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John Thompson

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Newcastle farmer Paul Eitel with one of his emus.

Capturing Knowledge: Wyoming Farmer Documenting Wisdom Being Lost To Time

Knowledge, wisdom and homespun skill passed down through generations of American farm families is being lost to time and giant ag conglomerates. Newcastle's Paul Eitel is one farmer who can’t abide this trend.

John ThompsonJanuary 20, 2024

Dad’s Bar and Steakhouse is located on Highway 189 in Thayne, Wyoming. (John Thompson, Cowboy State Daily)

Drinking Wyoming: Dad’s Bar In Thayne Is An Authentic Cowboy State Honky-Tonk

Dad's Bar in Star Valley is a place where the phrase “because that’s the way we’ve always done it” is never questioned as traditions have been passed down through five owners over the last 90 years.

John ThompsonJanuary 07, 2024

Wyoming beavers are such good builders that this dam holds up to a large bull moose walking across it, caught on Beaver Dam Cams, a project of Wyoming Untrapped.

Beaver Dam Cams Are The Captivating Ring Doorbells For Wyoming Wildlife

Beaver Dam Cams are becoming the Wyoming wildlife version of Ring doorbell cams, showing the bears, moose, foxes and other critters that use beaver dams as nature’s highway.

John ThompsonJanuary 06, 2024

Riders travel the final 3 miles of the 2022 race when the temperature was about minus 20.

Highest Elevation Winter Ultra-Marathon Race In the US Is Wyoming's Grueling "Drift 100"

The Drift 100, an ultramarathon held in Wyoming’s Wind River Mountains in early March, is the highest winter ultramarathon in the United States. It begins at the north end of Kendall Valley in Sublette County and gains 9,000 feet in elevation.

John ThompsonJanuary 01, 2024

A Chinese dragon used during a celebration.

Evanston’s Historic Chinatown Yields 300,000 Artifacts From The Late 1800s

An archaeological excavation of Evanston’s historic Chinatown, a community that was built in 1868 and burned in 1922, has so far turned up more than 300,000 artifacts.

John ThompsonDecember 24, 2023

Outside Joe’s Liquor and Bar in Rock Springs.

Drinking Wyoming: Joe’s Liquor And Bar In Rock Springs, A Landmark That Feels Like The Early 60s

Billed as the smallest bar in Rock Springs, Joe’s Liquor and Bar only seats 14 people. Walking in the bar is like stepping back in time to 1961 -- dimly lit and the walls are covered with dark wood paneling.

John ThompsonDecember 24, 2023

This 800-square-foot home is built from three steel shipping containers in an H configuration.

Steel Shipping Containers Made Into 800-Square-Foot Rural Wyoming Home

An 800-square-foot home made from three steel shipping containers hit the real estate market last weekend 10 miles south of Pinedale. The property, which has amazing views, is listed for $315,000, or $393.75 per square foot.

John ThompsonDecember 17, 2023

“James Bridger, Trapper, 1844” is one of the most prominent rock inscriptions at Names Hill in Lincoln County. Other names found there date back to trappers in the 1820s.

Wyoming History: Thousands Of Names Carved Into Stone Along Historic Western Trails

Long before people could document their travels on social media, they carved their names into cliff walls along the Oregon, Mormon and California trails through Wyoming. They served not only as unofficial registries but key navigational landmarks.

John ThompsonDecember 16, 2023

Wyoming Ranchers File $7 Million In Claims For 15,000 Head Of Lost Livestock

The brutal winter of 2022-2023 cut a diagonal swath of death across Wyoming that killed nearly 15,000 head of cattle, sheep and goats. Ranchers filed $7 million in claims for those losses.

John ThompsonDecember 14, 2023

Real Wyoming: Pinedale’s Cowboy Bar Was Built By An Outlaw And Won In A Card Game

Pinedale’s Cowboy Bar was built by an outlaw who rode with Butch Cassidy and later owned by a Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Famer who won the bar in a card game. The current owner, Lila Golden, has worked there since she was 6 years old.

John ThompsonDecember 10, 2023

Off The Grid In Wyoming: Power Systems Cost Less, But Require More Know-How

When Cody Lettiere found out it was going to cost about $50,000 to dig a trench and run a power connection to his cabin in the mountains near Dubois, he decided to explore a solar powered alternative.

John ThompsonDecember 10, 2023

Carmakers Dropping AM Radio But Farmers Fighting To Reverse It

Although two major carmakers have dropped AM radio from their vehicles, farmers have banded together to stop that trend. Ford has since reversed its decision to drop it.

John ThompsonDecember 03, 2023

Other Authors

Wyoming Experts Say UN’s Anti-Meat Push For Climate Change Doesn’t Add Up

Wyoming industry experts don’t buy the conclusions of a new U.N. report that suggests eating less meat will help the global fight against climate change.

John ThompsonDecember 03, 2023

The Big Island Bridge over the Green River south of Fontenelle Reservoir.

Wyoming ‘Bridge Nerd’ On A Mission To Document State’s Historic Bridges

John Bernhisel of Cowley, Wyoming, is on a mission, spending his summers visiting, photographing and chronicling the stories of historic Wyoming bridges and crossings.

John ThompsonDecember 02, 2023

If your property doesn't have a well, an off-grid water system is critical to establishing your homestead. There are many options to do this, including putting a large gravity-fed water tank outside your house.

Off The Grid In Wyoming: Wasting Water A Cardinal Sin For Homesteaders

The average American household wastes 90 gallons of water every day, something that would be a cardinal sin on an off-grid homestead, where water is much too valuable and important to waste.

John ThompsonNovember 26, 2023

Mountain man Hugh Glass does battle with a sow grizzly in this exhibit at the Museum of the Mountain Man in Pinedale.

Mountain Man Hugh Glass’ Real And Embellished Legacy Inspired ‘The Revenant’

Filmmakers consulted with Museum of the Mountain Man in Pinedale when they made “The Revenant,” and an exhibit shows Glass wielding a Bowie knife in a battle with a grizzly. Now they're hearing rumors of a sequel to the movie.

John ThompsonNovember 26, 2023

The Daniel Junction Foodmart is located near the intersection of Highways 191 and 189 in Sublette County. The Bear Den Restaurant is located in the rear of the building.

Eating Wyoming: The Bear Den In Daniel Lays Claim To State’s Best Burger

Tourists and travelers have been stopping at Daniel Junction since 1940 when the original business on the site was established by Leander “Linn” Sargent and his wife Helen. The Bear's Den restaurant is where the locals eat.

John ThompsonNovember 25, 2023

Josh Winkler’s off-grid cabin in remote Lincoln County on a clear winter night.

Living In An Off-The-Grid Subdivision In Southwest Wyoming

Josh Winkler and his family of four live year-round in an off-the-grid community about 20 miles north of Kemmerer. Although the winters can be challenging, Josh says it's worth it -- especially when he straps on his snowshoes and heads out on a full moon night in January.

John ThompsonNovember 23, 2023

Doc Ryan is a Wyoming-born Angus bull that sold for more than $500,000, and is so sought after that a rancher has shelled out $140,000 for one of his unborn calves.

Ranchers Shell Out $140K For Unborn Calf Of Famous Million Dollar Angus Bull

Doc Ryan is a famous Angus bull that earns more than $1 million per year for his semen and is so sought after that ranchers recently shelled out $140,000 for one of his unborn calves. The former owner of the bull is Gillette native, Trey Wasserburger.

John ThompsonNovember 18, 2023

Congressman Upset Feds Are Tight-Lipped On $25 Million Yellowstone Bison Plan

It’s been nearly nine months since a $25 million plan to increase Yellowstone bison numbers and improve habitat was announced. A Montana congressman says he’s getting ghosted by agencies about what’s being done.

John ThompsonNovember 16, 2023

Combines work to harvest wheat in a Laramie County field near Cheyenne.

Foreign Ownership Of Ag Land A Struggle For Lawmakers In Wyoming And DC

Brett Moline, of the Wyoming Farm Bureau, said his organization supports restricting foreign ownership of U.S. agriculture land. Even though the percentage of overall farmland owned by foreign investors is small, it’s a situation that could quickly get out of hand if left unchecked.

John ThompsonNovember 12, 2023