🚧 The American West | Cowboy State Daily

The American West is a place of cultural significance, dominant landscapes, and stories that transcend time. In this series learn about the people, the myths, legends, and reality of a place that is unique in American History.

Contributors

Graves of the victims of the 1864 attack on the Kelly-Larimer wagon train. William Larimer, the Rev. Andrew Sharp, Noah Taylor and Franklin Sullivan are buried in a single grave on the left; Little Mary Kelly, as she was known in contemporary accounts, is buried in the right-hand grave.

The American West: The 1864 Attack On The Kelly-Larimer Wagon Train

All that’s left today of the July 12, 1864, attack on the Kelly-Larimer Wagon Train in what would later become Wyoming Territory are the harrowing accounts of women taken captive and a small graveyard.

Terry A. Del BeneJune 29, 2024

An illustration depicting Fetterman's Massacre that was printed in Harper's Weekly on March 23, 1867. The battle was Dec. 21, 1866.

The American West: Fetterman’s Massacre Was High Drama On The High Plains

The bloody and ill-advised skirmish with Indian warriors at Fort Phil Kearny in 1866 that became known as Fetterman's Massacre didn’t have to happen. Capt. William J. Fetterman disregarded orders and got his troops wiped out.

James A. CrutchfieldJune 23, 2024

When Rudyard Kipling visited Yellowstone National Park, he wasn't impressed, writing that, "Today I am in the Yellowstone Park, and I wish I were dead."

The American West: That Time Rudyard Kipling Came To Yellowstone And Wasn’t Impressed

Rudyard Kipling was in a foul and despicable mood when his editor sent him to visit America. He was not impressed with the American West. "Today I am in the Yellowstone Park, and I wish I were dead," he wrote.

Terry A. Del BeneJune 22, 2024

Left, A portrait based off of a historic sketch by Paul Kane that might be of Narcissa Whitman. Right, Eliza Spalding.

The American West: First Missionary Women At Rendezvous Were True Trailblazers

Eliza Spalding and Narcissa Whitman were the first white women to come west in 1836. Although riding in a wagon across the Kansas and Nebraska was not a smooth journey, they found it to be a great mode of transportation.

Candy MoultonJune 16, 2024

For nearly 200 years, the rendezvous has been a truly American invention that not only promoted westward expansion and exploration, it was — and still is — one hell of a party.

American West: The Rendezvous Was — And Still Is — One Hell Of A Party

In 1825, Gen. William Ashley introduced a system known as the rendezvous, a methodology that revolutionized, but also simplified, the entire concept of trading with the American Indians. A total of 15 annual rendezvous were held between 1825 and 1840 and 11 of them were in Wyoming.

James A. CrutchfieldJune 15, 2024