Timeline of Wyoming history

This timeline is a chronology of significant events in the history of the U.S. State of Wyoming and the historical area now occupied by the state.

 2000s   1900s   1800s   Statehood   Territory   1700s   1600s   1500s   Before 1492 

2020s

YearDateEvent
2020November 3In the 2020 General Election, Wyoming voters elect three U.S. Presidential Electors for President Donald Trump, elect Cynthia Lummis as new U.S. Senator, and re-elect Liz Cheney as U.S. Representative. Republicans retain control of the Wyoming Legislature.
September 17The Mullen Fire ignites 7 miles (11 km) west of Centennial. As many as 1,254 firefighters battle the wildfire as it spreads through Carbon County, Albany County, and Jackson County, Colorado, and consumes 176,878 acres (716 km2) of forest.
April 1The 2020 United States Census enumerates the population of the State of Wyoming, estimated to be about 580,000.

2010s

YearDateEvent
2019January 7Mark Gordon takes office as the thirty-third Governor of State of Wyoming.
January 3Liz Cheney takes office as the Wyoming U.S. Representative.
2017August 21The solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 sweeps across Wyoming. Huge crowds gather in Casper and Glendo to witness the total solar eclipse.
2011January 3Matt Mead takes office as the thirty-second Governor of State of Wyoming.
2010April 1The 2010 United States Census enumerates the population of the State of Wyoming, later determined to be 563,626, an increase of 14.1% since the 2000 United States Census. Wyoming remains the least populous of the 50 U.S. states.

2000s

YearDateEvent
2007January 3John Barrasso takes office as the junior Wyoming U.S. Senator.
2003January 6Dave Freudenthal takes office as the thirty-first Governor of State of Wyoming.
2001January 20Dick Cheney takes office as the forty-sixth Vice President of the United States.
2000April 1The 2000 United States Census enumerates the population of the State of Wyoming, later determined to be 493,782, an increase of 8.9% since the 1990 United States Census. Wyoming remains the least populous of the 50 U.S. states.

1990s

YearDateEvent
1997January 3Mike Enzi takes office as the junior Wyoming U.S. Senator.
1995January 2Jim Geringer takes office as the thirtieth Governor of State of Wyoming.
1992August 3U.S. President George H.W. Bush signs into law an amendment to the National Trails System Act to designate the California National Historic Trail and Pony Express National Historic Trail as components of the National Trails System.
1990April 1The 1990 United States Census enumerates the population of the State of Wyoming, later determined to be 453,588, a decrease of -3.4% since the 1980 United States Census. As its population decreases, Wyoming becomes the least populous of the 50 U.S. states.

1980s

YearDateEvent
1989March 22U.S. President George H.W. Bush appoints Dick Cheney the seventeenth United States Secretary of Defense.
1988November 8The Town of Alpine is incorporated.[1]
June 14The first of over 200 wildfires begin burning in Yellowstone National Park and adjacent national forests. More than 9,000 firefighters battle the wildfires as they consume 793,880 acres (3,213 km2) of forest.
1987January 5Mike Sullivan takes office as the twenty-ninth Governor of State of Wyoming.
1984November 27The Town of Wright is incorporated.[1]
March 8The Town of Rolling Hills is incorporated.[1]
1982November 8The Town of Bar Nunn is incorporated.[1]
1980April 1The 1980 United States Census enumerates the population of the State of Wyoming, later determined to be 469,557, an increase of 41.3% since the 1970 United States Census. Wyoming remains the 49th most populous of the 50 U.S. states.

1970s

YearDateEvent
1979December 18The Town of Hanna annexes the adjacent Town of Elmo.
1978November 10U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 authorizing the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail, and the Oregon National Historic Trail.
October 9The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designates designates Yellowstone National Park as one of the first 12 World Heritage Sites.
1977September The City of Cody transfers Shoshone Cavern to the Bureau of Land Management.
1976July 4The State of Wyoming celebrates the Bicentennial of the United States of America.
1975January 6Edgar J. Herschler takes office as the twenty-eighth Governor of State of Wyoming.
1973April 26The Town of Midwest is incorporated.[1]
February 13The Town of La Barge is incorporated.[1]
1972October 23U.S. President Richard Nixon issues a proclamation creating Fossil Butte National Monument.[2][3]
1970April 1The 1970 United States Census enumerates the population of the State of Wyoming, later determined to be 332,416, an increase of 0.7% since the 1960 United States Census. Wyoming becomes the 49th most populous of the 50 U.S. states.

1960s

YearDateEvent
1968December 2U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signs An Act to establish a national trails system, and for other purposes, creating the National Trails System.
1967January 2Stanley K. Hathaway takes office as the twenty-seventh Governor of State of Wyoming.
1966October 15U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signs An Act to provide for the establishment of the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, and for other purposes.
1963January 7Clifford P. Hansen takes office as the twenty-sixth Governor of State of Wyoming.
1961January 2Jack R. Gage takes office as the twenty-fifth Governor of State of Wyoming.
1960April 29U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs An Act to revise the boundaries and change the name of the Fort Laramie National Monument, Wyoming, and for other purposes, expanding Fort Laramie National Monument and changing the name to Fort Laramie National Historic Site.[2][3]
April 1The 1960 United States Census enumerates the population of the State of Wyoming, later determined to be 330,066, an increase of 13.6% since the 1950 United States Census. Wyoming becomes the 48th most populous of the 50 U.S. states.

1950s

YearDateEvent
1959January 3John J. Hickey takes office as the twenty-fourth Governor of State of Wyoming.
1957spring Buffalo Bill State Park, Wyoming's first state park, opens.
1955January 3Milward Simpson takes office as the twenty-third Governor of State of Wyoming.
1954June 29The Town of Frannie is incorporated.[1]
June 17U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs An Act to authorize the abolishment of the Shoshone Cavern National Monument and the transfer of the land therein to the city of Cody, Wyoming, for public recreational use, and for other purposes.[2]
1953January 3Clifford J. Rogers takes office as the twenty-second Governor of State of Wyoming.
1951May 1The Town of Hulett is incorporated.[1]
January 1Frank A. Barrett takes office as the twenty-first Governor of State of Wyoming.
1950September 14U.S. President Harry Truman signs An Act to establish a new Grand Teton National Park in the State of Wyoming, and for other purposes, merging Jackson Hole National Monument into Grand Teton National Park.[2][3]
April 1The 1950 United States Census enumerates the population of the State of Wyoming, later determined to be 290,529, an increase of 15.9% since the 1940 United States Census. Wyoming remains the 47th most populous of the 48 U.S. states.

1940s

YearDateEvent
1949January 3Arthur G. Crane takes office as the twentieth Governor of State of Wyoming.
1945September 2World War II ends as the Empire of Japan formally surrenders.
May 8The war in Europe ends as the Greater German Empire formally surrenders.
1944December 29U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt vetos House Resolution 2241, "To abolish the Jackson Hole National Monument as created by Presidential Proclamation Numbered 2578, dated March 15, 1943."
1943March 15U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issues Executive Proclamation Number 2578, creating Jackson Hole National Monument.[2][3]
January 4Lester C. Hunt takes office as the nineteenth Governor of State of Wyoming.
1942November 3The Town of Parco changes its name to the Town of Sinclair at the General Election of 1942.[4]
1941December 11The United States declares war on the German Reich and the Italian Empire.
December 8The United States declares war on the Empire of Japan and enters World War II.
March 10U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issues an executive order renaming Wyoming National Forest as the re-established Bridger National Forest.[5]
1940April 1The 1940 United States Census enumerates the population of the State of Wyoming, later determined to be 250,742, an increase of 11.2% since the 1930 United States Census. Wyoming remains the 47th most populous of the 48 U.S. states.

1930s

YearDateEvent
1939January 2Nels H. Smith takes office as the eighteenth Governor of State of Wyoming.
1938July 16U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issues a proclamation creating Fort Laramie National Monument.[2][3]
April 18The Town of La Grange is incorporated.[1]
1937July 22U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs An Act to create the Farmers' Home Corporation, to promote more secure occupancy of farms and farm homes, to correct the economic instability resulting from some present forms of farm tenancy, and for other purposes, also known as the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act.
1935August 6The Town of Hanna is incorporated.[1]
1933May 3U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt appoints Nellie Tayloe Ross as the 28th Director of the United States Mint, the first woman to hold the post. She will hold the office for twenty years.
January 2Leslie A. Miller takes office as the seventeenth Governor of State of Wyoming.
1932January 1The Town of Ten Sleep is incorporated.[1]
1931November 16The Town of Green River passes the Green River Ordinance that prohibits door-to-door selling. Other towns across the country will adopt the ordinance.
February 18Alonzo M. Clark takes office as the sixteenth Governor of State of Wyoming.
1930September 13The Town of Albin is incorporated.[1]
April 1The 1930 United States Census enumerates the population of the State of Wyoming, later determined to be 225,565, an increase of 16.0% since the 1920 United States Census. Wyoming remains the 47th most populous of the 48 U.S. states.

1920s

YearDateEvent
1929July 10U.S. President Calvin Coolidge signs An Act to establish the Grand Teton National Park in the State of Wyoming, and for other purposes.[3]
1927January 3Frank C. Emerson takes office as the fifteenth Governor of State of Wyoming.
1925November 3The Town of Edgerton is incorporated.[1]
April 1The Town of Parco is incorporated.[1] (Changed name to the Town of Sinclair on November 3, 1942.)
January 5Nellie Tayloe Ross takes office as the fourteenth Governor of State of Wyoming. She becomes the first woman to be sworn in as governor of a U.S. state.
1924October 2Frank Lucas takes office as the thirteenth Governor of State of Wyoming.
June 2U.S. President Calvin Coolidge signs An Act To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to issue certificates of citizenship to Indians, also known as the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, finally granting full United States Citizenship to all Native Americans born in the United States.[6]
1923May 14U.S. President Warren G. Harding issues an executive order abolishing Bridger National Forest and transferring its land to Wyoming National Forest.[5] (Wyoming National Forest will be renamed Bridger National Forest on March 10, 1941.)
January 1William B. Ross takes office as the twelfth Governor of State of Wyoming.
1922May 1The Town of Glendo is incorporated.[1]
April 15Wyoming U.S. Senator John B. Kendrick introduces a resolution calling for an investigation into the Teapot Dome scandal.
1921February 15The State of Wyoming creates two new counties:
Sublette County from portions of Fremont County and Lincoln County; and
Teton County from a portion of Lincoln County.[7]
1920April 1The 1920 United States Census enumerates the population of the State of Wyoming, later determined to be 194,402, an increase of 33.2% since the 1910 United States Census. Wyoming becomes the 47th most populous of the 48 U.S. states.

1910s

YearDateEvent
1919September 28The Town of Ranchester is incorporated.[1]
January 6Robert D. Carey takes office as the eleventh Governor of State of Wyoming.
1918November 11An armistice halts the Great War.
1917April 6The United States declares war on the German Empire and enters the Great War.
February 26Frank L. Houx takes office as the tenth Governor of State of Wyoming.
January 29The Town of Elmo is incorporated.[1] (Annexed by the adjacent Town of Hanna on December 18, 1979.)
1916August 25U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signs An Act To establish a National Park Service, and for other purposes.[8]
March 8The Town of Van Tassell is incorporated.[1]
1915January 4John B. Kendrick takes office as the ninth Governor of State of Wyoming.
1914August 7The Town of Jackson is incorporated.[1]
August 4The Town of Marbleton is incorporated.[1]
August 3The Town of Opal is incorporated.[1]
May 14The Town of Dubois is incorporated.[1]
April 21The Town of Wamsutter is incorporated.[1]
1913July 1The Town of Kaycee is incorporated.[1]
April 1The Town of Big Piney is incorporated.[1]
1912February 12The Town of Pinedale is incorporated.[1]
1911June 30U.S. President William Howard Taft issues proclamations creating Washakie National Forest and Bridger National Forest.[5] (Bridger National Forest will be abolished May 14, 1923, but re-established March 10, 1941.)
February 21The State of Wyoming creates seven new counties:
Campbell County from portions of Crook County and Weston County;
Goshen County from a portion of Laramie County;
Hot Springs County from portions of Big Horn County, Fremont County, and Hot Springs County;
Lincoln County from a portion of Uinta County;
Niobrara County from a portion of Converse County;
Platte County from a portion of Laramie County; and
Washakie County from a portion of Big Horn County.[7]
January 2Joseph M. Carey takes office as the eighth Governor of State of Wyoming.
1910July 1U.S. President William Howard Taft issues a proclamation re-establishing Medicine Bow National Forest.[5]
June 28U.S. President William Howard Taft issues a proclamation creating Palisade National Forest.[5]
May 31The Town of Cokeville is incorporated.[1]
May 10The Town of Powell is incorporated.[1]
April 1The 1910 United States Census enumerates the population of the State of Wyoming, later determined to be 145,965, an increase of 57.7% since the 1900 United States Census. Wyoming becomes the 45th most populous of the 46 U.S. states.

1900s

YearDateEvent
1909September 24The State of Wyoming creates Park County from a portion of Big Horn County.[7]
September 21U.S. President William Howard Taft issues an executive order creating Shoshone Cavern National Monument.[2]
June 6The Town of Medicine Bow is incorporated.[1]
June 1The Town of Lost Cabin is incorporated.[1]
May 14The Town of Pine Bluffs is incorporated.[1]
May 12The Town of Rock River is incorporated.[1]
February 4The Town of Hudson is incorporated.[1]
1908October 18The Town of Upton is incorporated.[1]
July 2U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt issues an executive order creating Bighorn National Forest.[5]
July 1U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt issues executive orders creating Targhee National Forest, Teton National Forest, Wyoming National Forest, Bonneville National Forest, Ashley National Forest, and Shoshone National Forest.[5]
June 30U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt issues an executive order creating Cheyenne National Forest.[5]
June 26U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt issues an executive order creating Sundance National Forest.[5]
June 25U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt issues an executive order creating Hayden National Forest.[5]
May 11U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt issues an executive order creating Lewis and Clark Cavern National Monument.[2]
March 28Two coal gas explosions in the Union Pacific Coal Company's Hanna Mine No. 1 kill 59 miners.
1907July 8The Town of Sheridan is incorporated.[1]
March 1U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt issues a proclamation creating the Bear Lodge Forest Reserve.[5]
January 15U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt issues a proclamation creating the Caribou Forest Reserve.[5]
January 4The Town of Torrington is incorporated.[1]
1906November 5U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt issues a proclamation creating the Sierra Madre Forest Reserve.[5]
October 2The Town of Moorcroft is incorporated.[1]
The Town of Riverton is incorporated.[1]
September 24U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt issues a proclamation creating Devils Tower National Monument, the first United States National Monument created under the Antiquities Act.[2][3]
July 2The Town of Dayton is incorporated.[1]
June 8U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt signs An Act For the preservation of American antiquities, also known as the Antiquities Act of 1906, giving the President of the United States the authority to create national monuments on federal lands to protect significant natural, cultural, or scientific features.[9]
April 2The Town of Shoshoni is incorporated.[1]
March 30The Town of Worland is incorporated.[1]
January 16U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt issues a proclamation creating the Uinta Forest Reserve.[5]
1905November 18The Town of Wheatland is incorporated.[1]
January 2Bryant B. Brooks takes office as the seventh Governor of State of Wyoming.
1903June 30A coal gas explosion in the Union Pacific Coal Company's Hanna Mine No. 1 kills 169 miners.
April 28Fenimore Chatterton takes office as the sixth Governor of State of Wyoming.
1902July 7The Town of Basin is incorporated.[1]
May 22U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt issues a proclamation creating the Yellowstone Forest Reserve and the Medicine Bow Forest Reserve.[5]
April 24The Town of Afton is incorporated.[1]
April 4The Town of Guernsey is incorporated.[1]
1901October 1The Town of Cody is incorporated.[1]
August 7The Town of Meeteetse is incorporated.[1]
April 2The Town of Encampment is incorporated.[1]
March 2The Town of Diamondville is incorporated.[1]
1900October 10U.S. President William McKinley issues a proclamation creating the Crow Creek Forest Reserve.[5]
July 1The Town of Saratoga is incorporated.[1]
April 28A coal gas explosion in the Union Pacific Coal Company's Hanna Mine No. 1 kills miner Henry Ward.
April 1The 1900 United States Census enumerates the population of the State of Wyoming, later determined to be 92,531, an increase of 47.9% since the 1890 United States Census. Wyoming becomes the 44th most populous of the 45 U.S. states.
February 17The Town of Hartville is incorporated.[1]

1890s

YearDateEvent
1899January 23The Town of Kemmerer is incorporated.[1]
January 21The Town of Thermopolis is incorporated.[1]
January 2DeForest Richards takes office as the fifth Governor of State of Wyoming.
1898December 10The United States of America and the Kingdom of Spain sign the Treaty of Paris of 1898 to end the Spanish–American War.
September 19U.S. President William McKinley issues a proclamation creating the Black Hills Forest Reserve.[5]
August 12The United States of America and the Kingdom of Spain sign a Protocol of Peace.
June 17The Town of Lusk is incorporated.[1]
April 23The Kingdom of Spain declares war on the United States of America. The United States declares war on Spain two days later.
1897September 23Cheyenne hosts the first Cheyenne Frontier Days.
February 22U.S. President Grover Cleveland issues proclamations creating the Teton Forest Reserve and the Big Horn Forest Reserve.[5]
1895January 7William A. Richards takes office as the fourth Governor of State of Wyoming.
1893January 2John E. Osborne takes office as the third Governor of State of Wyoming.
1892January 7The Town of Gillette is incorporated.[1]
1891November 24Amos W. Barber takes office as the second Governor of State of Wyoming.
June 10The Town of Green River is re-incorporated under the laws of the State of Wyoming.[1]
March 30U.S. President Benjamin Harrison issues a proclamation creating the Yellowstone Park Timber Land Reserve, the first United States National Forest.[5]
March 3U.S. President Benjamin Harrison signs An act to repeal timber-culture laws, and for other purposes, also known as the Forest Reserve Act of 1891, giving the President of the United States the authority to create protected national forests on federal lands.[10]
1890October 11Territorial Governor Francis E. Warren takes office as the first Governor of State of Wyoming.
July 17The Town of Lander is incorporated.[1]
July 10U.S. President Benjamin Harrison signs An Act to provide for the admission of the State of Wyoming into the Union, and for other purposes.[11] The Territory of Wyoming becomes the State of Wyoming, the 44th U.S. state and the first U.S. state to grant women the right to vote. Wyoming later becomes known as the Equality State.
April 1The 1890 United States Census enumerates the population of the Territory of Wyoming, later determined to be 62,555, an increase of 200.9% since the 1880 United States Census. Wyoming becomes the fifth most populous of the six U.S. territories.
March 12The Territory of Wyoming creates two new counties:
Big Horn County from portions of Fremont County, Johnson County, and Sheridan County; and
Weston County from a portion of Crook County.[7]

1880s

YearDateEvent
1889October 25The Town of Newcastle is incorporated.[1]
July 8The Town of Casper is incorporated.[1]
April 9U.S. President Benjamin Harrison appoints Francis E. Warren the tenth (and last) Governor of Territory of Wyoming.
1888June 1The Town of Evanston is incorporated.[1]
March 9The Territory of Wyoming creates three new counties:
Converse County from portions of Albany County and Laramie County;
Natrona County from a portion of Carbon County; and
Sheridan County from a portion of Johnson County.[7]
1887October 5The Town of Sundance is incorporated.[1]
June 8The Town of Douglas is incorporated.[1]
January 24U.S. President Grover Cleveland appoints Thomas Moonlight the ninth Governor of Territory of Wyoming.
1886December 20U.S. President Grover Cleveland appoints Elliot S.N. Morgan the eighth Governor of Territory of Wyoming.
November 11U.S. President Grover Cleveland appoints George W. Baxter the seventh Governor of Territory of Wyoming.
March 12The Town of Rawlins is incorporated.[1]
March 4The Territory of Wyoming establishes the University of Wyoming.
1885September 2White immigrant miners riot and kill 28 Chinese immigrant miners and burn 78 homes in the Rock Springs massacre.
February 28U.S. President Chester A. Arthur appoints Francis E. Warren the sixth Governor of Territory of Wyoming.
January 13U.S. President Chester A. Arthur appoints Elliot S.N. Morgan the fifth Governor of Territory of Wyoming.
1884April 4The Town of Buffalo is incorporated.[1]
April 1The Territory of Wyoming creates Fremont County from a portion of Sweetwater County.[7]
1882July 18U.S. President Chester A. Arthur appoints William Hale the fourth Governor of Territory of Wyoming.
1880April 1The 1880 United States Census enumerates the population of the Territory of Wyoming, later determined to be 20,789, an increase of 128.0% since the 1880 United States Census. Wyoming becomes the least populous of the eight U.S. territories.

1870s

YearDateEvent
1879December 13The Territory of Wyoming changes the name of Pease County to Johnson County.[7]
1878April 10U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes appoints John Wesley Hoyt the third Governor of Territory of Wyoming.
1876July 4The Territory of Wyoming celebrates the Centennial of the United States of America while still reeling from the defeat of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer and the 7th Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of the Little Bighorn on June 26.
1875December 8The Territory of Wyoming creates two new counties:
Crook County from portions of Albany County and Laramie County; and
Pease County from portions of Albany County, Carbon County and Sweetwater County.[7]
March 1U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant appoints John Milton Thayer the second Governor of Territory of Wyoming.
1874January 13The Town of Laramie is incorporated.[1]
1872March 1U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant signs An Act to set apart a certain tract of land lying near the headwaters of the Yellowstone River as a public park, creating Yellowstone National Park, the world's first national park.[3]
1870April 1The 1870 United States Census enumerates the population of the Territory of Wyoming, later determined to be 9,118. Wyoming becomes the least populous of the nine U.S. territories.

1860s

YearDateEvent
1869December 16The Union Pacific Railroad arrives in Evanston.
December 10The first session of the Wyoming Territorial Legislature meets in Cheyenne. The legislature passes and Territorial Governor Campbell signs an act to re-incorporate the Town of Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory, and an act granting white women the right to vote, the first U.S. state or territory to grant suffrage to women.
December 1Wyoming Territorial Governor John Allen Campbell creates a fifth original county: Uinta County.[7]
May 24John Wesley Powell launches the Powell Geographic Expedition from Green River.
April 5U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant appoints John Allen Campbell the first Governor of Territory of Wyoming.
1868December 16The provisional legislature of Wyoming creates four original counties:
Albany County,
Carbon County,
Laramie County (previously Laramie County, Dakota Territory), and
Sweetwater County (previously Carter County, Dakota Territory).[7]
October 1The Union Pacific Railroad arrives in Green River.
August 21The Town of Green River, Wyoming Territory is incorporated under the laws of the previous Territory of Dakota. (Re-incorporated under the laws of the State of Wyoming on June 10, 1891.)
August 8The Union Pacific Railroad arrives in Rawlins Springs.
July 25U.S. President Andrew Johnson signs An Act to provide a temporary Government for the Territory of Wyoming[12] which creates the Territory of Wyoming from the portion of the Territory of Dakota west of the 27th meridian west from Washington, and the portions of Territory of Idaho and the Territory of Utah east of the 34th meridian west from Washington. The boundaries of the Territory of Wyoming remain unchanged to the present-day State of Wyoming.
May 4The Union Pacific Railroad arrives in Laramie.
1867December 27The Territory of Dakota creates Carter County, Dakota Territory from a portion of Laramie County, Dakota Territory.[7]
November 13The Union Pacific Railroad arrives in Cheyenne.
September 8The United States Army establishes Fort D.A. Russell three miles (5 km) west of Cheyenne to protect the railroad.
August 8The Town of Cheyenne, Dakota Territory (formerly Crow Creek Crossing) is incorporated.[1] (Re-incorporated under the laws of the Territory of Wyoming on December 10, 1869.)
July 5The Union Pacific Railroad plats the townsite of Crow Creek Crossing, Dakota Territory.
January 9The Territory of Dakota creates Laramie County, Dakota Territory.[7]
1865May 9U.S. President Andrew Johnson proclaims the end of the American Civil War.
1864summer Civil engineer James A. Evans of the Union Pacific Railroad locates a pass in the Black Hills (later the Laramie Mountains) of the Territory of Dakota through which the Transcontinental Railroad could pass.
May 26U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signs An Act to provide a temporary Government for the Territory of Montana. In addition to creating the free Territory of Montana, the act transfers the portion of the Territory of Idaho "included within the following boundaries, to wit: commencing at a point formed by the intersection of the thirty-third degree of longitude west from Washington with the forty-first degree of north latitude; thence along said thirty-third degree of longitude to the crest of the Rocky Mountains; thence northward along the said crest of the Rocky Mountains to its intersection with the forty-fourth degree and thirty minutes of north latitude; thence eastward along said forty-fourth degree thirty minutes north latitude to the thirty-fourth degree of longitude west from Washington; thence northward along said thirty-fourth degree of longitude to its intersection with the forty-fifth degree north latitude; thence eastward along said forty-fifth degree of north latitude to its intersection with the twenty-seventh degree of longitude west from Washington; thence south along said twenty-seventh degree of longitude west from Washington to the forty-first degree north latitude; thence west along said forty-first degree of latitude to the place of beginning," back to the Territory of Dakota.
1863March 3U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signs An Act to provide a Temporary Government for the Territory of Idaho. The free Territory of Idaho encompasses all of the future State of Wyoming except the southwest corner lying south of the 43rd parallel north and west of the 27th meridian west from Washington which remains in the Territory of Utah.
1861June 6Jefferson Territorial Governor Robert Williamson Steele proclaims the Territory of Jefferson officially disbanded.
April 12The American Civil War begins with the Battle of Fort Sumter.
March 4Abraham Lincoln assumes office as the 16th President of the United States.
March 2Outgoing U.S. President James Buchanan signs the An Act to provide a temporary government for the Territory of Dakota, and to create the office of surveyor general therein. The free Territory of Dakota encompasses the northeast portion of the future State of Wyoming lying north of the 43rd parallel north and east of the Continental Divide of the Americas. South of the 43rd parallel north, the Territory of Nebraska is extended westward from the Continental Divide of the Americas to the 27th meridian west from Washington, annexing the eastern portions of the Territory of Utah and the Territory of Washington.
February 8The seven secessionist slave states create the Confederate States of America.
1860November 6Abraham Lincoln is elected President of the United States. Seven slave states will secede from the United States of America before February 8, 1861.

1850s

YearDateEvent
1859October 24Voters of the Pike's Peak goldfields approve the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Territory of Jefferson. The proposed territory includes the portion of the future State of Wyoming south of the 43rd parallel north and east of the 110th meridian west.
February 14U.S. President James Buchanan signs An Act for the Admission of Oregon into the Union. The Territory of Washington now includes the western portion of the future State of Wyoming lying north of the 42nd parallel north and southwest of the Continental Divide of the Americas.
1854May 30U.S. President Franklin Pierce signs An Act to Organize the Territories of Nebraska and Kansas. The Territory of Nebraska includes all of the future State of Wyoming northeast of the Continental Divide of the Americas.
1853March 2U.S. President Millard Fillmore signs An Act to establish the Territorial Government of Washington.
1851April 5The State of Deseret dissolves and yields to the Territory of Utah.
1850September 9The Territory of New Mexico and the Territory of Utah are established as part of the Compromise of 1850. U.S. President Millard Fillmore signs An Act to establish a Territorial Government for Utah. The Territory of Utah includes the southwestern portion of the future State of Wyoming lying south of the 42nd parallel north and west of the Continental Divide of the Americas.
summerJim Bridger leads the Stansbury Expedition across a mountain pass on the Continental Divide of the Americas near the south Great Divide Basin bifurcation point, later known as Bridger Pass. Bridger Pass will become the crossing point for the Overland Trail and the Pony Express.

1840s

YearDateEvent
1849June 26The U.S. Army purchases Fort John from the American Fur Company for $4,000 and renames it Fort Laramie. The fort becomes the headquarters for the Regiment of Mounted Rifles. With Army protection, Fort Laramie becomes a major stop on the Emigrant Trail, the Bozeman Trail, Pony Express route, the Deadwood and Cheyenne Stage route, and the route of the first transcontinental telegraph.
March 12The Mormon settlers of the Great Salt Lake Valley create the Provisional Government of the State of Deseret and elect Brigham Young as the first (and only) Governor. The proposed state includes the entire Great Basin and the entire drainage basin of the Colorado River within the United States. Although the proposed State of Deseret includes the southwestern portion of the future State of Wyoming, it has no actual presence in the region.
1848August 14U.S. President James K. Polk signs An Act to Establish the Territorial Government of Oregon. The Territory of Oregon includes the western portion of the future State of Wyoming lying north of the 42nd parallel north and southwest of the Continental Divide of the Americas. The rest of the future state remains unorganized United States territory.
February 2The United States and United Mexican States sign the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo to end the Mexican–American War. Mexico relinquishes all of its northern territories. All land in the future State of Wyoming becomes unorganized United States territory.
1846May 13The United States declares war on the Mexican Republic.
February 14The State of Texas cedes the territorial claims of the Republic of Texas to the United States. The boundaries of the State of Texas within those territorial claims remain undefined. The United States now claims the Rio Grande as its border with Mexico.
1845December 29The United States admits the Republic of Texas to the Union as the slave State of Texas but declines to define its borders. The Mexican Republic maintains that Texas is still its territory by the Treaty of Limits of 1828 and states that it will fight to regain Texas.
1842spring Jim Bridger and Louis Vasquez establish Fort Bridger along Blacks Fork of the Green River in the Mexican territory of Alta California. Fort Bridger will become an important stop on the Emigrant Trail.
1841autumn The American Fur Company completes a $10,000 adobe replacement for Fort William now named Fort John.
1840autumn Lancaster Lupton establishes Fort Platte 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Fort William at the confluence of the Laramie River and the North Platte River.

1830s

YearDateEvent
1834May 31William Sublette and Robert Campbell establish Fort William at the confluence of the Laramie River and the North Platte River. Fort William is the first American settlement in the future State of Wyoming and will become an important stop on the Emigrant Trail.

1820s

YearDateEvent
1828January 12The United States and the United Mexican States sign the Treaty of Limits affirming the boundaries set by the Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819.
1821August 24Ferdinand VII of Spain signs the Treaty of Córdoba recognizing the independence of the Mexican Empire. The southwestern portion of the future State of Wyoming lying south of the 42nd parallel north and west of the Continental Divide of the Americas becomes part of the Mexican territory of Alta California, although there is no Mexican presence in the region.
August 10The State of Missouri is admitted to the Union. The rest of the Territory of Missouri becomes unorganized United States territory.
March 2U.S. President James Monroe signs An Act to authorize the people of the Missouri territory to form a constitution and state government, and for the admission of such state into the Union on an equal footing with the original states, and to prohibit slavery in certain territories.
February 22The Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819 takes effect. All land in the future State of Wyoming north of the 42nd parallel north or east of the meridian 106°20'35" west becomes part of the Territory of Missouri.

1810s

YearDateEvent
1819February 22The United States and the restored Kingdom of Spain sign the Adams–Onís Treaty. The United States relinquinshes its claim to land west of the 100th meridian west of Greenwich and southwest of the Arkansas River and south of the 42nd parallel north. Spain relinquishes Florida and all claims to land north of the 42nd parallel in North America.
1814 William Clark publishes A Map of Lewis and Clark's Track Across the Western Portion of North America from the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean which includes the route of John Colter's explorations in 1807-1808.
1812October 22Robert Stuart and six companions from the Pacific Fur Company cross South Pass, the lowest point on the Continental Divide of the Americas between the Central Rocky Mountains and the Southern Rocky Mountains. South Pass will become the crossing point for the Oregon Trail, the California Trail, and the Mormon Trail.
June 4U.S. President James Madison signs An Act providing for the government of the territory of Missouri. The Territory of Louisiana is renamed the Territory of Missouri. The Territory of Missouri includes all land in the future State of Wyoming northeast of the Continental Divide of the Americas.
1810August 1Mexican priest Miguel Gregorio Antonio Ignacio Hidalgo-Costilla y Gallaga Mandarte Villaseñor (Hidalgo) proclaims the independence of Mexico from the Napoleonic Kingdom of Spain in the village of Dolores.

1800s

YearDateEvent
1807autumnMountain man John Colter becomes the first person from the United States to enter the future State of Wyoming. Colter's description of geysers, fumaroles, and mudpots along the Shoshone River led to the area being known as Colter's Hell.
1805March 3U.S. President Thomas Jefferson signs An Act further providing for the government of the district of Louisiana. The District of Louisiana is reorganized as the self-governing Territory of Louisiana. The Territory of Louisiana includes all land in the future State of Wyoming northeast of the Continental Divide of the Americas.
1804October 1The District of Louisiana is organized under the jurisdiction of the Territory of Indiana.
March 26U.S. President Thomas Jefferson signs An Act erecting Louisiana into two territories, and providing for the temporary government thereof. The portion of the Louisiana Purchase north of the 33rd parallel north is designated the military District of Louisiana.
1803December 20The French Republic turns its colony of La Louisiane over to the United States. All land in the future State of Wyoming northeast of the Continental Divide of the Americas becomes unorganized United States territory.
April 30The United States and the French Republic sign the Louisiana Purchase Treaty.
1800October 1Under pressure from Napoléon Bonaparte, the Kingdom of Spain transfers the colony of la Luisiana back to the French Republic with the secret Third Treaty of San Ildefonso.

1790s

YearDateEvent

1780s

YearDateEvent
1783September 3The Treaty of Paris is signed in Paris by representatives of King George III of Great Britain and representatives of the United States of America. The treaty affirms the independence of the United States and sets the Mississippi River as its western boundary.

1770s

YearDateEvent
1776July 4Representatives of the thirteen United States of America sign the Declaration of Independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

1760s

YearDateEvent
1762November 13Fearing the loss of its American territories in the Seven Years' War, the Kingdom of France transfers its colony of La Louisiane to the Kingdom of Spain with the secret Treaty of Fontainebleau.

1690s

YearDateEvent

1680s

YearDateEvent
1682April 9René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, claims the Mississippi River and its watershed for the Kingdom of France and names the region La Louisiane in honor of King Louis XIV. The Mississippi Basin is later determined to be the fourth most extensive on Earth and includes lands inhabited by hundreds of thousands of native peoples and lands previously claimed by Spain, France, and England. The Louisiane claim includes all land in the future State of Wyoming northeast of the Continental Divide of the Americas. This will set up a rivalry among native peoples, France, Spain, and eventually the United States in the area.

1590s

YearDateEvent

1540s

YearDateEvent
1541June 28A Spanish military expedition led by Hernando de Soto, Governor of Cuba, become the first Europeans to cross the Mississippi River.

1510s

YearDateEvent
1513September 29Spanish conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa crosses the Isthmus of Panama and arrives on the shore of a sea that he names Mar del Sur (the South Sea, later named the Pacific Ocean). He claims the sea and all adjacent lands for the Queen of Castile. This includes the portion of the future State of Wyoming southwest of the Continental Divide of the Americas.

1490s

YearDateEvent
1493May 5Pope Alexander VI (born Roderic de Borja in Valencia) issues the papal bull Inter caetera which splits the non-Christian world into two halves. The eastern half goes to the King of Portugal for his exploration, conquest, conversion, and exploitation. The western half (including all of North America) goes to the Queen of Castile and the King of Aragon for their exploration, conquest, conversion, and exploitation. The indigenous peoples of the Americas have no idea that any of these people exist.
1492October 12Genoese seaman Cristòffa Cómbo (Christopher Columbus) leading an expedition for Queen Isabella I of Castile lands on the Lucayan island of Guanahani that he renames San Salvador. This begins the Spanish conquest of the Americas.

Before 1492

EraEvent
c.12,000 BCEDuring a centuries long period of warming, ice-age Paleoamericans from Beringia begin using the ice-free corridor east of the Rocky Mountains to migrate throughout the Americas.


 2000s   1900s   1800s   Statehood   Territory   1700s   1600s   1500s   Before 1492 

See also

History of Wyoming

References

References are included in the linked articles.

  1. "Incorporated Cities". Wyoming State Archives. 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  2. "Antiquities Act". National Park Service. November 3, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  3. "Park Anniversaries". National Park Service. October 30, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  4. Town of Parco (1942). "Amended Petition of the Town of Parco for submission of the proposition to change its name from "Town of Parco" to "Town of Sinclair"". Carbon County, Wyoming. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  5. "Establishment and Modification of National Forest Boundaries and National Grasslands" (PDF). United States Forest Service. 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  6. Sixty-eighth United States Congress (June 2, 1924). "An Act To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to issue certificates of citizenship to Indians" (PDF). Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  7. "Wyoming: Individual County Chronologies". Newberry Library. 2004. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  8. Sixty-fourth United States Congress (August 25, 1916). "An Act To establish a National Park Service, and for other purposes" (PDF). Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  9. Fifty-ninth United States Congress (June 8, 1906). "An Act For the preservation of American antiquities" (PDF). Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  10. Fifty-first United States Congress (March 3, 1891). "An act to repeal timber-culture laws, and for other purposes" (PDF). Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  11. Fifty-first United States Congress (July 10, 1890). "An act to provide for the admission of the State of Wyoming into the Union, and for other purposes" (PDF). Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  12. Fortieth United States Congress (July 25, 1868). "An Act to provide a temporary Government for the Territory of Wyoming" (PDF). Retrieved November 16, 2020.

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