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

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

If it’s wacky, wild or weird in Wyoming, Dean Peterson of Cheyenne is talking about it. Even the paranormal is fair game for his “That Doesn’t Happen Everyday” podcast.

Podcast Is All About Stuff That’s Wacky, Wild Or Weird In Wyoming

What do cattle mutilations, a grave robber and a good Samaritan have in common? They are all featured on Dean Petersen’s Wyoming-based podcast, “That Doesn’t Happen Everyday.”

Jackie DorothyDecember 25, 2024

Jim and Paulette Moss roping together at the 2004 USTRC Finals in Oklahoma City. After Jim hurt his shoulder in a roping event, Paulette roped another eight years before she realized he wasn’t coming back. She retired and focused on their magazine.

The WRANGLER Magazine: A Couple's Nearly 40-Year Love Affair With Wyoming And Cowboy Life

You may not know Jim and Paulette Moss, but chances are you know their work. As publishers of The WRANGLER magazine, they shared their love affair with Wyoming and cowboy life for nearly 40 years.

Jackie DorothyDecember 25, 2024

Other Authors

Ralphie in "A Christmas Story" finally gets his coveted Red Ryder BB gun.

Christmas Is Time For First Guns For Many Wyoming Kids

Like in the classic 1983 moving “A Christmas Story,” all many Wyoming kids want for Christmas is their first gun. For some, that’s the legendary Red Ryder BB gun.

Jackie DorothyDecember 24, 2024

Bird Flu Is Making Christmas Dinner More Expensive In Wyoming

While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that human infections of bird flu are rare, the most recent outbreak is affecting Wyoming’s grocery prices — and people’s holiday dinners.

Jackie DorothyDecember 23, 2024

This strange, round sandstone boulder was unearthed on the Hogg Ranch near Meeteetse, Wyoming.

What Is That Weird Boulder Dug Up On Historic Wyoming Ranch?

A Wyoming family was surprised to run into a gigantic boulder while digging a trench on the historic Hogg Ranch near Meeteetse. Despite pressure to cut it open, they'll keep the giant rock as a decorative piece.

Jackie DorothyDecember 22, 2024

Daryl and Karen Kline drove their 2008 Mustang on Wyoming’s rugged backroads when they were following the trail of Butch Cassidy and his Hole-in-the-Wall Gang. Their Mustang made it safely back to their home in Iowa with only the dirt and red mud as a souvenir of their adventure.

Tourist Finds Out That Mustang Probably Not Best Choice To Explore Hole-In-The-Wall Wyoming

A tourist from Iowa was so fascinated by the stories of Butch Cassidy and the Hole-in-the-Wall gang that, despite warnings from locals in Thermopolis that he should take a four-wheel-drive, he went out to explore the area in his prized Mustang instead.

Jackie DorothyDecember 22, 2024

The ice jam on March 10, 1929, flooded the town of Greybull and left behind ice chunks and four feet of standing water.

Wyoming History: That Time In 1929 When Santa Saved Greybull With Dynamite Bombs

History says Santa saved Greybull from a devastating flood when he tossed dynamite bombs out an airplane. That was George Scott, who bomb an ice jam that threatened to wash Greybull off the map. He would go on to be the town’s Santa for years.

Jackie DorothyDecember 21, 2024

Original glass globes are very rare to find and so Randy Nissen relies on reproductions on his restoration of old gas pumps. He does not restore the gas pumps to their original state and uses his imagination to come up with the design.

Discovery In Wyoming Weed Field Started Vintage Collection Of Restored Gas Pumps

A Worland, Wyoming, man is obsessed with antique gas pumps, finding them and restoring them to their former glory — or better. The obsession began 15 years ago when he found a rusted old pump in a field of weeds.

Jackie DorothyDecember 15, 2024

Willie LeClair dressed in his regalia and head dress as a culture ambassador and preserver of the sign language of the Plains.

Willie LeClair: Eastern Shoshone Spiritual Leader, Teacher And Storyteller

Eastern Shoshone tribe member Willie LeClair walked dual worlds as a cowboy and an American Indian in Wyoming. His legacy is as a spiritual leader, storyteller and teacher who also had a “wicked sense of humor.”

Jackie DorothyDecember 15, 2024

University of Wyoming Professor Emeritus Phil Roberts has a new fellowship named for him to continue his legacy of teaching Cowboy State history.

UW Fellowship Honors Phil Roberts, Who Taught Wyoming History To Thousands

Nobody knows Wyoming like Phil Roberts, the University of Wyoming professor emeritus who literally wrote the book on Cowboy State history. A new UW fellowship has been named for Roberts, who taught tens of thousands of students over the years.

Jackie DorothyDecember 15, 2024

Cows graze on a ranch near Kaycee, Wyoming, in this file photo.

Wyoming History: That Time In 1907 A Cow Ate 19 Sticks Of Dynamite And Exploded

It was 1907 when a cow wandered onto a mining claim in Birdseye, Wyoming, ate 19 sticks of dynamite and exploded. "What hurts is that we had to pay $45 for the cow," lamented the owner.

Jackie DorothyDecember 14, 2024

A very Charlie Brown-esque Christmas tree at the U.S. Forest Service Office in Greybull, Wyoming.

Wyoming Forest Rangers And Hotshots Spread Cheer With “Charlie Brown” Trees

U.S. Forest Service Rangers and Hotshot firefighters in Greybull, Wyoming, cut Christmas trees to donate around Big Horn County this past weekend. The “Charlie Brown” trees are lighting up homes and offices for the season.

Jackie DorothyDecember 09, 2024

Wyoming State Parks maintains small herds of semi-wild bison that roam freely across Hot Springs and Bear River state parks. To keep the herd at optimal size, the state is selling 15 to the highest bidders.

Want To Buy A Wild Bison? Wyoming State Parks Is Selling 15

For the person who has everything, Wyoming State Parks is selling 15 wild bison. They’re huge, healthy and as close to genetically pure wild bison as is possible. They’re also available to the highest bidders.

Jackie DorothyDecember 07, 2024

As proposed members of the future Trump administration consider making it legal to sell raw milk, it is already legal in several states, including Wyoming. Raw milk can be sold directly from the producer, like Little Acres Farm in Lovell, to the consumer who assumes the risk.

Wyoming Raw Milk Producers Part Of New Federal Mandate To Test For Bird Flu

A new federal mandate to test raw, unpasteurized milk for possible bird flu contamination goes into effect in less than two weeks. That’s news to some Wyoming producers who say they haven’t heard from federal officials about the new rule.

Jackie DorothyDecember 06, 2024

A horse with an infestation of screwworms on its back.

60 Years Ago, Wyoming Vet Helped Eradicate Devastating Flesh-Eating Screwworm

Wyoming Veterinarian Larry Friedman helped eradicate a devastating flesh-eating cattle parasite called screwworm in the 1960s. Now it's again a potential threat to Wyoming and U.S. ranchers.

Jackie DorothyDecember 05, 2024

A herd of cows lingers around a watering hole in Albany County.

Wyoming Ranchers Warned Of Devastating Screwworm Infestation In Mexico

The Wyoming Department of Agriculture is warning ranchers about a devastating threat to animals and people found in Mexico. The new world screwworm has been confirmed, prompting an immediate closure of the border to cattle imports.

Jackie DorothyDecember 03, 2024

Slim Coats and Oscar Taylor race in the whitewater race through the Wind River Canyon.

That Time Boaters Famously Rode The Dangerous Wind River Rapids In Rowboats

From 1948 to 1951, the Wind River Canyon White Water race was the most dangerous — and famous — river race in America. The Wyoming Memorial Day event featured racers navigating the rapids and rocks in rowboats.

Jackie DorothyDecember 01, 2024

Pictured on the right is Jim Harrower, his daughter Jean, and son Jim Jr. Not pictured is his wife Alice and his youngest son, Bob, with the only real outside contact being the few ranches that existed in the area. A great kinship developed between the Harrower family and the surrounding ranch families as they relied on each other for such things as medical care and companionship.

Legacy Of 1920s Wyoming Park Rancher: Mountain Peaks, Red Desert Elk Herds, Mountain Man Museum

With his intimate knowledge of Wyoming trails, Jim Harrower lobbied to protect the Oregon Trail, immigrant graves and South Pass City. He helped found the Rendezvous pageant and the Museum of the Mountain Man, both in Pinedale.

Jackie DorothyDecember 01, 2024

The Barney Sweeney Ranch in Sweetwater County, 22 miles from Rock Springs.

Man Spends 30 Years Photographing Wyoming’s Disappearing Ranches

Larry Friedman began taking photos of the Sweetwater County homesteads he was visiting as a Wyoming veterinarian in 1977. For the next 30 years, he recorded a disappearing era, including the Sweeney family ranch in southwest Wyoming.

Jackie DorothyDecember 01, 2024

Climbing on cliffs over the ocean in Italy.

Car Crash Derails Wyoming Athlete’s Quest To Sail 7 Seas And Climb 7 Summits

Sara Hastreiter had set a goal to become the only female, and only the second human ever, to sail all seven seas and to climb all seven summits. She was more than halfway there when a serious car crash derailed her efforts.

Jackie DorothyNovember 30, 2024

Tate, Mike Miller's 3-year-old herding dog, was happy as all get-out herding sheep through Gillette on Saturday.

Wyoming Lamb Industry Is Losing To Australia, Which Has 70% Of The U.S. Market

The Wyoming Sheep Industry is facing stiff competition, with 70% of America’s lamb and sheep meat imported from Australia and New Zealand. Wyoming sheep herders are selling direct to consumers to try and gain market share.

Jackie DorothyNovember 30, 2024

Ranch A was once owned by a the Annenberg family and only the elite of the Black Hills were allowed on the property. Today, it is owned by the state of Wyoming and is available for rent for weddings and events.

Once The Playground Of The Rich, Wyoming’s Ranch A Makes A Comeback

Ranch A, located just south of Beulah, was founded by media mogul Moses Annenberg and became the center for the rich and elite. Years of opulence were followed by shady politics, eventually resulting in the once luxurious lodge falling into disrepair. But it's made a big comeback.

Jackie DorothyNovember 29, 2024

Tucker Bass has been hunting wild turkeys in Wyoming since he was 8 years old. He bagged this tom on Nowood river. His dad, John Bass, said that turkeys prefer creek and river bottoms.

Those Who Shoot Their Own Wild Turkeys Know They’re Nothing Like Store-Bought

Those who shoot their own Wyoming wild turkeys for their Thanksgiving table know two things. There are a lot of them out there, and they’re nothing like the mass-produced, flash-frozen birds from the supermarket.

Jackie DorothyNovember 27, 2024

On Nov. 10, 2024, the University of Wyoming Symphonic Band performed “Beyond Her Years,” a musical interpretation of Adelaide Bomberger’s story of dealing with cancer.

Cheyenne Teen’s Fight For Life Against Brain Cancer Inspires A Symphony

Adelaide Bomberger’s battle for life against a rare form of brain cancer has inspired a symphony by an L.A. composer and University of Wyoming band director. The 18-year-old from Cheyenne got to hear her story performed for the first time this month.

Jackie DorothyNovember 25, 2024

Lucy Barnard walked into Wyoming over the Continental Divide in October 2024. Her goal is to walk to Yellowstone National Park by December before she must return to Australia to renew her passport. She is walking the length of the earth and is gathering a group of women to join her on the last leg of the trip in Alaska.

Australian Woman Hiking Through Wyoming On Quest To Walk Length Of The Earth

Australian Lucy Barnard is walking 18,000 miles from the tip of South America to the top of North America to become the first woman to walk the length of the earth. She’s now in Wyoming, getting to Lander after hiking across the Red Desert.

Jackie DorothyNovember 24, 2024

Cathy Ringler and her horse Zigzag have had many adventures over the years. Zigzag was originally supposed to be a barrel horse; however, he did not enjoy performing and much preferred being out on the trail.

Wyoming People: Award-Winning Horseback Storyteller Cathy Ringler

Cathy Ringler is a Wyoming cowgirl who told stories to her daughters while they rode horseback in Park County. Those stories have become a series of award-winning books based on Ringler’s own experiences riding horses on the range and teaching school in a two-room schoolhouse.

Jackie DorothyNovember 24, 2024

Raw Milk Is Legal In Wyoming, And Trump Might Soon Make It Legal Everywhere

Raw milk is already legal in several states, including Wyoming, and the incoming Trump administration could make it legal nationwide.

Jackie DorothyNovember 18, 2024

Roedy Farrell at the Texas Tech College Rodeo in Lubbock a couple of weeks ago.

Wyoming Bareback Rider Roedy Farrell Closes In On Pro Rodeo Dream

Thermopolis cowboy Roedy Farrell was born to be a rodeo star. The son of a National Finals Rodeo bull rider, Roedy competed in Cheyenne Frontier Days for the first time last summer. Now 19, bareback riding is his sport of choice and he's decided to go pro.

Jackie DorothyNovember 17, 2024

White Mountain and Pilot Butte near Rock Springs, Wyoming, viewed from a distance. The search for a missing 16-year-old boy in 1963 led to the formation of Sweetwater County Search and Rescue. But the boy, Edward Eskridge, was never found. That still haunts a now 90-year-old George Liska, who helped with the search for the teen.

The Boy Never Found Still Haunts Wyoming Searcher 61 Years Later

When a 16-year-old boy went missing in the Wyoming Wilderness in 1963, a desperate search was launched. More than 200 looked for Edward Eskridge, including the National Guard, but he was never found — and it still haunts one of those searchers, 90-year-old George Liska.

Jackie DorothyNovember 17, 2024

A painting of Big Nose George Parrott, a man who murder came naturally to, holding up the Deadwood stage, by Charles M. Russell.

The Dangerous Job Of Driving Stage In Wyoming: Robberies, Run-Away Horses And Rock Slides

Coal miner John Hulse discovered that driving a stagecoach in Wyoming was more dangerous than working in the mines. He survived hold-ups, run-away horses and rockslides before returning to the Gebo coal mines.

Jackie DorothyNovember 17, 2024

Drought and wildfires is forcing more Wyoming ranchers to sell off more of their cattle. At Torrington Livestock Markets on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, it was the largest sale in at least a decade.

Drought, Wildfires Prompt Torrington’s Biggest Cattle Sale In A Decade

Drought and wildfires are prompting cattle ranchers in Wyoming and around the region to sell more of their cattle than ever. The Torrington Livestock market had its biggest cattle sale in a decade Friday, with 4,000 bovine sold.

Jackie DorothyNovember 15, 2024

Ava Cole is surrounded by rocks of all types and her jewelry at Ava’s Silver and Rock Shop in Thermopolis, Wyoming.

Wyoming Rockhounds Have Been Making Museum-Quality Jewelry And Art For 50 Years

If there’s something Wyoming has plenty of it’s rocks and minerals, but it takes true artists to turn them into something unique and valuable. That’s what Eddy and Ava Cole, from Thermopolis, have been doing for 50 years, turning out museum-quality jewelry and rock art.

Jackie DorothyNovember 10, 2024

"1st Battalion" is a sculpture at Mt. Pisgah Cemetery in Gillette, Wyoming, where hundreds of military veterans are buried.

The No-Longer-Forgotten Veterans Buried In Gillette’s Mount Pisgah Cemetery

There are more than 1,000 veterans buried in Mount Pisgah Cemetery in Gillette dating back to the Civil and Spanish American wars. But many of them have become forgotten. Two local historians are unearthing and sharing their stories.

Jackie DorothyNovember 10, 2024

Kathy Sorensen is a self-proclaimed advocate for all the things people hate. She nearly always has her camera ready to catch the bugs, reptiles and pests in action and will adopt the ones in need.

Wyoming’s Critter Lady Loves All Those Creepy-Crawlies Others Hate

If it creeps, crawls or grosses you out, chances are Kathy Sorensen — aka Wyoming's critter lady — loves it. She's a self-proclaimed advocate for all the things other people hate, and does photo shoots with them.

Jackie DorothyNovember 10, 2024

Tom Skinner's Hole in the Wall Saloon in Thermopolis in 1908. The infamous outlaw gang wouldhang out there.

He Cowboyed With Outlaws Before Chasing Them As Bighorn Basin’s First Sheriff

Virgil Rice tracked horse thieves and had epic shootouts with notorious outlaws as the Bighorn Basin’s first sheriff. Before that, though, he cowboyed with future members of the Hole in the Wall Gang.

Jackie DorothyNovember 09, 2024

Jim Hicks, 89, has been in the Wyoming newspaper business for 60 years. He continues to write satire as “Sagebrush Sven” in the Buffalo Bulletin, the newspaper he once owned and now published by his son, a third-generation Wyoming newspaperman. Sagebrush Sven began as a non-humor column… until it was taken over by Jim Hicks who used the opportunity to share humorous observations from around his small town of Buffal. His wife, Mary Hicks, illustrated many of his columns.

Jim Hicks — And His Alter-Ego Sagebrush Sven — Have Made Wyoming Laugh For 60 Years

After 60 years as a Wyoming newspaperman, Jim Hicks is still writing his weekly humor column for the Buffalo Bulletin. He and his alter-ego Sagebrush Sven continue lampooning Buffalo, the Cowboy State and himself.

Jackie DorothyNovember 09, 2024

Wyoming Sheep Industry Cheers As Denver Voters Kill Slaughterhouse Ban

Denver voters killed an ordinance Tuesday that would have shuttered a large slaughterhouse that processed 20% of America’s lamb, and more than 50% of Wyoming's. Cowboy State ranchers are cheering the proposal’s defeat.

Jackie DorothyNovember 06, 2024

House District 47: Bob Davis, R, Keeps His Sweetwater County Seat

In District 47, Robert Davis, Republican incumbent, beat Democratic challenger James Wilson on Tuesday to continue serving in Wyoming’s House of Representatives.

Jackie DorothyNovember 06, 2024

House District 28: Winter, R, Wins Another Term in Wyoming House

Wyoming House District 28 went to incumbent Republican John Winter, who handily beat Democratic challenger Larry Alwin on Tuesday.

Jackie DorothyNovember 06, 2024

Candace Toledo dances in a jingle dress she created.

Wyoming Navajo Dressmaker’s Work Has Been In Movies, Powwows And Carnegie Hall

Navajo dressmaker Candace Toledo of Arapahoe, Wyoming, has found inspiration through creating traditional and modern Native American fashion. Her one-of-a-kind creations have been featured in a Disney movie, at powwows and at Carnegie Hall in New York.

Jackie DorothyNovember 03, 2024

Deputy Clark said they posted this photo of Williams Road to highlight the fall colors.

Find The Sheriff In Niobrara County -- A ‘Where’s Waldo’ Activity To Connect With Residents

In Niobrara County, locals are invited to guess where local deputies are every Friday. The department posts a photo of a Sheriff’s Office vehicle somewhere in the rural county and people somehow figure out where the deputy is.

Jackie DorothyNovember 03, 2024

The first block of Gillette Avenue is haunted, some say — every building.

Haunted Wyoming: Gillette Avenue May Be The Most Haunted Street In Wyoming

There are those who insist the ghosts come out after dark in downtown Gillette. From First to Second streets, “The entire first block of Gillette Avenue is haunted."

Jackie DorothyOctober 30, 2024

Young cowboy Levi Logan wanted his horse, Snip, to join him for Halloween trick or treating so the duo will be galloping from house to house as the Headless Horseman.

Like A True Woming Cowboy, 10-Year-Old Plans To Trick-Or-Treat On Horseback

When 10-year-old Levi Logan chose his Halloween costume, he wanted one that included his best friend — his horse, Snip. So Levi and Snip will trick-or-treat around Thermopolis, Wyoming, as the Headless Horseman.

Jackie DorothyOctober 30, 2024

Johnson County sheep rancher Mike Miller trails about 150 ewes and lambs down Echeta Road into Gillette in May 2024.

Proposed Slaughterhouse Ban Could Devastate Wyoming Sheep Ranchers

An animal rights group wants to shut down the only slaughterhouse in Denver city limits. Those who oppose a local ballot measure say it would cost thousands of jobs and could devastate sheep ranchers in Wyoming and throughout the U.S.

Jackie DorothyOctober 30, 2024

The Sweetwater County Library in Wyoming was built in 1979 on the site of a former cemetery. It was discovered during construction that not all the graves were reinterred up the hill at the new cemetery. Many of the library staff and patrons have witnessed unexplained occurrences that they believe are related to the disturbed graves of Green River’s former residents.

Haunted Wyoming: Sweetwater County Library Built On Pioneer Graves And Were Not Moved

If it sounds like the movie Poltergeist, there are similarities. The Sweetwater County Library was built on an old cemetery and the graves were supposed to have been moved. But not all of them were.

Jackie DorothyOctober 27, 2024

Ten Sleep Hill Climb cu David Francis mustang 10 27 24

Wyoming Rewind: Ten Sleep Hill Climb Was 100 MPH Of 2-Lane Road With No Guardrails

For 20 years, the Ten Sleep Hill Climb drew thousands of people to watch driver race up old Highway 16. It was a steep, dangerous race at more than 100 mph on a winding, two-lane road with no guardrails.

Jackie DorothyOctober 27, 2024

The final flight of the Yankee Lady over her home airport before the B-17's final cross-country flight, including over Wyoming.

Famous Yankee Lady B-17 Bomber Makes Final Flight Over Wyoming

The Yankee Lady, a World War II B-17 Flying Fortress, made her final flight across the West and Wyoming this past week. It was emotional for fans of the famous bomber, which was featured in the movie “Tora! Tora! Tora!”

Jackie DorothyOctober 27, 2024

Haunted Wyoming: White Devil, The Spectral Horse That Protects Wild Mustangs

The White Devil was a ghostly white stallion in the 1800s who protected his herds of wild mustangs against the cowboys who attempted to rope them. It's said that this spectral horse still roams the Rattlesnake Range above Casper, Wyoming.

Jackie DorothyOctober 27, 2024

Fort Fetterman State Historic Site composite getty 10 26 24

Haunted Wyoming: Soldier Was Ambushed And Buried In 1866, Then He Returned To Fort

Known as “Dead Duck,” a Wyoming Territory soldier was killed in an ambush by Indians during the Fetterman Fight in 1866, and buried. At least that's what he was told when he returned to the fort.

Jackie DorothyOctober 26, 2024

The Historic Greybull Hotel is in downtown Greybull, Wyoming. It was built in 1916 during the town’s oil boom and is a reminder of the past.

Haunted Wyoming: Ghosts Still Have Prohibition Liquor Parties At Greybull Hotel

The historic Greybull Hotel was owned by a rum runner during Prohibition who had a hidden speakeasy in the basement where he served up illegal scotch. Seems the good times never stopped for the ghosts that still hold Prohibition liquor parties there.

Jackie DorothyOctober 26, 2024

Wyoming Ranchers Say Fed Guidelines To Reduce Beef More Evidence Radical Interests Have Taken Over

New federal guidelines released this week suggesting Americans eat less beef is more proof that radical interests have taken over, say Wyoming ranchers and farmers. It's all political they say and has nothing to do with science.

Jackie DorothyOctober 23, 2024

A firefighting "spike" camp set up at Antelope Butte Ski Resort to battle the Elk Fire.

Antelope Butte Preps For Ski Season In The Shadow Of Massive Wildfire

Getting ready for the ski season has been more challenging this year at Antelope Butte Ski Resort. That’s because the resort also has been a spike camp for some of the hundreds of firefighters battling the 96,000-acre Elk Fire.

Jackie DorothyOctober 22, 2024

Freshman Eli Hill stripping an elk head at the Bugs ‘n Bones class at Wind River High School in Pavillion, Wyoming.

Wyoming High Schoolers Use Bugs, Power Tools To Clean Skulls For Hunters

Bugs and power tools are part of the curriculum for a class of Wyoming high schoolers. It’s the Bugs N’ Bones class at Wind River High, where students learn while they clean skulls for hunters.

Jackie DorothyOctober 20, 2024

The ghost town of Kirwin, Wyoming, is about 40 miles southwest of Meeteetse.

Haunted Wyoming: Kirwin Is A Ghost Town Haunted By Real Spirits

A fortune was spent building the mining boom town of Kirwin, Wyoming, only for the people living there to abandon it, terrified by ghostly voices. They didn’t even bother to pack their tools and other belongings, they just left.

Jackie DorothyOctober 20, 2024

Kevin Campbell speaks during the “Coffee with the Cowboys”. The 2024 Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame inductees shared stories of the cowboy life and answered questions from the moderator, Jim Nelson.

Hall-Of-Fame: It Takes Special Kind Of Tough To Be Wyoming Cowboy

Wyoming’s cowboys have endured the worst the state can throw at them — weather, horse wrecks and lost cattle. It takes a special kind of tough, and Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame inductees say there’s nothing they’d rather do

Jackie DorothyOctober 20, 2024

It was more than 70 years ago that a young hunter who was lost on Trapper Creek in Wyoming's Bighorn Mountains was met out of a fog by a teen in a red flannel shirt, who pointed him to safety. The hunter later learned a teen had died in the area 19 years before and others had similar stories of being led to safety by a boy in a red flannel shirt.

Haunted Wyoming: Lost Hunter Saved By Ghost Boy In Bighorn Mountains

A 17-year-old hunter lost on Trapper Creek in Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains in 1951 found his way thanks to a boy in a red flannel shirt. Locals say he was saved by the ghost of another 17-year-old who died on his own hunting trip 19 years before.

Jackie DorothyOctober 19, 2024

Aaila Gertler, 5 months, is one of a handful of Wyoming babies left in the Good Housekeeping Baby of the Year contest.

Wyoming Babies In The Running To Be Baby Of The Year, Featured In Good Housekeeping

Little Aaila Gurtler is 5 months old, has five siblings and loves to make gurgling monster noises. She’s also in the running to represent Wyoming as the next Baby of the Year to be featured in Good Housekeeping.

Jackie DorothyOctober 18, 2024

The Wyoming Department of Transporation will place memorial signs for families of loved ones who died in crashes on state highways. They're a compromise to discourage illegal and potentially dangerous private memorials.

Reader Question: What Are Those Broken Heart Signs Along Wyoming Highways?

A Cowboy State Daily reader asked us about those white and red signs on the highway that feature a broken heart and a dove. They act as memorials for families in honor of their loved ones who lost their lives in traffic crashes on state and federal highways and interstates.

Jackie DorothyOctober 13, 2024

Fate magazine in 1948 published a story about the Wyoming Death Ship that was seen at least three times on the North Platte River in Wyoming as far back as 1862.

Haunted Wyoming: The Ghost Ship Of The North Platte

One of the more intriguing ghost stories in Wyoming is a ghost ship that appeared infrequently on the North Platte River in in 1862, 1887 and 1903. Each time it was spotted, it brought death with it for the people who saw it.

Jackie DorothyOctober 13, 2024

Haunted Wyoming: Chugwater Restaurant Serves People Decades After Burning Down

Caught in a blizzard, three people sought shelter at a restaurant off the interstate in Chugwater, Wyoming. They ate steak waiting out the storm, only to learn later the restaurant burned down decades ago — and their waitresses died in the fire.

Jackie DorothyOctober 13, 2024

The clown room is often cited as one of the scariest rooms to survive at the Shoshoni Haunted House, especially when a ghoul peeks around the corner, or is it “just” the Book Witch?

Inside Shoshoni's Haunted House: It Takes A Year To Build And Is Straight-Up Scary

The folks in Shoshoni, Wyoming, take Halloween seriously. Any doubt of that will be erased by a visit to its annual haunted house, which takes a year to build and is housed in an abandoned bowling alley which was closed nearly 40 years ago.

Jackie DorothyOctober 12, 2024

Jim Miller arrives to the Wyoming Sugar Co. in Worland with his last sugar beet delivery of the day. By 10 a.m., the weather was too warm to haul more beets. If the piles get to warm, the sugar beets will spoil so ventilators are placed in several mountains of the sugar beets to push air into the depths of the piles.

Wyoming Grower Expects To Bring In 525,000 Tons Of Super-Sweet Sugar Beets

It’s harvest time for Wyoming’s sugar beet growers, and it looks like they’ve had a good season. For Worland-area grower Jim Miller, it’s been a good year. He expect to bring in about 525,000 tons of super-sweet sugar beets.

Jackie DorothyOctober 12, 2024

Portrait of wildlands advocate Margaret Murie.

How Mardy Murie, Wyoming’s Grandmother Of Conservation, Inspired The Wilderness Act

From Alaska to Wyoming, Margaret “Mardy” Murie and her family were advocates for keeping the wilderness wild. Known as the Grandmother of Conservation, she and husband Olaus helped inspire the Wilderness Act.

Jackie DorothyOctober 06, 2024

Lesleigh Ann Schaefer has highlighted the roads she has traveled during her 80,000-mile road trip around Wyoming.

80,000 Miles And Thousands Of Photos, She Explores Wyoming For Those Who Can’t

Lesleigh Ann Shaefer of Thermopolis has traveled more than 80,000 miles and taken thousands of photos as she drives around the Cowboy State. She says she explores Wyoming for those who can’t.

Jackie DorothyOctober 06, 2024

The Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park.

Haunted Wyoming: The Headless Bride Of Yellowstone’s Old Faithful Inn

A teen bride murdered and decapitated at Yellowstone’s Old Faithful Inn in 1914 is said to still haunt the historic hotel. People tell of seeing her ghostly apparition walking to the crow’s nest — carrying her own head in her arms.

Jackie DorothyOctober 06, 2024

In 1940, a family digging a root cellar near Badwater Creek in Fremont County, Wyoming, discovered a human skeleton and awakened something that wailed at them from beneath the earth.

Haunted Wyoming: The Wailing Skeleton Of Badwater Creek

In October 1940, the Lichty family discovered a skeleton on their property near the Badwater Creek in Fremont County. Their troubles were only beginning…

Jackie DorothyOctober 05, 2024

The tunnels in the Wind River Canyon's scenic byway.

Yellowstone Highway At 100: Wyoming’s $1 Million Gamble That Paid Off Big

It’s been 100 years since the Yellowstone Highway was blasted through a rugged, unforgiving Wind River Canyon. At $1 million, it was the most expensive stretch of road ever built in the U.S., and a gamble that paid off big for Wyoming.

Jackie DorothyOctober 05, 2024

Juan Laden of Lander, Wyoming, surveying a cave with a team in Mexico.

Wyoming Caver Has Spent 50 Years Exploring World’s Deepest, Darkest Places

It takes a certain kind of person to not only tolerate being in caves, but love it. Juan Laden of Lander is one, having spent 50 years exploring the world’s deepest, darkest places from Antarctica to Ukraine to New Zealand.

Jackie DorothySeptember 29, 2024

The Sacajawea Well was accidently drilled in 1918 when the owner was searching for black oil. Although disappointed, he made the best of the situation and eventually sold his hot water well to Hot Springs County for a poor farm.

Once A Showstopper, Thermopolis Hot Springs RV Park Being Restored

The owner of the iconic Fountain of Youth RV hot springs park in Thermopolis, Wyoming, was just a girl when she visited during its heyday decades ago. It was a showstopper park for travelers, and now she and her family are restoring it.

Jackie DorothySeptember 28, 2024

Abandoned tunnel in the Boysen State Park that the railroad refused to build higher. This resulted in decades of court battles against Asmus Boysen to demolish his dam in the Wind River Canyon. It's now crumbling.

Boysen State Park’s Abandoned Tunnel Is Last Reminder Of Fierce Railroad Fight

A crumbling abandoned tunnel in Boysen State Park is all that’s left of one man's fierce fight with the railroad in the early 1900s. It’s the last reminder a failed gold rush and a showdown with the railroad for ownership of Wyoming’s Wind River Canyon.

Jackie DorothySeptember 28, 2024

Kodiak, Don Dechert’s Malamute, inspects the “family suite” that can house three large dogs from the same family.

Riverton Kennel Has TVs For Dogs, And They Love “Little House On The Prairie”

Muddy Creek K9z in Riverton, Wyoming, isn’t a typical boarding house for dogs. It pampers pooches, including TVs in each of their kennels. And they love “Little House on the Prairie.”

Jackie DorothySeptember 28, 2024

Thermopolis Middle School Assembly, 187 students strong, pose during the announcement of their school being honored as a Blue Ribbon School.

Three Wyoming Schools Named Among Nation’s Elite Blue Ribbon Schools

Wyoming schools in Powell, Sheridan and Thermopolis have been named among the nation’s elite Blue Ribbon schools for 2024. They’re among the 356 nationwide recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Jackie DorothySeptember 24, 2024

In 2019, Al Hubbard, right, was still dreaming of pursuing his artwork full-time and it wasn’t until 2023 that a personal tragedy propelled him to concentrate on his art career.

Wyoming’s Al Hubbard Defining New Past-Modern American Indian Art Movement

Wyoming’s Al Hubbard is an Arapaho and Navajo artist who’s defining a new past-modern art movement. His blend of tradition with contemporary life captures the soul of his culture while inspiring Native American youth.

Jackie DorothySeptember 22, 2024

Sheridan mountaineer Darren Rogers, right, with a sherpa while on an expedition to summit K2 in late July 2024.

Sheridan Mountaineer Trains 2 Years For “Pretty Intense” 30 Minutes Atop K2

Sheridan, Wyoming, mountaineer Darren Rogers planned and trained for more than two years to climb to the top of K2. Once there, he spent a “pretty intense” 30 minutes atop the mountain considered the most dangerous to climb in the world.

Jackie DorothySeptember 22, 2024