What's New -- Wyoming State Historical Society
TREK 2012
Laramie County Chapter Hosts 2012 Trek in Cheyenne
CLICK to access the form. Please print, fillout and mail.
Think you know all there is to know about Cheyenne? Not so quick — at this year’s trek you will be able to participate in a behind the scene tour of the Wyoming State Museum, the Wyoming State Archives and enjoy presentations by professional oral historians and authors. This is an opportunity for you to learn the resources available to you, and go where visitors and tourists rarely get to go. Plus you’ll enjoy special presentations on Wyoming history by staff of the Department of State Parks & Cultural Also on the agenda is a trolley ride through historic Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, a tour of the Terry Bison Ranch, a talk by renowned carriage expert (and WSHS member) Marietta Dinneen about the world-class carriage collection held by the Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum, and much more. The Trek, hosted by the Laramie County Historical Society, is an opportunity for members and guests alike to enjoy a peek into Cheyenne’s history that will be offered to Trek participants only. Registration is $116.00 per person and includes six delicious meals, all the tours, some transportation, speakers and entertainment.
Headquarters for the Trek is the Historic Plains Hotel. You’ll be enjoying elegant accommodations that have previously been experienced by many famous and infamous guests since 1911. The hotel is in the heart of downtown Cheyenne where a short walk will take you to the recently renovated Union Pacific Depot Plaza. The Plains has set aside a special rate just for Trek participants so don’t forget to register early.
The Plains Hotel is located at 1600 Central Avenue, 307-638-3311. They are holding rooms for us through June 1st at $77.00 per room. Please make your reservations before June 1st. Parking is off-site but they have assured us that additional valets will be on duty just for Trekkers.
Other lodging choices include the Holiday Inn at 204 W. Fox Farm Road, 307-638-4466; Microtel Inn & Suites, 1400 W. Lincolnway, 307-634-3200 or the Nagle Warren Mansion B&B, 222 E. 17th, 307-637-3333. If case you want to bring your RV you might try the Terry Bison Ranch, 51 I-25 Service Road, 307-634-4171 or AB Camping, 1503 W. College Drive, 307-634-7035.
The official registration form should be returned to the Laramie County Historical Society, P. O. Box 1043 no later than June 1, 2012.
The city of Cheyenne and the state of Wyoming have worked hard on renovations to the area around the historic Union Pacific Railroad Depot. The plaza is alive with activities each Friday which is where we’ll expect to see Trekkers enjoying a nice evening in the open air or sitting on the back deck and watching trains come and go. The Cheyenne Depot Museum is a must see, but because of our busy schedule and their hours you might not be able to visit it until Sunday morning beginning at 11 a.m.
The Executive Committee of the WSHS will hold their regular quarterly meeting beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, June 15th. Everyone is welcome to attend and enjoy an inside look at some of the business to be discussed. There will be an update on the success of the Society’s latest publication “Elka of the Wind River Indian Reservation” and much more. Registration will continue at the Historic Plains Hotel and at the Wyoming State Museum after the Executive Committee meeting. At 1:00 we will receive an official welcome from WSHS member Milward Simpson, director of the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources which will serve as the kick-off to activities of the weekend. Milward, a fifth generation Wyomingite, was appointed director of the department by Governor Dave Freudenthal in July of 2006 after serving for a short time as the administrator of the Division of Cultural Resources. He served the previous two years as manager of the Wyoming Arts Council. Other presenters include WSHS members Sue Castaneda, Anne Hatch and Andrea Graham. As a recipient of the Society’s Homsher Grant, Sue will take us through her research about the historic Hitching Post Inn which was destroyed by an intense fire in 2010. Her efforts will eventually result in a book. Anne and Andrea will share their program titled “The Art of the Hunt.” There is a lot more to entice you to attend, but first don’t forget to make your hotel reservations now and then return the registration form by June 1.
The Society extends special thanks to the Laramie County Historical Society for hosting the Trek, and for their hard work in coordinating all the varied activities.
Call for Proposals - 2012-2013 Resident Fellowships at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center - $5,000 Stipend
April 11, 2012
The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is now accepting proposals for our 2012 – 2013 Resident Fellowships. Click here to view the Call for Proposals for details and submit your proposal, current curriculum vitae, and two professional references by April 15, 2012 to the following address:
ATTN: Chris Searles
Resident Fellows Program
Buffalo Bill Historical Center
720 Sheridan Avenue
Cody, WY 82414-3428
Annals of Wyoming on the Internet Archive
March 3, 2012
Annals of Wyoming are now avilable on the Internet Archive. The University of Wyoming recently sent the Annals to the Annals to be digitized. The results are now avilable for your review on the Annals of Wyoming page. There are two links. One link takes you directly to the Annals on the Internet Archive. Anotther link takes you to a page that has the Annals listed by Volume/Year. Clink on the volume who wish to view on the Internet Arvhive and you will be taken directly to the volume.
WSHS Preserve Wyoming Conference
The always popular preservation conference will be held in Pinedale, Wyoming the weekend of May 18th. Come early and participate in Pinedale Living History Days which are being held on May 15-17th.
Staff of the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office is working hard on the details, each one guaranteed to bring you additional tools for your community preservation projects. The keynote speaker will be Mitchell Silver who will talk about the “big picture.” Mitchell has held positions in both the public and private sectors, including serving as the Deputy Director in the Office of Planning Washington, D.C. Other topics will include downtown design guidelines, conservation/preservation easements (what they are and how they are helpful), and landscape preservation. The Sommers Ranch, the New Fork River Historical Park and the Boulder Schoolhouse will be highlighted on tours.
Nominations are currently being sought for the 2012 Preserve Wyoming Awards that honor those who have made significant contributions to historic preservation. Any Wyoming citizen, community/organization or project may be a potential nominee. Nominations must be postmarked by February 1, 2012 and sent to Preserve Wyoming Awards, 2301 Central Avenue, Cheyenne, WY 82002. For more details visit http://wyoshpo.state.wy.us/ or call 777-7566.
To assist individuals in attending the conference, the Society, in partnership with SHPO, has established a conference travel stipend. Monies for the stipend are generated from the Silent Auction held every year at previous conferences. Students, WSHS members, local preservationists, and any Wyoming citizen with an interest in historic preservation is encouraged to apply. The stipend is a reimbursement process. Recipients will pay their costs up-front and will be reimbursed on the last day of the conference. The stipend is to be used for hotel and food costs, in addition to conference registration. The application is competitive and an itemized list of anticipated expenses is required. Applications are due no later than April 11th in order to take advantage of the early bird discount. Applications must be sent directly to Linda Fabian, Executive Secretary, WSHS, P. O. Box 247, Wheatland, WY 82201. The committee will make final selections prior to the early bird deadline. The number of recipients per year is contingent on available funds and number of applications. Forms can be found on both the SHPO and WSHS websites: http://wyoshpo.state.wy.us/ or www.wyshs.org. You can also always call Ashley at 777-7566 or Linda at 322-4237.
Travel Stipend Application (Print, Apply & Send to Linda)
Wyoming State Historical Society Constitution and Bylaws
Please see the new Wyoming State Historical Society Constitution and Bylaws as amended and adopted on September 10, 2011.
2011 Award Recipients
The Wyoming State Historical Society honored several residents and organizations at the Society’s 58th annual meeting held recently in Evanston. The Society’s prestigious awards program recognizes individuals and organizations from all across the state whose work honors and preserves Wyoming’s legacy. The nominations were submitted by members of the Wyoming State Historical Society and its various chapters.
Good work and congratulations. View the Award Recipients for 2011
Convergence Conference in Cody Deemed Successful
For information about how to stay involved visit www.convergencewyoming.com
Wyoming’s culture is unique, but are we leveraging this culture to help build prosperous communities? The Convergence Conference brought together Wyoming’s Creative, Cultural and Historical Resources to take a look at Wyoming’s cultural heritage for the visitor, increase cooperative planning across communities and unite under common goals. To see how you can stay involved visit www.convergencewyoming.com.
Wyoming History Day: A Wyoming Signatures Feature
National History Day started almost 40 years ago to raise the value placed on studying history. By 1980, it had become a national competition. Now more than half a million middle and high school students participate annually. Wyoming Signatures' Mary Jung explores the presentations and talent at this year's Wyoming History Day, held at the American Heritage Center on the campus of University of Wyoming.
