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Headshot of Cowboy State Daily reporter, Jackie Dorothy.
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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

Benton was literally a Hell on Wheels town. In 1868, the Union Pacific Railroad had two to four miles of track laid a day and an entire town would follow these tracks as they pushed deeper into the Wyoming Territory. Not only saloons, but banks and grocery stores followed the crews that were building the railroad. These towns were virtually lawless and shootings were common occurrences according to the newspapers that also followed the railroad.

Wyoming History: 100 Murders In 3 Months, Lawless Benton Was ‘Bred By The Devil’

Of the Wyoming Territory towns that arrived on wheels along the Union Pacific Railroad, none were as tawdry, bawdry and lawless as Benton, which witnessed as many as 100 murders in its three-month lifespan. Benton, it was said, was "bred by the devil."

Jackie DorothyJuly 05, 2026

Matt Rasmussen, vice president of the Wyoming Herpetological Society, is an expert at herping, finding amphibians and reptiles in their native habitat. He is inviting others to safely search Wyoming for secretive creatures that are not as rare as you may think — only good at hiding.

Many Of Wyoming’s Seldom-Seen Snakes Aren’t That Rare, They Just Like To Hide

Wyoming's bright orange pale milk snake, rubber boa and plains black-headed snake are elusive, but not as rare as most people think — they just like to hide. Most of the state's secretive snakes only come out at night or when conditions are right.

Jackie DorothyJune 28, 2026

George "Bear" McClellan was one of Wyoming's most colorful characters in the early 1900s. Standing at six-foot-six, McClellan had earned his nickname as "The Bear" for hunting the beasts in the Big Horn Mountains beginning in 1885. He shared wild tales of riding bears and roping them. 

Wyoming History: State Sen. George ‘Bear’ McClellan Claimed He Rode Grizzlies

Wyoming state Sen. George B. McClellan, who served in the Legislature from 1904-1934, was a source of "non-stop entertainment" according to media reports. He said the "B" in his middle name stood for bear because he trained grizzlies and rode them like a horse.

Jackie DorothyJune 27, 2026

Left Hand (left) was 22 years old when he snuck away from the agency at Fort Robinson and ended up fighting with the Sioux and Cheyenne in the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

The Arapaho Five: Unsuspecting Braves Who Fought Custer 150 Years Ago This Week

Five young Arapaho braves snuck off from Fort Robinson 150 years ago this week and fought the 7th Cavalry at Little Bighorn, where General Custer met his demise. They later told their story to actor and adopted member of the Arapaho tribe, Tim McCoy.

Jackie DorothyJune 24, 2026

Years before armed Marines invaded Wyoming and a cabinet secretaries went to prison for the Teapot Dome scandal of the 1920s, those same oil fields were already plenty scandalous. Arguments over land were often settled by whoever had the quickest draw.

Teapot Dome Oil Fields Were Plenty Scandalous Before Historic Scandal Of 1920s

Years before armed Marines invaded Wyoming and a cabinet secretaries went to prison for the Teapot Dome scandal of the 1920s, those same oil fields were already plenty scandalous. Arguments over land were often settled by whoever had the quickest draw.

Jackie DorothyJune 21, 2026

Roger Haight started carving ivory soap as a Boy Scout and, after retiring as a professor of microbiology, joined a Big Horn wood carving group. His home is now a wood carving museum with over 400 carvings on display, mostly of birds.

Wyoming Woodcarvers Say Their Work Is A Hobby, Others Call It Art

Sheridan's Don Johnson and Roger Haight may not consider themselves artists, but they create extraordinary works based on what they see every day. Johnson builds modern birdhouses while Haight carves lifelike birds, and both are being hailed as Wyoming folk artists.

Jackie DorothyJune 21, 2026

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