Wyoming: My 307

This episode I came to realize that the older I get, the more my house starts to feel like my own family history museum. That thought reminded me of a packrat, which is the Wyoming Wildlife featured in this episode. I turned to Sara Davis of the Wyoming State Archives for help on the “family treasures”. She gives us some great insights into the care and preservation of our own family heirlooms - things like this notebook, belonging to my great grandfather Alonzo Peterson. He was a miner for the Owl Creek Mining Company in Gebo WY, and before that in Cambria WY. Gebo is pretty close to Powell, which is this episode’s Dot on the Map. Below are some resources from this show: Sara Davis is the Wyoming State Archivist , learn more about her here .  Sara mentioned the Mass Memories Roadshow Wyoming State Archives , and SHRAB board The American Heritage Center at UW houses a lot of historical material and is open to the public for research Packrats thrive in rocky, very dry climates such as

Listen to the episode here . Subscribe by finding Wyoming My 307 wherever you listen to podcasts (it’s free!).  Have you ever wandered through a cemetery? Wondered about the life lived in that little dash between two dates? I visited a lot of local cemeteries for this episode, and today’s featured Wyoming wildlife kept me company. On this episode I was privileged to interview someone who shares my fascination with cemeteries, Jennifer Romanosky, of the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum. Through her expertise, we decipher the symbolism engraved on headstones, and how they offer a unique peek into a person’s life. The dot on the map in this episode is Basin WY, an unassuming little town that was the stage for one of Wyoming’s most historically important court trials.    Here are some links I used to research today’s episode:  Check out the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum - such a gem! They have a cemetery tour in the fall.  Jennifer Romanovsky mentioned the Images of America Series by Arcadia P

Listen to the episode  here . You can also subscribe by searching for Wyoming My 307 wherever you listen to podcasts.  Too often, the coal industry is boiled down to an argument of good or bad, for or against. I interviewed Dr. Holly Krutka of the University of Wyoming, who gave us a much more nuanced look at this critically important Wyoming industry. I was also lucky to find some really great oral histories at the Wyoming State Archives. We get to hear from two old timers who were born in coal camps, and I even shared a personal perspective of coal mining in my own family. Our dot on the map is Donkey Town - well, that’s what it was originally called but you’ll have to listen to the podcast for the full story. Lastly, I also had a chance to delve into our state bird, Sturnella Neglecta, commonly known as the Western Meadowlark.   Learn more about the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources where Dr. Holly Krutka is the Executive Director. Here’s Holly testifying to the Sena

Listen to the episode here .  You can also subscribe by searching for Wyoming My 307 wherever you listen to podcasts.   Every time I go into a Wyoming bar, I’m pretty sure I’ll come out with a funny story. Did you hear the one about the coyote and badger that walked into a bar? No? I guess you’ll have to listen to the episode. Today features Julianne Couch, author of Jukeboxes and Jackalopes. We giggled a lot and got surprisingly philosophical - I promise we weren’t drinking! She guides us through a lot of Wyoming bars, mostly small town ones and we discussed what makes Wyoming bar culture unique. Hartville is the Dot on the Map - it’s Wyoming’s oldest continuously populated settler town, which features the historic Miner’s and Stockmen’s Saloon.   Some additional details on what was discussed in the episode: Here’s where you can buy Jukeboxes and Jackalopes , by Julianne Couch, and her website with more information on the author.  Julianne made me wish I’d had the chance to meet Mike

Listen to the Christmas in Wyoming 2023 episode here . ( You can also subscribe by searching for Wyoming My 307 wherever you listen to podcasts.) Happy Holidays! To quote Owen Wister in A Journey in Search of Christmas, I have left this reboot episode " until the lastest day"! I hope I catch you while you’re still in the Christmas spirit, and that 2024 brings you health, happiness and peace. In this second Christmas special episode of Wyoming My 307, the German influence of Christmas in Wyoming features strongly. From the first “decorated Christmas in Wyoming” (Wyoming Historical Society) through the early settler period, WWII, and more, Wyoming Christmas has reflected the people and historical events at that time. The Wyoming Historical Society describes this as Wyoming’s first “decorated” Christmas. It’s definitely one of Wyoming’s first Christmas celebrations.    A Journey in Search of Christmas, by Owen Wister starts with the story of the Governor of Wyoming, out doing s