Wednesday in Wyoming - May 29, 2024

 

Remember the bison statue in last week's post? This is the opposite side of it, depicting a very different aspect of life in Wyoming.

Which do you prefer?

Wednesday in Wyoming - May 22, 2024

Did you know that the bison is Wyoming's state mammal? It appears on our flag and, as you can see, is also featured in the Historic Trails Museum in Casper. 

I particularly liked this side of the statue, because it depicts the Native Americans who depended on the bison for food, shelter, and clothing, not wasting any portion of the animal.

Wednesday in Wyoming - May 15, 2024

 

And here we have our young, wiry, willing to risk death Pony Express rider on his horse, ready to spend up to twenty hours a day to ensure that the mail was delivered on time.

Notice the pouches on both ends of the saddle. These held mail and other goods and were padlocked. They were, at least according to legend, considered more valuable than either the rider or the horse.

Wednesday in Wyoming - May 8, 2024

 

Last week we saw what the Pony Express required of its riders, but the young men were only part of the equation. Equally important were the horses. They had to be fast, reliable, and able to carry not only the rider (who could weigh no more than 125 pounds) and forty pounds of mail and other materials in the specially designed saddles.

Wednesday in Wyoming _ May 1, 2024

 

There were so many interesting exhibits at the Historic Trails Museum in Casper that I decided to feature it again this month.

Although it was only in operation for 18 months, the Pony Express earned a spot in American  history, often being romanticized. 

The advertisement for riders makes the job sound anything but romantic. In case you can't read the fine print, here's what it says:

Wanted young, skinny, wiry fellows not over eighteen. Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred. 

That doesn't sound like a good deal to me, but the $25 weekly pay was a definite lure ... if you lived to collect it.