Riverton, Wyoming Centennial 1906-2006

Principal funding for this program is made possible by the Riverton museum Association sharing living history through our local history museum that tells the story of the 20th century homesteaders who brought river to life in 1906. Located at seven East End Park Avenue in Riverton and by the city of Riverton providing municipal and government services since 19 6 and is committed to providing that spectrum of service to the next century of citizens. At the band of Wyoming's Wind River. A hearty group of settlers gambled on a better life. The year was 19 0 6 and this is the story of those men and women and the generations that follow. At the start of the 20th century America promised an exciting era of new inventions and new possibilities.

The country's potential reached all quarters from laboratories to farmlands. In central Wyoming. Politicians recognize the potential for homesteads. With a little water. They could make the hills bloom. There was only one problem. The lands lay on the Wind River Reservation. Land held by the Eastern Shore and Northern Arapaho tribes for decades. These tribes had endured poverty and hunger. By the turn of the century when their land was suggested as potential homesteads. The tribes were willing to sell. In 1904 they struck a deal with the federal government. Land north of the Wind River would be open to homesteaders with all sales proceeds paid to the tribes. 19 0 6 President Teddy Roosevelt names Devil's Tower

the first national monument and earthquake decimate San Francisco and hundreds arrive for the homestead land lottery in Wyoming that year. Railroad lines were built to connect Casper to Lander where the drawing for homestead land was scheduled. Construction problems brought a change in plans. Travelers followed the rails to the end of the line. Not to lander but to the newly created tent city of Shoni. Land speculators and settlers poured in from all directions. My mother came over Birdseye pass an estate goat. In this facility. Prior to the opening at the outside. Stay driver it was a drug. That turned out I guess the 16 year old boy. And the horses kind of got away from him so he's kind of had a wild ride there. They made it OK.

The wild ride was just beginning. Homestead lands were awarded through a lottery to be held in two Shoni the lots in the new town on the bend of the Wind River were another matter. They had decided that on the 15th of August everyone could come to town and take possession of their town a lot just by occupying it. There were hundreds and hundreds of people who gathered along the river bottom and camped down there waiting for the 15th of August which was supposed to be the opening date during the dark of night. A handful of folks knock on the lots when the sun rose that morning staked claims greeted the crowd. Chaos erupted. And the land rush was on. Some people got here early and they had to bring the troops in from Fort Washington within a matter of days word came. From Washington. That the town side was open and that it could be settled under squatters rights and so people came rushing back here from wherever they

were. There was a big rush coming into town. The surveyors were getting a lot hotter now. As soon as the people came so the people were following the surveyor said them jumping on those locks. They said that they stake some lots and some lady ran amok with a shotgun. You take turns you know patrolling to keep someone else from coming in into a dumpster sites and things like that. The man gambled and they said Uncle Eddie had won some good luck and they set their filly last time you know playing cards. But. That didn't mean anything to him. A bunch of adventure some people came that were. Exaggerated optimists and were so sure everything was going to work out all right. Written in those earliest days was it was a town of white canvas.

Quite a few people lived in tents throughout the first winner of 19 0 6 19 0 7 settlers told wild stories of life in the newly named River town. Daisy Watt told her son of being caught in the middle of a gunfight to saloon keepers. They they got into the gun battle. And she was probably over a woman. There was a problem with that then too. And. She and her mother were in the tent but behind the store there. And had to lie down and on the ground there because some of the bullets had gone through the tent evidently and. It turned out that. My grandfather was actually doing a thriving business about that and did come in and get more ammunition and go out again. My other grandmother came to Riverton with her father and grandmother in 1970.

And she went to school in a tamped to begin with. She told about. The school teacher she had in the eighth grade had just become engaged and she was very young and she was to get really upset because the boys smoked in school. But she did go and borrow the cigarette papers from the boys to clean her engagement ring. In anticipation of the opening of the reservation for settlement and the establishment of of farming homesteads the state had entered into a contract with a company called the Wyoming Central or geisha company disagreements between the Wyoming central Irrigation Company and the settlers arose. The canal system wasn't built as expected and far too many settlers didn't receive water and Ed and Al all went probably down in Riverton Valley out in Melbourne Valley and St. homesteads

and the central arrogation was supposed to get water to them and when that failed they all pulled out and left. After its rocky start things began to look better with the arrival of the Wyoming tie and timber company in 1914. They harvested timber near Dubois and floated down the Wind River to Riverton. The railroad ties were then sold to The Chicago and Northwestern railroad. The Wyoming tie and timber company brother shot me I'm for the community that was needed very badly and help the community survive at a time when there were people who really weren't sure the routine would continue to exist. The town's development led to a newfound sense of hope and plans for the future. My grandfather was and helped with the construction of the Caribbean and also didn't get me. And this is in

16. He also helped the plot at the cemetery and he hopped up on the airport plot and he didn't take money for what he did for the cemetery plots he took plots for instead of the money. They had quite a social life here in Riverton. My grandmother had a calling card send them to get a lot of the women Cal and they took turns having parties in the afternoon and went to her favorite places to go with them as a feller's and she had a moment on the top story of her. House. And they had dances there. With a more fully developed canal system and improved farming prospects. A new wave of settlers and workers arrived who unders a man by the name of Wales.

Got my dad to come up in the fall of 1970. And the brain of a pin. They moved up everything come on a train car in a grove. But they come in a Model-T by the end of the decade. The town's prospects appeared as tall as the two newest buildings the Masonic Temple and the Teton hotel hopes and expectations for Riverton future were sky high. By the 1920s Riverdance population topped 2000 farming ranching oil and timber. They all contributed a host of jobs. My dad graduated from high school 1990 and that was from the old Jefferson School. Dad went to work with Chicago a Northwestern railroad and treated the ties with creosote and zinc and whatever that is. He had a watch and he blew the whistle at noon.

Everybody in the old days knew what time it was because that whistle was blown on exact time during the twenty years life in Riverton and on the surrounding farms was far different from life today. The thing I had one would have liked to have had more anything in the world was running water. And we hauled our water from the river in barrels down for the Country Club is now the choppiness live there and we had this old team and my stepfather would hitch up the team and we'd drive out in the middle of the river scoop up the water at the barrels and bring it home. 1:3 started school we had to. The cold water all of them had to be done before we had this. We only got a bath once a week. That was Saturday night. Then you get clothes for school. I get to take a bath first then my brother and whoever came third and then they washed the clothes.

Not every family faced the same challenges. Some of the area's families had come not only from other states but other countries. We didn't talk until we started school. And then they did. But then my dad got that. He didn't talk enough. Hard times hit agriculture in Wyoming in the late 1920s and Riverton was hit particularly hard. Several banks closed their doors and the final failure hit in the early 1930s Riverton was without a bank. Well that was when the bank and State Bank closed. There was no money kept in the house at all it was in the bank. Well it took all of the money that was in the checking account and they had to go to the hired help when the news come that the bank was

closed that they could not pay him at that time that they would have to wait until harvesting time. One of the first instances of the independence of Riverton. Was that when all the banks were closed why then they Lions Clubs took upon itself was sort of acting as a Chamber of Commerce to become a clearinghouse for money. And they printed. A ten cent twenty five set dollar $10 $20 bills. And they all agreed that they were would be accepted as legal tender. And that script was universally accepted in written as businesses and it became the money of the time. The Great Depression arrived early in Wyoming and it stayed for over a decade. In Riverton and in the area farms. Scott barley raised their families and searched for ways to put food on the table.

We used to go fishing and we do this. My mama grew great gardens because you had to because just to get by. But I thought we went fishing for fun but it was for food you know we eat the fish. The mom would do the baking of the bread periods and cakes and all that from scratch. And times were hard but we all lived through it and the shoes would buy that were a dollar ninety five and the soul didn't last long not for me. I went through fast. And my grandmother made a lot of my clothes and she didn't buy material to do it. She would take dresses along with me to my mother or someone else in the family cut him down and bit me with them and you know I just made do with a lot of things. Resourceful. Resilient.

Enterprising. Riverton residents farmers and business people figured out a way to continue in coming to town on Saturday was one of their favorite pastimes and best memories. The people would all congregate at the corner there at the right store. And that's where we would visit on Saturday night. Where the park is now that was into town and up on where the high school is that was the exit and of Riverton too. So we didn't have much in the stores weren't like they are you know now we had dime store and we had to prove halls and we had a theater you. Know. We also had pop Logan's popcorn station on the corner of Broadway. He grew his own popcorn. It was a black popcorn and very good I thought.

At the time we could go to the show for a minute. So that's what we did we want to go for. Help but there was a choice sometimes. Mrs. safer had a candy store a book shop and candies plenty credit although sometimes it really felt better to buy a nickel for plenty of people who thought that that would last longer. To tell you the truth my sister and I we maybe get to town once a year. We might have a nickel or we might buy a ribbon or you know nobody had any money of course would have to. Buy our groceries at right away. And he was the one that would charge it for the year. The Hayes family store served all the residents of the area including American Indians. Hayes even made a point to hire an American Indian on his

staff to better help the customers. Few businesses in the area followed their lead. Science made it clear who was not allowed in the local businesses. They had signs everywhere we could walk in a cafe like you do now or just open a door and go in. They had their signs up. No Indians or dogs allowed from the stores to the school yard. Residents lived with the prejudice of the era. It took a special kind of spirit to handle the challenge. Oh said of the class there was just two men didn't sit near me and some girl and she said Well I would like to tell you she said. My ancestors came over on the Mayflower. Well mouthy I said both mine was here to greet him. The 40s of course Robertson went to war. Few of the farm boys were given agricultural deferments and didn't go but most

of it was such a passion to. Joining the fight to save the country that everybody had. Packed off to war and a lot of the citizens left work in defense plants. My mother had a chance to go to school as. A mechanic for airplanes but after she got down there they changed and wanted her to go under like Thomas which she did and she went to Philadelphia and worked in the field call factory they were making cables for the ships. And I had five uncles that were in like World War Two. So yeah we want to give them all the support we could give them. And why not call was killed. There was nobody to hire but it a lot of our Earth where I live through what you had to do.

They dismissed school several times so kids could go out and dig potatoes because the farm men were gone. Dave rationed sugar they rationed shoes even in a ration gas. I've got some of those books ration books. I know your books that everybody had them with the end of the war veterans flooded back to the cities and towns including Riverton. It was a typical. Wyoming town in those days I think. We had I believe five grocery stores downtown. And also. The telephone office and the gas office and. Light office were all downtown at the main street was paved. In and three blocks downtown. But one street either north or south. Paid just for one. And three streets. That was extended.

Human grade school we had to write a story about what we thought return would eventually be like. And I was excited and I thought well we'll have a stoplight we'll have a radio station in the late 1940s. The Bureau of Reclamation expanded the region's irrigation system and new homestead lands were opened preference was offered to veterans. And I went to work for the effect of one letter we got was from a retired Army nurse and she. Said she wasn't able to come out here but it would be very nice if we would pick out for her. She would like one with a brook running through it and with some trees around it. During that period of time the Missouri Valley area was developed to its fullest extent. The Hidden Valley area came into. Into use by those new homesteaders.

Yeah we came from everywhere. Yeah every state in the union. Just about as most of us had never arrogated before and it was something that we had to learn. We really did. And to get that sage brush off we had to. Get loose from the ground. And then we used to rake and rake it up most all day long and then we would burn the sage brush and you'd see them little fires all over. Everyone leaves wherever homesteader was because it was out where did sage grass. Change arrived abruptly in Riverton the nuclear race was on between the United States and Russia and nuclear bombs required your rainy I'm in the early 1950s a group of people in Riverton began actively prospecting that my nieces went out to the gas sales

and uranium. And that started a whole 30 years out of the golden years of record. Right now just Sunday out. Looking around and they were able to make this strike. And they had had or an arrangement with Mr Moore failed. LOL More felt that they would be partners. A large number of people who are interested in mining geologists and miners and you know stock speculators and all kinds of people flooded in the area oil things were crowded. Really crowded. No places to rant. Nothing available. My belly was in first grade and I know the teachers were just swarmed with kids down there and they were coming and going. My husband was friends with Neil McNeice him LOL more so and they both

just got on him right away to go out and stake some claim. Is just crazy if you don't do this. But he didn't do it. He just didn't quite believe it was going to happen. They put the all buying station and record and that tended to make records and headquarters for the extensive You ready to go at night which went all through the 50s 60s 70s and 80s Libertines modern era had arrived. It had grown from a quiet farming community of twenty five hundred into a bustling commercial center of more than 10000. But folks in the bustling city were not content to just ride the uranium boom. We know that most good things come to an end. And we did a number of things there which paid off over the long haul one of which was

the founding of central I'm in Cali Riverton had been fighting with Lander over a community college since 1950. A county wide vote finally decided the location Riverton Finally we were able to win out on it. And as it developed somewhere along I had composed a subcommittee to name a college and I was chairman of that. Subcommittee and I. The highway maps and drew of vertical lines to divide the state in half and a horizontal line divided the borders and where those two lines intersected was in Fremont County. And I thought central Wyoming college makes sense. Yes central Wyoming college then continued to play a vital role in serving as a place for public debate and a

place for cultural enrichment. It it really served in many ways as a community center. A place where people meet and learn but also play and interact with one another. The other thing which we learned was the time to diversify your economy is when the economy's good. In the 1960s. When one of the main companies that were formed that time or for the rubicund with them when their development company and with that this finally we built where perfect is now there and there's about a 4 at 40000 square foot building. It was the beginning of a new series of investments for the communities future the new businesses and economic diversity helps soften the blow when the uranium bonanza came to a close by the turn of the new century

Riverton had developed into a commercial center. Drawing people from a wide area to shop and enjoy the community's amenities. The vision of the original settlers to make the sage covered hills bloom. Had truly come to pass. I don't know whether young people would do that I don't know what I would do it again or not. I tell you once or once is enough of a lifetime to homestead that way you know. The town has been good as a kid. We've got great schools good schools. Gotta call it for me to take up the opportunity to go whatever they want your player put their mind. And we believe we can make good things happen here and never done and we proved it over our first century and we've got young people throwing our shoes here to. Keep the. Fire the ballet going in the second century Riverton. Well I think that. We've done pretty darn good for the last hundred years. You know.

It. I. Principal funding for this program is made possible by the Riverton museum Association

sharing living history through our local history museum that tells the story of the 20th century homesteaders who brought river to life in 1906. Located at 7th East End Park Avenue in river 10 and by the city of Riverton providing municipal and government services since 1996 and is committed to providing that spectrum of service to the next century of citizens.