WLM | history
1890-1909
1892 Franklin W. Mondell, Newcastle’s first mayor, is shot by an
angry hotel owner, giving Mondell a lifelong souvenir of a bullet
lodged close to his spine. Mondell, in an effort to clean up the
rowdy town, had given the city marshal a list of 20 men that had 24
hours to leave Newcastle. Many of the men had unpaid bills with
the hotel, and the owner was not happy about his prospective loss.
Mondell represented Wyoming in the U.S. Congress 1895-97, and
1899-1923. He was the chairman of the 1924 Republican National
Convention. (WyoHistory.org & Wikipedia)
1893 Lander’s first rodeo, claimed to the be the first rodeo that
paid cowboys for their efforts, is held – and continues to this day
(americanprofile.com & Fremont County Radio)
1897-98 Elmer Lovejoy builds Wyoming’s first car in his Laramie
bicycle shop over the winter (Phil Roberts)
1900 Chief Washakie dies on February 20 (Wikipedia)
1902 J.C. Penney opens his first store in Kemmerer (Wikipedia)
1909 Cheyenne holds its first annual automobile race, perhaps prompted by the New York – Paris race coming
through the city the year before. The race, held the same week as an Indianapolis event, was never repeated, while
Indianapolis did repeat theirs and, well, the rest is history… (Phil Roberts)
1910-1939
1912 Governor Joseph M. Carey is one of six U.S. governors that support former President Theodore Roosevelt
in breaking from the Republican Party and forming the Bull Moose Party to run in the 1912 election. Roosevelt’s
move fractured the Republican Party, leaving an opportunity for Democratic candidate Woodrow Wilson to win the
election. (WyoHistory.org)
1913 In a debate over the future of the U.S. Senate seat from Wyoming, with candidates F.E. Warren (Republican
Senator since 1895) and John B. Kendrick (Democrat) of Sheridan up for appointment (which was the practice of the
time), a literal fist fight ensued in the Wyoming House. Speaker of the House Martin Luther Pratt’s (Park County)
chair was literally seized by Democrat Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. William J. Wood (Crook County), when Pratt went
to the floor for discussion. Pratt regained his chair by pushing Wood over, the chair laying on top of him. A series of
shouts and blows were traded, and the incident is memorialized by a torn photo of Democratic Party representatives
still hanging in the Capitol. Pratt sent a message downstairs to Governor Carey that the chamber was “beyond
control” – Carey refused to intervene. (WyoHistory.org)
1917 Wyoming soldiers in WWI used the phrase “Powder River, Let ‘er Buck!” which was already a popular phrase.
The phrase was first used in 1893 according to former Lander mayor Edward J. Farlow; the phrase was uttered by
“Missouri Bill,” whose toast to his fellow cowboys was “Here’s to Powder River - Let ‘er buck” after recently crossing
the river, which was little more than watery patches. (Phil Roberts)
1919 July 1, Wyoming goes dry and is the last Rocky Mountain state to adopt Prohibition. June 30, people from
Colorado and Nebraska flock to Cheyenne for “a final party” – one bar makes $15,000 in sales that night alone.
(WyomingNews.com)
1921 WWI flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker crash lands at Fort Russell near Cheyenne and survives (F.E. Warren
historical experts)
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Wyoming Lifestyle Magazine | Summer 2015