Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
grounds and, more importantly, nearly wiped out the bison altogether. There were great
battles that always ended tragically, most often for the Native Americans, and a series of
treaties that reduced the size of their lands until there was virtually none left. Today Wyom-
ing is home to two recognized tribes—the Shoshone and Arapaho—once enemies and now
neighbors sharing the Wind River Reservation.
By the 1880s, cattle ranching had taken hold, and sheep ranchers moved in just over
a decade later. Both Jackson and Cody were settled much later, closer to the turn of the
20th century, because of the harsh snowy winters in Jackson and the desertlike conditions
around Cody. What irrigation did for Cody by increasing the population, the creation of
Grand Teton National Park did for Jackson in 1929 by attracting tourists and jumpstarting
dude ranching in the area.
Wyoming's biggest boom, however, came in the form of energy—oil, gas, and coal, the
production of which dominates the state's economy, estimated at $38.4 billion in 2012. Oil
was discovered outside Cody in 1904. The largest coal deposits in the country are being
mined in the Powder River Basin, and much of the western portion of the state produces
natural gas. After energy, the state's second-largest source of income is tourism, bringing
in roughly $2 billion annually, and among Jackson, Cody, and the national parks, the north-
western corner of the state attracts visitors in great numbers.
Wyoming's motto—Equal Rights—attests to the fact that Wyoming was the first territ-
ory to grant voting rights to women, in 1869, more than 20 years before its statehood was
established. It was also the first state to elect a woman as governor, Nellie Tayloe Ross, who
served 1923-1925.
A darker time in Wyoming's history includes the creation of the Heart Mountain Relo-
cation Camp, located between Powell and Cody, where more than 10,000 Japanese Amer-
icans were held during World War II. Amid tremendous fear and racism across the country,
politicians opposed the camp but citizens welcomed it, seeing it as a relief to 15 years of
economic recession. With 2,000 laborers needed to build the camp and then 11,000 inmates
who could work in the area, the Cody and Powell economies rebounded virtually overnight.
Detainees arrived in August 1942, and the last ones left when the camp closed in November
1945. White homesteaders and farmers moved into the area immediately, taking advantage
of the impressive irrigation system the inmates had built.
Jackson Hole and Cody are obvious destinations, with easy (but pricey) air access; each
could easily occupy visitors for 2-3 full days, and both are excellent launching pads for day
