In Today's Academic World

Most cadaver labs are limited to big public universities. To have one at the community college level is a rarity and makes Central Wyoming College in Riverton stand out. "It is definitely not for the weak," one student told Cowboy State Daily.

Jackie DorothyJanuary 25, 2025

Albert “Slick” Nard: The Outlaw & Deputy Despised By The Wild Bunch

Albert “Slick” Nard was both an outlaw and deputy during the late 1800s in Wyoming. He was scorned by the members of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang as a despicable outlaw and informant.

Jackie DorothyJanuary 24, 2025

Bernadette Blacketer, 83, was killed when she was hit by a vehicle Friday morning, Jan. 24, 2025, while walking to open St. Francis Catholic Church on Arapahoe Street in Thermopolis.

Locals Remember Thermopolis Woman Killed In Hit-And-Run As "Remarkable"

Bernie Blacketer was a "remarkable" woman whose death is a blow to the town of Thermopolis, Wyoming, the town's mayor said Friday after Blacketer was killed in a hit-and-run. Blacketer would be "preaching forgiveness" over the incident, the mayor said.

Clair McFarland & Jackie DorothyJanuary 24, 2025

A pedestrian was killed when she was hit by a vehicle Friday morning, Jan. 24, 2025, in front of St. Francis Catholic Church on Arapahoe Street in Thermopolis.

Thermopolis Police Say They Found Driver In Hit-And-Run That Killed Pedestrian

A pedestrian was struck and killed Friday morning by a driver in Thermopolis, Wyoming, who didn’t stop to help after the collision, authorities say. Authorities announced Friday morning they'd found the driver.

Clair McFarland & Jackie DorothyJanuary 24, 2025

Tom Houghton smiles doing ranch chores, even when it's minus 17 outside.

It’s Never Too Cold For Chores On Wyoming’s Family Ranches

As a blast of Arctic cold has plunged Wyoming into a double-digit deep freeze, most stay indoors as much as possible. Not so for the state’s family ranchers. It’s never too cold for feeding the animals and outdoor chores.

Jackie DorothyJanuary 20, 2025

Joe Kenney hosted Coffee Time for decades before retiring and eventually starting a podcast.

Joe Kenney’s Been A Fixture On Wyoming Radio For 60 Years

You may not know Joe Kenney to look at him, but chances are you know his voice. Kenney’s been a fixture on Lander and Wyoming radio for going on 60 years.

Jackie DorothyJanuary 19, 2025

Wyoming Towns Used To Have Their Own Money, Which Is Now Worth Big Bucks

For 70 years, National Banks in Wyoming could have their own money printed, complete with their names and towns on it. Now these $10 and $20 bills are still legal tender, and worth big bucks to collectors.

Jackie DorothyJanuary 18, 2025

The original concept for Mount Rushmore included not only the heads of the four presidents, but their torsos as well.

Did You Know The Presidents On Mount Rushmore Were Supposed To Have Bodies, Too?

It took more than 400 workers 14 years to carve the heads of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln into Mount Rushmore. Did you know the original plan was for them to have bodies, too?

Jackie DorothyJanuary 18, 2025

Kathleen and Michael Gear, Wyoming's first couple of writing.

Michael And Kathleen Gear: Wyoming’s First Couple Of Writing Have Published 88 Books

Every book New York Times best-seller Michael and Kathleen Gear write is influenced by Wyoming. After 88 published books, the Gears are scratching a new itch to write short stories.

Jackie DorothyJanuary 12, 2025

Officials Say Flu, Other Viruses Spike In Wyoming, Even As Tests Come Up Negative

Doctors in Wyoming reporting a sharp increase in illnesses like flu, COVID-19 and other unknown viruses. Even so, people testing for flu are coming up negative, indicating the virus is changing, health officials say.

Jackie DorothyJanuary 07, 2025

Images from a 1951 reel featuring home movies of a Cheyenne, Wyoming, family.

Lost Home Videos From 1940s, ’50s And ’60s Coming Home To Wyoming

After a woman in Hayward, California, discovered a cache of old home videos in the attic of her newly purchased home, she's been on a mission to find family members connected to them. The videos were filmed in Cheyenne in the 40s, 50s, and 60s.

Jackie DorothyJanuary 05, 2025

Nellie Tayloe Ross, first female Wyoming governor, looks sharp as if about to turn and walk to Wyoming’s state Capitol in the background. Inset, Ross when she was Wyoming's governor.

Wyoming History: Nellie Tayloe Ross Sworn In As First Woman Gov. 100 Years Ago

It’s been 100 since a series of tragedies and unexpected twists changed history for one Wyoming woman, the Cowboy State and politics in the United States. Nellie Tayloe Ross was sworn in Jan. 5, 1925, as Wyoming’s — and America’s — first woman governor.

Jackie DorothyJanuary 04, 2025

Kenny Clabaugh was described as a man easy in the saddle who liked his horses big to match his own tall stature.

Wyoming Rodeo Legend Kenny Clabaugh Remembered As A Cowboy’s Cowboy

Wyoming hall-of-fame rodeo pick-up man Kenny Clabaugh, 78, died New Year’s Eve. The rodeo legend is being remembered as one of the best in the business and a cowboy’s cowboy.

Jackie DorothyJanuary 04, 2025

Before there was a bridge across the Bighorn River, people took their lives in their own hands trying to cross on their own or on a ferry.

Wyoming History: Before There Were Bridges, Crossing Rivers Was Dangerous And Deadly

To early pioneers, Wyoming rivers could be the most dangerous adversary they faced. Fording high waters claimed many lives in the early years of the Cowboy State and cut off entire towns from the rest of the world.

Jackie DorothyDecember 25, 2024