Bill Sniffin
Bill Sniffin has been a publisher and author in Wyoming for 53 years. He formerly owned all or part interest in 20 different newspapers, magazines, print shops, ad agencies, and internet companies.
He is one of Wyoming's best-known columnists, having written a statewide column for more than 22 years and a local column for 38 years prior to that.
Sniffin has published six books including three Wyoming-themed coffee table books, called the Wyoming Trilogy. He lives in Lander with his wife Nancy.
Latest from Bill Sniffin
Bill Sniffin: RIP Dave Kellogg, Tall In The Saddle For Good Works In Wyoming
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “Dave Kellogg was sitting in his favorite chair looking out the window at those wonderful mountains. When Carol found him, he had a scotch poured but untouched on the table beside him. The only thing missing was 'a damned good cigar.'"
Bill SniffinApril 13, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Quality Medical Care Is Essential, Especially When Sickness Strikes
Bill Sniffin writes: “After initial consults and my wife Nancy being wired with a portable harness (that sent medical signals somewhere) she was placed on a bed in a hallway of the hospital and I was issued a chair next to her. We stayed there for the next 22 hours!"
Bill SniffinApril 06, 2024
Bill Sniffin: A 47-Year Debt Repaid (To Me) In A Welsh Mountain Town
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “This small Welsh town was made famous in 1903 when Wyoming’s Buffalo Bill performed several shows in the area. Some giant redwood trees were planted there in his memory.”
Bill SniffinMarch 30, 2024
Bill Sniffin: A Birthday Brings Thoughts About Death, Memories, And Best Decisions
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "“When us oldsters scan the obits, we will often say ‘old enough’ or ‘too young,’ which usually compares the decedents to our own age. Young people have no idea what I am talking about here.”
Bill SniffinMarch 23, 2024
Bill Sniffin: When Did You Fall In Love With Wyoming -- And Its Mountains, Canyons, Rivers, Deserts?
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, “I was thinking about how I came to love Wyoming. That is a long, complicated story involving a whole bunch of wonderful people.”
Bill SniffinMarch 16, 2024
Bill Sniffin: ‘Stinkers And Clinkers’ Define A Lifetime In Business – A Game Of Survival
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "Nancy and I were involved in the ownership of 20 different newspapers, magazines, print shops, ad agencies, internet companies, and other operations over 50 years. We even founded three Wyoming newspapers."
Bill SniffinMarch 09, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Wyoming Doomed To Have No Large Cities — Why?
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “Biggest reason for the lack of major growth was the 20-year bust that Wyoming endured from 1982 to 2002. Wyoming languished during this bleak period with a ‘make do, get by’ attitude.”
Bill SniffinMarch 02, 2024
Bill Sniffin: A Good Tax? Shootouts. My Favorite Deer. Fun Tourism Conference.
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, “A revolutionary tax program has been proposed that would get rid of property taxes for 97 percent of the home-owners in Wyoming. It is a fantastic idea.”
Bill SniffinFebruary 24, 2024
Bill Sniffin: I Like Big Buttes And I Cannot Lie!
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "Between Wyoming’s soaring mountains and spectacular valleys are a series of bumps, called buttes, all over the state – and I love them all."
Bill SniffinFebruary 17, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Longest Highway In America Enters Wyoming At Lusk, Exits At Yellowstone
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, “All the major historic roads from the Lincoln Highway to the Union Pacific Railroad to the Pony Express to the first telegraph line. All passed through Wyoming territory.”
Bill SniffinFebruary 10, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Wyoming’s Far-Flung Population - How Do We Knit Everyone Together?
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “The University is a huge magnet for bringing Wyoming folks together. The Brown and Gold logos also mark the Cowboy State, itself.”
Bill SniffinFebruary 03, 2024
Bill Sniffin: When It Comes To Wyoming Political Personalities, Bobbi Barrasso Was Perfect
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: "People who spend their lives in politics somehow are not supposed to be as 'nice' as the late Bobbi Barrasso, wife of U. S Sen. John Barrasso."
Bill SniffinJanuary 27, 2024
Bill Sniffin: I Have Seen The Future. It's Just Like Today, Only Different
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “My futurist friend sees Wyoming as a bastion of common sense with its conservative values. Biggest advantage for Wyoming is its small population.”
Bill SniffinJanuary 20, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Red Desert Is Wyoming Treasure - We Need To Fight For Access
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "This desert is a place devoid of permanent human habitation. It has been the scene of American Indians, Oregon Trail travelers, gold prospectors, the Pony Express, the first telegraph poles, and other intrepid souls trying to conquer an unconquerable place.”
Bill SniffinJanuary 13, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Looking Ahead In 2024 — National Election Will Be Huge For Wyoming
Bill Sniffin writes, “The 2016 win by Donald Trump, who was a true business person, stimulated fossil fuel development so that the USA became an exporter of energy. That was truly amazing.”
Bill SniffinJanuary 06, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Terrible Winter, Big Loss Of Wildlife, Crazy BLM Plan Dominated The News In 2023
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "The biggest tragedy and what should be the biggest news story was the amazing loss of life among deer and antelope during these cold winter months.”
Bill SniffinDecember 30, 2023
Bill Sniffin: Last Minute Christmas Gifts – How Do You Gift-Wrap An Elephant?
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “She dreamt that she and our grandson Wolf were trying to tame our new elephant. It even had a name: Spectrum. “It was SO real,” she said, before rolling over and going back to sleep.”
Bill SniffinDecember 24, 2023
Bill Sniffin: Driving To Cheyenne In Winter For Christmas Party – What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "Last winter, Interstate 80 was closed so much, it almost disrupted parts of the national economy because of those 13,000 stalled semi-trucks that pass through each day.”
Bill SniffinDecember 16, 2023
Bill Sniffin: Bob Beck, Phil Roberts, Jack Nokes Discuss Winter Driving In Wyoming
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "Oh, how bad could Interstate 80 get between Cheyenne and Laramie in the winter? Really bad. Some friends of Cowboy State Daily chimed in about winter driving in the wake of my column last week about winter roads in Wyoming."
Bill SniffinDecember 09, 2023
Bill Sniffin: Who Better To Give Safe Winter Driving Advice Than Me!
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, “Our family’s first winter trip over Interstate 80 was in 1971. We were stopped on an icy hill behind another car. It was an awful blizzard. My wife Nancy started to panic. ‘We are sliding backwards!’ she yelled.”
Bill SniffinDecember 02, 2023
Bill Sniffin: On My Mind – Blizzards, Folks We’ll Miss, And Advice For Newcomers
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "Good God, the snow just keeps on coming! It is now being measured in feet here in Lander, not inches."
Bill SniffinNovember 26, 2023