The History of the Korell Center for Wyoming Heritage

In the high-desert landscape of Riverton, Wyoming—a place defined by the confluence of the Big and Little Wind Rivers—stands a monument to the rugged resilience of the American West. Formerly known as the Wind River Heritage Center, the facility entered a transformative new chapter on February 16, 2026, when it was rebranded as the Korell Center for Wyoming Heritage. This acquisition by the Wyoming Historical Society (WHS) marked the society’s first physical flagship in its 73-year history, ensuring that the "wild and human histories" of the Cowboy State have a permanent stage.

The history of this center is not merely a record of a building or a collection; it is the life’s work of a single man whose presence still lingers in every hand-stitched pelt and every waxen gaze: Jacob "Trapper Jake" Korell.

The Legend of Trapper Jake

To understand the Korell Center, one must first understand the man whose name it now bears. Jacob Korell (1914–2013) was often described as the "last of the breed," a living link to the mountain men who first explored the Wind River Basin. Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, to German-Russian immigrants, Jake moved to the Lingle-Torrington area of Wyoming at the age of two.

Jake’s father had trapped wolves in Russia, and that ancestral drive was in Jake's blood. He began his trapping career at the age of seven when a local rancher offered him ten cents a tail to rid his land of moles. By the age of nine, he discovered that skunk pelts were worth significantly more, nearly three dollars apiece.

The Skunk Smell Anecdote

The young Korell was so dedicated to his trade that it famously interrupted his formal education. In the third grade, Jake was sent home by his teachers because the pungent odor of skunk had permeated his skin and clothes to a degree that could not be scrubbed away. Combined with the necessity of helping his family in the sugar beet fields and breaking horses, Jake’s traditional schooling ended by the sixth grade. However, he continued to learn through practical experience, becoming a self-taught master of wildlife behavior and taxidermy.

The Toughness of a Mountain Man

Jake’s toughness was legendary in Riverton. Even as he approached a century of life, he maintained the strength of a man half his age. In one famous incident, when Jake was 95 years old, two men attempted to mug him in a grocery store parking lot. True to his frontier roots, Jake didn't call for help; he punched one of the attackers, knocking him unconscious, and then proceeded into the store to finish his shopping as planned.

The Art and Ethics of the Trap

Trapping was more than a job for Jake; it was an art form and a philosophy of conservation. He was inducted into the National Trappers Association Hall of Fame in 1993, a testament to his skill and integrity.

Jake was known for his "ethical trapping" methods. He would "get into the animal's head," studying the terrain to predict exactly where a coyote would step so he could snag only the front foot, minimizing pain. He was deeply respectful of the animals he pursued, often releasing female bobcats and kittens to ensure the population remained healthy.

His skill in fur handling was unparalleled. Unlike many trappers who used knives to skin animals, Jake often pulled the fur off by hand, a physically demanding task, to ensure the pelts were free of knife punctures. He hand-stitched any natural holes in the hides, ensuring he received top dollar from companies like Sears Roebuck and Clay Exports. For 92 consecutive years, Jake ran his traplines, only stopping on March 6, 2013, when he passed away at the age of 99, just one month shy of his 100th birthday.

Building a Legacy: The Wind River Heritage Center

In his later years, Jake’s greatest joy was founding the Wind River Heritage Center in Riverton alongside his close friend Lew Diehl. Jake didn't just provide the financial foundation; he provided the soul of the museum.

The Taxidermy Collection

The centerpiece of the museum is its wildlife collection, featuring over 60 full-body mounts of animals native to the Wind River area. These were not commercial purchases; they were the work of Jake, his son Gerald Korell, and his son-in-law Scott Maller. One of the most prominent displays is "Brutus," a 14-year-old grizzly bear from the East Fork of the Wind River. After the bear was euthanized as a "problem bear" by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the hide was donated to the center and mounted by the Korell family to serve as an educational tool.

The Orphaned Wax Figures

One of the most interesting stories in the center’s history involves its wax figure dioramas. These 27 historic scenes provide a "walk through time," depicting everything from Native American life to Thomas Edison’s visit to Wyoming during a solar eclipse.

The collection was originally displayed in Jackson Hole and then moved to Thermopolis. When Thermopolis was searching for a new home for the collection, the future of the figurines was in jeopardy. Jake and his family stepped in to "adopt" the collection, wanting to keep it intact and in Wyoming. Today, these lifelike figures stand alongside the wildlife mounts, bridging the gap between natural and human history.

The 2026 Milestone and the Future

After Jake’s death in 2013, the future of the Wind River Heritage Center faced years of uncertainty. Volunteers worked tirelessly to maintain the collection, but it lacked a permanent institutional home.

That changed on February 16, 2026, when the Wind River Heritage Center board and the Korell family gifted the facility to the Wyoming Historical Society (WHS). This monumental gift transformed the museum into the Korell Center for Wyoming Heritage.

America250 and the Phased Renovation

The timing of this gift coincides with America250, the nation’s semiquincentennial celebration. Under the leadership of WHS Executive Director Alexandra Philp and Museum Director Jack Schmidt, the center is currently undergoing a phased renovation to modernize its displays and enhance visitor flow. The goal is to turn the center into a state-of-the-art cultural hub that serves as Wyoming’s "premier stage" for showcasing the frontier spirit.

The center's location near the original 1838 Mountain Man Rendezvous site, the only rendezvous site in the country that remains on its original ground, further cements its role as a sacred space for Wyoming history.

A Legacy in Every Stitch

Today, the Korell Center stands as a testament to the belief that history is not just about dates and documents; it is about the "Wild and Human Histories" that meet in places like the Wind River Basin. It is a place where a child can see a 250-piece antique trap collection and hear the story of the boy who was sent home from school because he smelled like a skunk—and who grew up to be one of the greatest historians of the Wyoming wild.

Bibliography

• American Heritage Center (AHC). "Art of the Hunt: Jake Korell's Story." University of Wyoming, September 26, 2022.
• Collings, Kit. The Last of the Breed: The Story of Trapper Jake. 2013.
• Cowboy State Daily. "One-Of-A-Kind Wyoming Wax Figure Collection On Track To Be Sold, Saved Instead." June 8, 2025.
• Davis Funeral Home. "Jacob 'Trapper Jake' Korell Obituary and Guestbook." Riverton, WY, March 2013.
• Philp, Alexandra. "Wyoming Historical Society Announces Historic Gift: The Korell Center for Wyoming Heritage." WHS Press Release, February 16, 2026.
• Speas, Beki. "Preserving Wyoming’s Voice for America250." Wyoming Historical Society Mission Statement, 2026.
• Trapper Magazine. "In Passing: Jacob 'Trapper Jake' Korell." June 12, 2013.
• Travel Wyoming. "Wind River Heritage Center Listing." Wyoming Office of Tourism, 2026.
• Wind River Heritage Center. "Jake Korell: Retires After 92 Years of Trapping." Wordpress Publication, May 2017.
• WyoFile. "The Life of a Trapping Legend." March 19, 2013.