This month we feature wintertime fun near Casper and an unusual historical location.

Flagpoles in our outback

On a remote sagebrush flat in the Red Desert in northern Sweetwater County, Wyo., four flagpoles and a stone monument mark the intersection of what once were the Louisiana Purchase, the Oregon Country and Mexico. Nothing much ever happened there—but the site remains a linchpin of the American West. Read more in Dick Blust’s article, “The Tri-Territory Site: Outpost of Invisible Empires."

Skiers on our mountain

Skiing for fun began on Casper Mountain in the 1920s. People cut a few scattered slopes, added rope tows, started a ski patrol and held races. Hogadon Basin Ski Area was founded in the late 1950s. Today, Hogadon, 26 miles of Nordic trails and a world-class biathlon course lure skiers from everywhere. Read more in Rebecca A. Hunt’s article, “Casper Mountain Ski History: A Century on the Slopes."

Calendar Events

Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyo.
“Valley Ranch and the Yellowstone Backcountry”
Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Cody Holiday Inn
Brian Beauvais recounts the annual pack trips from Larry Larom’s Valley Ranch dude ranch, including historic photographs. For more information, click here.
 
Goshen County Homesteaders Museum, Torrington, Wyo.
Teachers, take a field trip to the museum. Students will learn about our community, our history and more. For more information, click here. Then scroll down.
 
Fort Caspar Museum, Casper, Wyo.
Winter Lunch and Learn, “Ghost Signs”
Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
For more information, click here, or call the museum at 307-235-8462.
 
Washakie Museum and Cultural Center, Worland, Wyo.
“Petroglyphs at Fort Raymond: Early Trade in the Big Horn Basin”
Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Mike Bies describes his work on the Fort Raymond, Mont. petroglyph site, which provides a fascinating look at early interaction between Natives and Non-natives from the Native perspective. For more information, click here.
 
“Howdy! From Big, Wonderful Wyoming,” exhibit on display Jan. 13 through March 15, 2023.
The exhibit examines the postcard as an advertiser of Wyoming’s natural and cultural landscape and looks at how it has been used to promote Wyoming as a vacation dreamland and a wonderland of the American West. Click here or call (307) 347-4102 for more information.
 
Wyoming State Archives
Wyoming State Parks presents “Wyoming Territorial Prison”
Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Renee Slider, curatorial resources specialist, will present on the Wyoming Territorial Prison. For more information, click here.
 
Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum
“Bucking for Victory, Casper Army Air Base, 1942-1968”
Saturday Jan. 21, 2023, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., opening reception
For more information, call 307-472-1857.
 
To read the Winter 2023 issue of the Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum’s quarterly newsletter, click here.
 
Natrona County Historical Society
India Hayford will present "Sarah Place"
Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, Crawford Room, Natrona County Public Library
For more information, call or email Becky Steensland, 307-259-3350, bsteen@bresnan.net.
 
Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum, Jackson, Wyo.
Special exhibit: William Henry Jackson, Pioneer Photographer, on view through March 2023 in our Community Co-op Corner.
 
The exhibit “Wyoming Women” from the University of Wyoming’s American Heritage Center highlights 30 framed historical photos of Wyoming women in leadership roles in the outdoors and their communities.
 
For other information on these two exhibits, click here. Then scroll down.
 
National Museum of Military Vehicles, Dubois, Wyo.
For the current tour schedule, click here.