Lander Area Chamber of Commerce 2014 Travel and Relocation Guide | Page 12
History
of The Lander Valley
A 1906 postcard shows a 20 muel team supply wagon on Main Steet at
the intersection of 2nd Street; Image Courtesy of Jackie Meeker
By Traci Foutz, Curator
At one time, Lander was
a typical old-west frontier
town, with dirt streets,
board walks, hitching
posts and false front
buildings. Freight trains,
stage coaches and personal
buggies were a common
sight at the turn of the
twentieth century. Cavalry
soldiers on horseback were
often seen in formation
for parades or just making
rounds to keep watch over
the citizens of the Lander
Valley. The installation
of the cavalry units in
the area were part of the
treaty made with Chief
Washakie, as protection
from the hostile Indian
tribes who were the
natural enemies of the
Shoshone Tribe.
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Lander history is filled
with accounts of hangings,
shootouts in the barber
shop, the capture of Butch
Cassidy and of gold,
buried, yet undiscovered.
Cowboys were available
for hire on the ranches
and were commonly seen
in and around town. The
cowboys of the area would
often compete amongst
themselves to see who was
better at breaking horses
or roping; this eventually
led to the annual event
known as the Pioneer
Days Rodeo, one of the
oldest paid rodeos in the
West.
a thriving city, Lander was
also named the county seat
of Fremont County. The
city boasted two opera
houses which provided
local entertainment as well
as traveling performers.
A large flour mill, built
in 1888, served the entire
valley along with the
military fort, producing
flour from the wheat that
was grown locally. With
the introduction of the
Lander Mill, electricity
Lander didn’t remain an
old-west town for very
long; with the progressive
thinking people living
in the valley, innovative
businesses soon started
appearing. As well as being
www.landerchamber.com
was soon provided to
the residents of Lander,
initially only at night when
the mill was not in use,
and on Tuesday and Friday
mornings for ironing days.
Banks, a post office, court
house, a Carnegie Library
and multiple stores all
provided the necessary
services that this growing
community needed.
The local livery stables
were equipped with