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

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

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.

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

Other Authors

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

Wood Week on Craig Johnson's ranch is a lot of hard work, but it's also fun and lubricated with lots of Rainier Beer (and maybe a touch of something stronger).

“Wood Week” On Author Craig Johnson's Ranch — Hard Work And Lots Of Rainier Beer

Longmire author Craig Johnson makes a celebration of putting up a dozen cords of wood on his Wyoming ranch each fall. It’s called “Wood Week,” and it’s full of hard work and lots of Rainier Beer.

Jackie DorothySeptember 22, 2024

A 405-pound monster dead lift, a personal record for Porshia Birdsley at the Official Strongman Games Southwest Regional.

Meet Porshia Birdsley, The Wyoming “Girlie Girl” Who Deadlifts Over 400 Pounds

Porshia Birdsley describes herself as a “girlie girl” who just qualified to compete in the Official World Strongman Competition in December. She carries a fire hydrant around Thermopolis, Wyoming, to train and deadlifts over 400 pounds.

Jackie DorothySeptember 22, 2024

Wyoming History: Tubb Town, The Rowdiest Town In Wyoming Territory

A few miles east of Newcastle along the banks of the Salt Creek was once a roaring Wild West frontier settlement known as Tubb Town. Here, saloons, dance halls and brothels far outnumbered all other types of businesses. The town had a rough reputation, even by Wild West standards.

Jackie DorothySeptember 21, 2024

Shannon Watts found his art which is sold at Hobby Lobby’s across America.

Riverton Man’s El Camino Sketch Launched Renowned Auto Art Career

Riverton's Shannon Watts didn’t intend to make a career out of drawing cars. But his sketch of a 1964 El Camino turned his life upside down. Now he sells over 400 of his designs in car shows across the country and his metal signs are being sold in Hobby Lobby Stores and other big box stores.

Jackie DorothySeptember 14, 2024

Wyoming's is one of the newsest, and most remote, of America's Backcountry Discovery Routes.

Wyoming’s Backcountry Discovery Route: 1,900 Miles In 12 Days On Motorcycles

The Wyoming Backcountry Discovery Route is one of the most remote — and breathtaking — endurance motorcycle rides anywhere. It’s 1,900 miles in 12 days on mostly two-track paths from the Colorado to Montana border.

Jackie DorothySeptember 14, 2024

Warm Springs Fire Remains Uncontained, But Not Threatening Thermopolis For Now

The Warm Springs Fire burning about 5 miles southeast of Thermopolis remains uncontained. But with the Bighorn River between them, the town remains safe for now.

Jackie DorothySeptember 11, 2024

Warm Springs Fire from about half a mile away as fire crews set up near the fire line.

Air Tankers Target Uncontained 1,600-Acre Wildfire 5 Miles From Thermopolis

A wildfire started by an intense Monday afternoon thunderstorm has grown to more than 1,600 acres about 5 miles southeast of Thermopolis. Air tankers are targeting the uncontained Warm Springs Fire.

Jackie DorothySeptember 10, 2024

The Beutler and Son Rodeo Co. in Elk City, Oklahoma, has been raising bucking rodeo horses for 95 years. This past week, nearly 80 of the ranch's horses were killed by poisoned feed.

Nearly 80 Bucking Horses Killed By Tainted Feed Devastates Rodeo Community

A batch of tainted feed killed nearly 80 premier bucking horses on the Beutler Ranch in Oklahoma last week and has devastated the greater rodeo community. The only surviving horse of that lineage was recently ridden to victory by Roedy Farrell of Thermopolis.

Jackie DorothySeptember 07, 2024

Chris Mickey was able to take the photo of the World View Enterprise balloon as it hovered over Cheyenne on Thursday night, Sept. 5, 2024.

Mysterious Object Flying Over Cheyenne Was Not A Chinese Spy Balloon

A mysterious balloon spotting floating high over Cheyenne on Thursday wasn’t a Chinese spy balloon. Turns out, it’s carrying data-gathering equipment to improve flight safety for a private company’s partnership with NASA.

Jackie DorothySeptember 06, 2024

Medicine Lodge Archaeological Site nature trail leads through the park and is an opportunity for wildlife viewing.

Ancient Rock Art, Artifact Digs Make Medicine Lodge A Premiere Wyoming Destination

Medicine Lodge State Archaeological Site boasts 2,000-year-old rock art and important artifact digs. It’s a premiere Wyoming destination for history buffs and recreation.

Jackie DorothySeptember 02, 2024

Cowboy Poet Jack Schmidt cooking in the Bridger-Teton Wilderness.

In Riverton, Jack Schmidt Continues Western Tradition Of The Cowboy Poet

The oral history of the cowboy is preserved forever in rhyme by cow wranglers and campfire tales. For the past 50 years, Riverton's Jack Schmidt has kept the cowboy poet alive in Wyoming.

Jackie DorothySeptember 02, 2024

Devil's Canyon crew hikes up a hill while fighting the South Fork Lyons Fire in Montana.

Wherever Wildfires Blaze You’ll Find Wyoming's Elite Devil’s Canyon Crew

Wherever wildfires rage across North America, you’ll find the elite Devil’s Canyon hand crew from Worland, Wyoming. The team is made up exclusively of military veterans and are often air-dropped from helicopters into some of the most remote regions in the country.

Jackie DorothySeptember 01, 2024

This Is Hyattville, Wyoming: Population 79, “Probably Counting Some Dogs”

Founded in 1887, Hyattville, Wyoming, was an important crossroads for commerce. Now it’s a tiny town of 79, which one local says is “probably counting some dogs.”

Jackie DorothySeptember 01, 2024

Bill Van Den Ouden sits at the Safari Club bar with his friend, John Cordova. He and his wife, Maria Van Den Ouden, had come back to visit Thermopolis specifically to show their family friend the large taxidermy collection that they first saw with their kids over two decades prior.

Thermopolis Safari Club’s World-Class Big Game Trophy Collection Needs A New Home

The Safari Club in Thermopolis is well-known for the big game trophies from around the world. Most were hunted by the late Jim Mills, who hunted and fished for 80 years. But after selling their share of the business two years ago, his family wants a buyer who will keep the world-class collection intact.

Jackie DorothySeptember 01, 2024

Ham operator Casey Freund makes a handshake, slang for making a quick contact, to another park across the nation.

Ham Radio Still Alive And Kicking In Wyoming

Casey Freund of Thermopolis, Wyoming, goes by the call sign KC7E, but that’s not his TikTok handle. He’s one of the few who don’t need Wi-Fi or smartphones to keep in touch with civilization. He’s a ham radio operator.

Jackie DorothyAugust 25, 2024

West View of the log blacksmith shop is believed to have been built as early as the 1860s on the Hart Ranch. The Albany County Historical Society is looking into the best way to preserve the structure.

Laramie Bought Hart Ranch For Its Water, Now It Wants To Save The Rest Of It

The city of Laramie bought the historic Hart Ranch for its 1860s water rights. Now, the city is working out how to save the rest of the historic Wyoming ranch for future generations.

Jackie DorothyAugust 24, 2024

Ranchers and construction workers are helping build fire lines around the huge House Draw Fire in Johnson County.

Construction Crews, Ranchers With Weed Sprayers Battle Huge Wyoming Fires

With aggressive wildfires having already burned 250,000 acres across northern Wyoming, it’s all hands on deck. In addition to firefighters, construction crews with bulldozers and ranchers with weed sprayers are also on the fire lines.

Clair McFarland & Jackie DorothyAugust 23, 2024

Smoke billows up from the Fish Creek Fire in northwest Wyoming.

Fish Creek Fire Grows 800 Acres In Northwest Wyoming, Remains 0% Contained

A wildfire in rugged terrain near Togwottee Pass in northwest Wyoming grew 800 acres Tuesday and remains 0% contained. The fire was started by a lightning strike Friday.

Jackie DorothyAugust 20, 2024

The Fish Creek Fire has burned more than 1,700 acres as of Monday afternoon and is 0% contained. It's burning in the Bridger-Teton Naitonal Forest about 7 miles southwest of Togwotee Pass.

Uncontained Wildfire Putting Out Plumes Of Smoke In Northwest Wyoming

Started by lightning Friday, the Fish Creek Fire has burned more than 2,500 acres in the Bridger-Teton National Forest and is 0% contained. It, and a few other fires in the area, are putting out plumes of smoke.

Jackie DorothyAugust 19, 2024

The GC initials on this hill are still kept whitewashed in Grass Creek.

Wyoming Oil Fields Gave Rise To A New Western Outlaw — The Claim-Jumper

The discovery of oil in remote Wyoming sparked a flood of fortune-seekers to the Cowboy State. It also gave rise to a new kind of Western outlaw — the claim-jumper.

Jackie DorothyAugust 18, 2024

Inga Arvad was romantically involved with a young John F. Kennedy, was pursued by Adolf Hitler and ended up married to a Western movie star from Wyoming.

How Hitler’s “Nordic Beauty” And JFK's Love Became The Wife Of A Wyoming Movie Star

Inga Arvad had been adored by Adolf Hitler, loved by President John F. Kennedy and pursued by the FBI. She ended up marrying a Western movie star from Wyoming.

Jackie DorothyAugust 18, 2024

Blacksmith David Osmundsen gives a presentation about blacksmithing at the Wyoming Discovery Days.

Wyoming Blacksmith An Artist With A 3,500-Degree Forge And Hammer

Buffalo's David Osmundsen is an artist with a hammer and a 3,500-degree forge. The Wyoming blacksmith attracts students from all over the world to his Arrowhead Forge School of Blacksmithing where he teaches the ancient practice.

Jackie DorothyAugust 18, 2024

From left, Tim McCoy, Joan Crawford and Rex Lease in "The Law of the Range," directed by William Nigh for MGM in 1927.

Before John Wayne, Wyoming's Tim McCoy Was America’s Favorite Western Star

Everyone in Wyoming knows John Wayne, the prototypical Western movie star. But before The Duke became The Duke, Wyoming's Tim McCoy was Hollywood’s favorite Western lead actor, even getting top billing over Wayne.

Jackie DorothyAugust 17, 2024

Realizing his vision of capturing this image finally happened when Larry Rogers layered three images taked from the same spot. The result is this stunning shot of Castle Geyser in Yellowstone erupting at night, lit up from behind, with the Milky Way as a backdrop.

That’s Not Luck: Stunning Photo Of Yellowstone Geyser Took Months Of Planning

Photographer Larry Rogers loves shooting in Yellowstone and Grand Teton parks, and once spent 20 years waiting to get a perfect photo. He said it took him months of planning to build a composite image of Castle Geyser lit up at night.

Jackie DorothyAugust 17, 2024

Climbing up the cliff side with spotters pointing out the best route at Wagonhound Off-Road Park.

Wyoming Rock Crawlers Get A Huge Adrenaline Rush At 2 MPH

Why go around a giant boulder in the road when you can just go over it? That’s rock crawling in a nutshell. And for Wyoming rock crawlers addicted to that adrenaline rush at 2 mph, the bigger the boulders the better.

Jackie DorothyAugust 11, 2024

Covered in soot from the Clearwater Fire, a U.S. Forest Service drone operator leads it up with "dragon eggs," small explosive charges used to remotely create and guide firelines.

Fire Crews Use High-Tech Drones To Keep Clearwater From Yellowstone Entrance

High-tech drones dropping incendiary “dragon eggs” are among the tools wildland firefighters are using to keep the Clearwater Fire in northwest Wyoming from closing the East Entrance to Yellowstone.

Jackie DorothyAugust 08, 2024

Gen. George A. "Sandy" Forsyth was a major when he was part of a company led by Gen. Philip Sheridan to the scene of Custer's battle at Little Big Horn a year after. He described the journey in an eloquent diary that's now in possession of the Hot Springs County Museum.

How An Important 1877 Soldier’s Diary Wound Up In A Wyoming Bank Vault

Maj. George “Sandy” Forsyth’s 1877 diary was on its way to the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., in 1960. But its owner decided it belongs in Wyoming where it was written, and it’s been in a Thermopolis bank vault for nearly 65 years.

Jackie DorothyAugust 08, 2024

The Clearwater fire burning in the Shoshoni National Forest east of Yellowstone and near Wapiti, Wyoming.

Highway From Cody To Yellowstone Remains Open As Clearwater Fire Burns

Yellowstone tourists can still use the national park’s East Entrance despite a wildfire that continues to burn in the area. Several campgrounds and trails remain closed.

Jackie DorothyAugust 06, 2024

The Clearwater fire burns in the Shoshoni National Forest near the East Entrance to Yellowstone National Park.

Keeping Yellowstone’s East Gate Open A Priority As Fire Burns Near East Entrance

The Clearwater fire has burned nearly 2,000 acres in some of the most rugged and remote terrain in northwest Wyoming. Keeping Yellowstone’s East Gate open among the top priorities for those fighting the blaze.

Jackie DorothyAugust 05, 2024

Warren Borton digs crocks from a saloon pit in Newcastle, Wyoming.

The Dirty Job Of Digging Up Wyoming History In Outhouses

Warren Borton has spent decades digging up old Wyoming outhouse pits. What he finds are sometimes rare and significant pieces of history. And bottles. Lots and lots of old glass bottles.

Jackie DorothyAugust 04, 2024

Many of the graves in the Gebo cemetery hold children.

Dedication Will Remember Gebo’s Children, Forever Home In Wyoming Ghost Town Cemetery

A society that specializes in the absurd will get serious Saturday when it dedicates the Wyoming ghost town of Gebo. The former mining boom town is also the final resting place for many of Gebo’s children, who died during epidemics.

Jackie DorothyJuly 29, 2024

Veteran newspaperman Bill Sniffin with a signed miner's helmet, which he calls the greatest award he's ever received. It was a thank you from Lander-area miners after stories he published resulted in national legislation to help families of uranium miners.

Longtime Wyoming Newsman Bill Sniffin Wins National Lifetime Achievement Award

Bill Sniffin, who’s spent more than 50 years producing Wyoming newspapers, has been honored by the National Newspaper Association with its lifetime achievement award. Sniffin is also a columnist for Cowboy State Daily.

Jackie DorothyJuly 27, 2024

Shell-carrying pack mules had to be led through mud and all kinds of terrain during World War I.

With A World War Brewing, Wyoming Was Captivated By A Rogue Army Mule Named Gabriel

While nations built up their forces leading up to World War I, the exploits of an ornery mule named Gabriel captured Wyoming’s attention. A reporter with Gen. John. J. Pershing in Mexico spun and entertaining tale of how a stubborn mule brought the U.S. Army to a halt.

Jackie DorothyJuly 21, 2024

WYDOT Studying Ways to Bypass Wind River Canyon Byway

Wyoming transportation officials are studying alternative routes or detours around Wind River Canyon Byway because when there is inclement weather or a major traffic incident, waits can take hours and sometimes days.

Jackie DorothyJuly 17, 2024

Mac McCumber takes aim during the shotgun competition while his squad leader, Hayden Overfield (far left) and teammate, Logan Dafoe (far right) wait their turn in line.

700 4H Kids Competed In the 2024 Wyoming State Shoot Last Weekend

Nearly 700 4H kids from all across Wyoming were in Douglas last weekend at the 2024 Wyoming State Shoot. The 4Hers competed in archery, and in different gun categories including shotgun, .22 rifle, .22 pistol, air rifle, air pistol and muzzleloader.

Jackie DorothyJuly 16, 2024