Pete Williams
What’s In A Wyoming Name? – Buffalo
It’s tempting to think that the Johnson County seat is named for the mighty bison, but it wasn’t.
What’s In A Wyoming Name? – Ivinson Avenue
Born of English parents in the Virgin Islands, Edward Ivinson decided to seek opportunity in the West and arrived in Laramie at the age of 38 to sell dry goods in a log building.
What’s In A Wyoming Name? – Fremont County
They called him The Pathfinder. John C. Fremont headed west in 1842 on a mission to map the Oregon Trail, and he made the first thorough exploration of South Pass, guided by mountain man Kit Carson.
What’s In A Wyoming Name? – Converse County
In 1867, a 25 year old from Massachusetts, Amasa Converse, arrived in Cheyenne and set up shop selling hardware and home furnishings.
What’s In A Wyoming Name? – Fort Bridger
They called him the Daniel Boone of the Rockies. A native of Richmond, Virginia, Jim Bridger became one of the West’s leading mountain men.
What’s In A Wyoming Name? – Worland
The locals called him “Dad,” and in 1900, C.H. Worland – originally from Missouri -- opened the first post office and stage station on a spot along the Bridger Trail.
What’s In A Wyoming Name? – Jackson
Born into a prominent Virginia family, David Jackson came to the Rockies when he was 33 and was soon teamed up with two other mountain men in the booming fur trade.
What’s In A Wyoming Name? – David Street
Many Wyoming places are named for the wealthy and powerful. Edward David worked for one of them – Joseph Carey, one of the state’s first US senators and governors.
What’s In A Wyoming Name? – Farson
Wyoming’s early history is dominated by people who believed the young state could grow and prosper.
What’s In A Wyoming Name? – Casper
In 1865, a 20-year-old cavalryman, Caspar Collins, had just been promoted to second lieutenant at Fort Laramie.
What’s In A Wyoming Name? – Laramie
In 1815, a young French Canadian named Jacques La Ramee came to what’s now southeastern Wyoming.
What’s In A Wyoming Name? – Dubois
Except for working as a cowboy on one cattle drive, Fred Dubois never spent much time in Wyoming.