There are so many stunning treasures hiding in Wyoming - and the Castle Rock Petroglyph Site is one of them. This underrated, little known historic site is a stunning tribute to the Native Americans who roamed this land hundreds of years before European Settlers made their way out west. Rally up your inner adventurer and discover something fascinating in your home state.
The Trail to Castle Gardens is fairly flat and open, but this is some of the most beautiful, remote landscape in Wyoming.
Castle Gardens is maintained by the Bureau of Land Management, so the lands are public. To get to Castle Gardens, you'll have to take a remote road from Riverton, in Fremont County. Be sure to gas up before setting off on your journey, as you won't find any services along the way. The BLM recommends taking a high clearance, 4x4 vehicle. Click here for directions from Riverton.
If you've spent any time here in the Cowboy State when winter rolls around, chances are high that you've experienced one or two blizzards in Wyoming. It's also likely that you've lived through a few doozies, but no winter storm in Wyoming's recent memory was quite as bad as the deadly storm of 1949. Many of us weren't alive to remember that horrible winter, but we've all heard stories from our parents and grandparents who were there to witness it. This historic snowstorm in eastern Wyoming was terrifying, deadly, and all-around one for the record books.
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On the evening of January 2, 1949, a massive blizzard hit Wyoming, Nebraska and the Dakotas with little warning.
This early January storm wasn't predicted to be as bad as it turned out to be, and many people were caught off guard. Unfortunately, the initial storm was just one of many that would pummel the state over the next few months.
The January 2nd storm storm lasted three days and killed nine people in Wyoming. It was a record-setting storm in terms of cold temperatures and snowfall amounts, and the brutal winds made for incredible snow drifts.
The last three casualties discovered after the first storm were Mr. and Mrs. Archuleta and their five-year-old daughter, who were found about 3.5 miles from their home in Hillsdale, frozen to death in their car. Most of the others who died froze to death as well; one man had a heart attack.
Entire towns were snowed in, and all transportation was cut off. 3,300 miles of roads were covered in snow; many people who weren't able to reach their homes in time were trapped in their cars.
Because the roads were impassable, towns began to run out of groceries. Ranches were cut off from travel. The U.S. Army sent bulldozers to clear the roads, but as soon as they cleared them, another storm rolled in and covered the roads with fresh snow.
Thousands of cattle froze or starved to death. The U.S. Air Force dropped bales of hay to starving cattle; in some cases at drop-off points, and trucks dispersed the hay to nearby fields.
For the 45 days following the initial blizzard, new storms just kept coming. The temperature never climbed above zero during that time, and snowdrifts reached 20 to 30 feet tall. Winds raged at 30 to 80 mph. Entire homes were buried to their roofs; towns completely shut down for weeks.
The storms finally eased off in March, but it would be July until many of the largest snowbanks completely melted. In all, nearly 80 people died across Wyoming, Nebraska and the Dakotas.
For the 45 days following the initial blizzard, new storms just kept coming. The temperature never climbed above zero during that time, and snowdrifts reached 20 to 30 feet tall. Winds raged at 30 to 80 mph. Entire homes were buried to their roofs; towns completely shut down for weeks.
The storms finally eased off in March, but it would be July until many of the largest snowbanks completely melted. In all, nearly 80 people died across Wyoming, Nebraska and the Dakotas.
Farmers were hit particularly hard by the livestock casualties, and it would be a few years before the ranchers were able to resume normal operations.
What stories do you have to share about the blizzard of 1949? Wyoming PBS even did a special about this historic blizzard in Wyoming: "Storm of the Century: The Blizzard of '49."
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While our state is known for its winter wind chill in particular, snowstorms in Wyoming are pretty common. Luckily, most times when a blizzard in Wyoming shuts the state down, people are able to remain safe at home. When we have enough warning, it's easier to appreciate how the snow just makes everything look magical.
Wyoming has quite a wild past, and there are always fascinating stories of outlaws, rangers, and early frontiersmen to be told. By far, though, the strangest story in Wyoming history involves Wyoming's first governor, outlaws, doctors, and an angry lynch mob. Read on as we share with you the tale of Big Nose George Parrott, one of the strangest stories you might ever hear!
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The story began in 1878, when Big Nose George Parrott and his gang murdered two officers in Rattlesnake Canyon, near Elk Mountain.
Parrott was a well-known outlaw, but the murder of two officers put a bounty on his head. After a robbery in Montana, he was identified and located by western authorities.
Parrott was eventually captured in Montana and brought down to Rawlins to stand trial.
In Rawlins, he tried to escape the jail and was caught trying to strangle the jailer. When the town found out, they stormed the courthouse, took Parrott from his cell, and hanged him in a public lynching.
The area's most respected doctor, John Eugene Osborne, was in the audience. After seeing Parrott hang to his death, he took possession of the body.
It didn't really matter much to the people of Wyoming, though, who later elected Dr. Osborne to be Wyoming's first ever democratic Governor. Osborne wore the skin-shoes to his inauguration.
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Lillian Heath was Dr. Osborne's medical assistant at the time, and he gifted her the top of Parrott's dismantled skull.
The museum has a display complete with the skull and shoes and tells some strange tales from other parts of Dr. Osborne's life prior to becoming governor.
Check out the display about Big Nose George at the Carbon County Museum. You can visit the Carbon County Museum website for hours and information, as well as the Carbon County Museum Facebook page.
Have you ever seen this display? If so, what was your favorite part? Would you agree that this story is among the weird things that happened in Wyoming? We'd love to read about your experience in the comments section below!
How crazy is the story of Big Nose George Parrott, John Eugene Osborne, and Lillian Heath? It's truly just one of the craziest stories in Wyoming history, read here for a few more:
