A series of stories prepared for the Albany County Museum Coalition, an alliance of institutions that promote Laramie’s historic and cultural resources. This series originally appeared in the Laramie Boomerang.
This is not about Leslie Gore (the singer) nor Leslie Uggams (the actress) and not Leslie Neilson (the actor) but Leslie, Wyoming.
The Happy Jack Road (WY 210) at exit 323 on I-80 is a popular back road to Cheyenne. How did it get that name?
The year 2016 marked the 50th anniversary of the Laramie Plains Museum. Hard work by dedicated and generous community members has preserved significant items of local historical significance showcased in the Ivinson mansion. Acquiring a permanent home has been a long journey
NOTE SINCE THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE BOOMERANG, THE CITY HAS RETURNED THE STREET TO ITS PROPER NAME - WHY? READ ON!
None of Laramie’s earliest residents actually owned the land they built their homes and businesses upon inside the city limits. So, who did?
If you’ve lived in Laramie long, you know why we’re here: 150 years ago, the Union Pacific (UP) passed through the Laramie Valley during construction of the nation’s first transcontinental railroad.
But that’s only part of the story. The full explanation begins much earlier, back when a fortuitous combination of mountain-building and erosion created an easy route over the Laramie Mountains—the Gangplank.
Anyone reading the Laramie Sentinel newspaper in Wyoming Territory on April 10, 1880 would see a two-column headline that screamed “Gold! Gold!! Gold!!” The ad implied a rich deposit of gold had been found in the vicinity of the Big Laramie River. This was big news as gold fever was rampant all over the west.
Twice in the 1800’s events at Hutton Lake would send shockwaves through the Laramie community
Originally Albany County was a long, narrow rectangle. Now it looks like a Backwards “L” with a chunk missing out of the top. How could this have happened?
Laramie native Paul Rechard got his first pair of skis for Christmas in 1939. Andy Blackstone got his about 10 years later. In those days there was no such thing as ski rentals. You owned or borrowed wooden skis and used them even if they didn’t match, they both recall.
