A Few of FR's Finest...Every Day...03-30-04...Wyoming ~ Like No Place On Earth

Mama_Bear

[Mama_Bear]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997. Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Mama_Bear, dansangel, dutchess, Aquamarine ~

Please join us as we make a cyber-visit to another great state in this Union of ours.

Over the past several months each "Finest" hostess has profiled her home state and I will be presenting the other states in random order. Please FReepMail me if you would like to participate in spotlighting your state. I would love to have your input on what you would like to see highlighted.

Today we are visiting the beautiful state of Wyoming. Saddle up and come on along.

These are the states we have presented to date:

05-23-03 Alabama 06-27-03 Maryland 07-11-03 Vermont 07-25-03 Utah 08-05-03 Texas 08-22-03 Nevada 08-26-03 Wash DC 09-05-03 Tennessee 09-17-03 Florida 09-19-03 Minnesota

10-03-03 New Mexico 10-14-03 Georgia 10-17-03 Louisiana 10-22-03 Michigan 11-04-03 South Dakota 11-14-03 California 01-09-04 South Carolina 02-06-04 West Virginia 02-20-04 Oregon 03-09-04 Pennsylvania

The "Equality State",
The "Cowboy State"

Since long before the area known as Wyoming became a state in 1890, civilization has been using the Southern corridor of this state for transportation, creating a rich heritage to be shared with visitors.

From dinosaur tracks to wagon tracks to railroad tracks to modern interstate highways, join us for a tour of an area rich in history called "the corridor".

What is the "Wyoming Corridor?"

The corridor is a significant historic transportation route containing rich resources from Wyoming's past. Prehistoric animals roamed the expanse, the mountain men explored the region and historic trails (Oregon, Overland, Mormon and Pony Express) crossed the landscape. Fossils, stage stops, railroad depots, roundhouses, seven National Register downtown areas, mining and timber camps and historic ranches all tell the story of the exploration and settlement of the state. The Old Lincoln Highway, Route 30, and today's Interstate 80 connect the resources of the auto age. Present day mines, oil fields, commercial areas, modern public facilities, and our people continue the saga.

The first tracks across Wyoming were American Indian trails connecting villages with hunting grounds. In the early 1800s, fur trappers and mountainmen refined these dim trails into a travel network between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River, then the western boundary of the United States.

In 1841, the first of the great Covered Wagon Trains ventured west along the fur trade route. Mountainman Jim Bridger built his trading post beside the wagon road in 1843. During the next 25 years some 500,000 Americans would "go westering" along the famed Oregon, California and Mormon trails.

Other tracks would follow. Members of the Cherokee Nation joined the 1849 California Gold Rush, pioneering a new route across southern Wyoming. Their Cherokee Trail would become the Overland Stagecoach Trail in the late 1850s. The Pony Express thundered its legendary track across Wyoming in 1860-61.

In 1868-69, the tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad replaced the covered wagon trails. The 2,000-mile journey to the west coast could now be made in days instead of months. In 1913, the Lincoln Highway made transcontinental automobile travel a reality along a route that would become US-30 and, finally, I-80, completing Wyoming's long and rich transportation history.

Click here for a brief account
of Wyoming's Rip-Roaring Past....
Railroads and Outlaws.

Evidence of all the old Trails can be found in Tracks Across Wyoming country. Visit historic Fort Bridger and the museums in every city or town. Or simply stop at any of the countless road-side historic sites to contemplate the wonder-filled past. Sometimes you can almost hear the rumble, shout and bawl of a distant wagon train.

Wyoming's southwestern desert country was once a vast inland sea. Lake Gosiute was the home of a great variety of fish, amphibians, birds reptiles and mammals that are now perfectly fossilized in the shale layers of the ancient sea bed. Fossil Butte National Monument west of Kemmerer explores and presents the flora and fauna of this long gone semi-tropical wonderland.

Wyoming boasts the first major find of dinosaur fossils at Como Bluff near Medicine Bow. Como Bluff bone quarries supplied dinosaur displays to most of the worlds museums during the late 1800s. New discoveries are being made every year. Visitors can experience Wyoming's Jurassic Park at the University of Wyoming Geology Museum in Laramie, the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne and at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs.

Sparsely populated Wyoming has the smallest population of any state, and almost two thirds of the residents live in urban areas.

"Wyoming" and "Cowboy" are synonymous. You can't have one without the other. Cowboys drove their great herds of cattle north along the old Texas Trail to the grass-rich prairies of eastern Wyoming in the 1860s. Flocks of sheep were not far behind, heading for the high, semi-desert country of south-central Wyoming.

Huge ranching operations were established, with land holdings measured in thousands of sections, not acres. The Swan Land and Cattle Company, headquartered in Cheyenne and Chugwater, once ran cattle from central Wyoming to west-central Nebraska. Sheep ranches prospered near Rawlins and Rock Springs. At one time, more sheep were sheared at the Wolcott pens than anywhere else in the United States.

Rodeo is Wyoming's favorite pastime. All along the corridor, communities celebrate the heritage of the cowboy with rodeos of all sizes. Leading the list is Cheyenne Frontier Days, "The Daddy of 'em All." The world's largest outdoor rodeo has been happening for ten days every July for over 100 years. You'll find smaller, "up close and personal" rodeos in places like Pine Bluffs, Laramie, Encampment, Rawlins, Rock Springs, Kemmerer and Evanston, to name a few.

America's First National Park

Long before any recorded human history in Yellowstone, a massive volcanic eruption spewed an immense volume of ash that covered all of the western U.S., much of the Midwest, northern Mexico and some areas of the eastern Pacific. The eruption dwarfed that of Mt. St. Helens in 1980 and left a caldera 30 miles wide by 45 miles long.

That climactic event occurred about 640,000 years ago, and was one of many processes that shaped Yellowstone National Park--a region once rumored to be "the place where hell bubbles up." Geothermal wonders, such as Old Faithful, are evidence of one of the world's largest active volcanoes. These spectacular features bemused and befuddled the park's earliest visitors, and helped lead to the creation of the world's first national park.

Fur trappers' fantastic tales of cauldrons of bubbling mud and roaring geysers sending steaming plumes skyward made their way back east. Several expeditions were sent to investigate, opening the West to further exploration and exploitation. In 1871, Ferdinand Hayden led an expedition that included artist Thomas Moran and photographer William H. Jackson. They brought back images that helped convince Congress that the area known as Yellowstone needed to be protected and preserved.

In 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed a law declaring that Yellowstone would forever be "dedicated and set apart as a public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people."

Old Faithful, the most famous of all geysers, erupts more frequently than any of the other big geysers, although it is not the largest or most regular geyser in the park. Its average interval between eruptions is about 91 minutes, varying from 65 - 92 minutes. An eruption lasts 1 1/2 to 5 minutes, expels 3,700 - 8,400 gallons (14,000 - 32,000 liters) of boiling water, and reaches heights of 106 - 184 feet (30 - 55m).

The largest active geyser in the world is Steamboat Geyser in the Norris Geyser Basin.

Old Faithful WebCam

Other Interesting Wyoming Links

Wyoming Ghost Towns
Ridin', Ropin', Ranchin' Cowboy School
Wyoming Pony Express Stations



And lastly, a few important
facts about our featured state....

Wyoming is known as the "Equality State" because of the rights women have traditionally enjoyed there. Wyoming women were the first in the nation to vote, serve on juries and hold public office.

In 1869, Wyoming's territorial legislature became the first government in the world to grant "female suffrage" by enacting a bill granting Wyoming women the right to vote. The act was signed into law on December 10 of that year by Governor A.J. Campbell.

Capital. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cheyenne
Nickname. . . . . Big Wyoming, Equality State, Cowboy State
Motto. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ."Equal Rights"
Admitted To Union. . . . . . . . . . . . July 10, 1890-44th State
Size. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97,914 square miles, 9th largest state
Highest Point. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gannett Peak, 13,804 feet
Lowest Point. . . . . . . . . . . . .3,100 feet Belle Fourche River
Average Annual Precipitation. . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.5 inches
Population (2000 Census). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493,782



The following websites provided information
and graphics for this presentation...

Tracks Across Wyoming
United States Resources: Wyoming
Wyoming, General Information

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 03-29-04...Military Monday

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me a FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

[dansangel]

An ear-splitting *****Ahhhh-Roooooo***** back at ya. Hope this day brings you much happiness!

:-)

My "students" are testing today, so I'm keeping my finger on the news-pulse of America through FR. Lots of *stuff* happening - yeesh!

[Mama_Bear]

Good morning and thanks for the Wyoming tribute.

Good morning to you, and you are very welcome. It was a pleasure learning about and presenting your beautiful state.

Please have a quick look at my profile. I guess I am a Wyoming lurker!

I just did that. Thank you for your military service and for the great pride you have in your home state. (Living in California, once a great place to live and raise a family, I can only imagine what it is like to truly love one's state.)

Thanks for coming by. Your post made me smile. I hope you have a wonderful day in Kentucky....even though it isn't Wyoming. :-)

[Mama_Bear]

Hey, Pippin!! Do you have your computer up and running? I am so happy that you finally will be able to spend time with us when you are at home. :-)

Are you ready to present Indiana with me? I am looking forward to it.

[Mama_Bear]

What a breathtaking presentation ((((((M_B)))))))))

Awwww.......thank you, dansy.

Yes, Wyoming almost has it all....but I also would miss being close to the ocean. Even though it is a 2 hour trip to the coast from where I live, still, it is close by. I can't imagine living far from the ocean.

Have a great day, (((((((((((((Sistah Dansy)))))))))))))))!

[dansangel]

I can't imagine living far from the ocean.

Trust me, it's *heck* on earth. We have to drive 5 hours which is definitely not a "daytrip" in these parts. Much of my reason for wanting to to get back home.

Glad you're back - I've *missed* you ((((((M_B)))))))

[Mama_Bear]

LOL!!! You don't know how close I came to trying all three of your solutions. Instead, in a fit of temper, I went in and started uninstalling programs. Apparently I didn't remove anything essential, since I am still chugging along here. LOL.

Microsoft Crash Analysis report keeps telling me it is a "device driver" causing the problems, but without knowing which driver, it isn't much help.

I have been crash free for almost three hours. That's encouraging. Do computer problems fix themselves? LOL

[The Thin Man]

Mama_Bear, I'm worried about you. After looking at your post times it's clear you're not getting enough sleep. Could make for a grumpy bear. :-)

A word of warning to those who might want to visit Wyoming after your sterling presentation. This can't be emphasized strongly enough that it is illegal to take a picture of a rabbit from January to April without an official permit.

[LadyX]

LOL - I deny, deny, deny I was ever a shepherdess..:))
(Nor do I do pancake breakfasts!)

Oh, how this from flat land Florida gal loved the Rocky Mountains! It was heaven to me when I lived in Rapid City, South Dakota for a year and we regularly explored them.

Although I had gone as a 9-year old to a summer camp for 8 weeks in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and lived near them in North Carolina for 20 years, and went through the Smoky Mountains a few times, the Rockies take "magnificent" to new heights (noting from the description of Wyoming: the *Lowest* Point is a 3,100 foot elevation! lol) - - the comparison is like that of a gnat to a butterfly.

Our forays from South Dakota did not take us to Wyoming, but on our way driving from Fairbanks, Alaska to Florida to Myrtle Beach, we went down the spine of the Rockies, through beautiful Wyoming.
The Grand Teton Mountains are definitely grand indeed - and we spent a whole day at Yellowstone National Park.

The night before, we stayed in a motel, and I purchased chicken and other fresh food at a grocery store before entering the Park early in the morning.
We found a wonderful campsite, totally emptied the Greenbrier van and repacked it, and I took the time to barbecue the chicken and make fixin's - food always tastes wonderful in the great outdoors!

Old Faithful performed right on cue for us; there was snow still on ground in June at higher elevations; and there were many bears for the children to watch.

It was a stellar, standout day indeed.

There are still large herds of buffalo in the Rockies.
Did you realize, though, there also are in Alaska?!
There is a large one south of Fairbanks at Big Delta,
and other places.

[JustAmy]

Good morning, again.

We have been to Yellowstone a couple of times. Also FriendAnn and I attended a football game in Laramie a few years ago. The day after the game we drove to Cheyenne. Wyoming is beautiful.

One of my goals is to visit all 50 states. I don't know that I will make it; I think I have about 18 more to see.

Hope you have a great day; I'll try to stop by later.

[diotima]

Radio Free Republic will be moving its facilities to WYOMING! We bought a ranch outside Jackson Hole on 36 acres (Dio will finally be getting the pony of her dreams........) and 1000 ft of the Salt River on the property for fishing. In the spring, we will also be putting a guest house on the property for visitors, so let me know if you are in the neighborhood!

Here are some pictures. These were taking during Christmas, when Bob and I drove up from Los Angeles. It was in the middle of a snow storm, hence all the snow. Click for larger picture.

 

Entrance:	The House: (so much snow....)
The Backyard:	The Great Room:
The Moose Computer:	The Tractor with snowblower (buried under the snow, of course)

I LOVE Wyoming, it is a beautiful state!

 

 

 

[The Thin Man]

Smart aleck!
mean
'devious'

Congratulations, Louie! You finally see the real Billie. LOL!

[Mama_Bear]

Good morning, FRiend Maggie!

I do love the way you tell stories about your wonderful adventures. You paint beautiful word pictures. :-)

I too have nice memories of a visit to Wyoming many years ago. I would love to go back for Frontier Days. Freethehostages describes it as an event not to be missed.

(((((((((LadyX))))))))))) have a terrific Tuesday!

[LadyX]

How typically thoughtful of you, Pippin!

Speaking for myself, I suspect all the others, too, feel it was *a privilege* to serve this wonderful country, and despite the sacrifces and setbacks, would do it all over again, if necessary . . .

[RadioAstronomer]

I grew up in Wyoming and have property there. :-)

[Pippin]

Yes, My compuer is up and running but I still have to get hooked up so I can get back on the internet,I'll let you know when I do get the internet up! :O)

[Pippin]

Hi, Mike!

I got a Computer now! YIPPIE!

Now to get it hooked up to get on the internet! :O)

[Mama_Bear]

Great! I am so happy for you!!

(((((((Pippin))))))))

[Pippin]

(((((LLLLLLOOOOOOOUUUUUUUIIIIIIEEEEEE))))))!

Soon I'll be able to post to you and the others in the evenings from my new computer! I have it up and running but I need to get it connected so I can get the internet,

[Pippin]

(((LORI)))!

[Mama_Bear]

After looking at your post times it's clear you're not getting enough sleep.

LOL!! You got that right. And bears do need their sleep. ;-)

This can't be emphasized strongly enough that it is illegal to take a picture of a rabbit from January to April without an official permit.

That is too funny! Where do you get this stuff? LOL