Wyoming Trivia (Renamed) (Rock Springs, Green River, Torrington: wages, builders, roach)

[jdavid93225]

In the 1890s S. M. Covey was caught in a blizzard while tending a herd of sheep on the Wyoming prairie. His wish during this blizzard was that there could be a place for him to find shelter in that area. Unfortunately, at that time, there was no such place. Fortunately, though, he survived and later built such a place in the 1930s.

What is the name of the place he built?
Where did he get the inspiration for that name?

Bonus question: What is the name of the mascot he chose for this place?

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by jdavid93225

In the 1890s S. M. Covey was caught in a blizzard while tending a herd of sheep on the Wyoming prairie. His wish during this blizzard was that there could be a place for him to find shelter in that area. Unfortunately, at that time, there was no such place. Fortunately, though, he survived and later built such a place in the 1930s.

What is the name of the place he built?
Where did he get the inspiration for that name?

Bonus question: What is the name of the mascot he chose for this place?

The Little America Travel Center on Interstate 80, 14 miles west of Green River, is named for Adm. Richard E. Byrd’s “Little America” base camp in Antarctica from 1928 to 1930. The travel center was founded in 1932 by S.M. Covey, whose experience while caught in a blizzard inspired him to create a shelter for travelers. The center’s symbol is Emperor penguin.

[jody_wy]

My Granddads brother was a partner witg Covey , Bagley, Dayton Sheep Company.
My Mother worked in her Uncles grocery store in SLC, and put Mrs Covey's grocery orders together. Said it was kind of funny running in to Mrs Covey in Cokeville, After her and Dad got married and was out to Uncle Gene's place across the road from the Sheep company headquarters

[jdavid93225]

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

The Little America Travel Center on Interstate 80, 14 miles west of Green River, is named for Adm. Richard E. Byrd’s “Little America” base camp in Antarctica from 1928 to 1930. The travel center was founded in 1932 by S.M. Covey, whose experience while caught in a blizzard inspired him to create a shelter for travelers. The center’s symbol is Emperor penguin.

EH, you got it!

[ElkHunter]

Ok, we're going to get tough now.


The plains cottonwood was named the state’s official tree in 1947. What inspired this?

[Ann the Artist]

The Plains Cottonwood was chosen as the State Tree for Wyoming, inspired by the presence of an extremely large specimen near Thermopolis. At approximately 50 feet tall, it was thought to be the largest cottonwood in the world. Unfortunately it burned down in 1955.

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by Ann From Texas

The Plains Cottonwood was chosen as the State Tree for Wyoming, inspired by the presence of an extremely large specimen near Thermopolis. At approximately 50 feet tall, it was thought to be the largest cottonwood in the world. Unfortunately it burned down in 1955.

Great job, it's your turn.

The plains cottonwood was named the state’s official tree in 1947, inspired by a giant specimen found on the Paul Klein ranch near Thermopolis (pop. 3,172). The tree measured at least 50 feet tall, and 29 feet around its trunk. In the state’s centennial year of 1990, a new giant cottonwood was found—this time on the Flying X Ranch in Albany County. It was 64 feet tall and 31 feet around, and was believed to be about 100 years old.

[Ann the Artist]

I'm still catching up on all the previous trivia before I found this site, so crossing my fingers this one hasn't been done yet. I teach an adult art class on Tuesday mornings, but as soon as I get back home I'll check in!

What and where is "The Stonehenge of the West?"

[CptnRn]

I have not verified it, but I believe this must be a reference to the Medicine Wheel in the Big Horn Mountains, above Lovell, Wyoming. I visited it many times as a child. There are numerous "medicine wheels" in Canada, the one in Wyoming is the furthest south of them all.
It is large enough to see it in Google Maps satellite view here http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...09323&t=h&z=17

Medicine wheel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Royal Alberta Museum (2005) hold that the term 'medicine wheel' was first applied to the Big Horn medicine wheel in Wyoming, the most southern archeological wheel still extant.[1] The term "medicine" was not applied because of any healing that was associated with the medicine wheel, but denotes that the sacred site and rock formations were of central importance and attributed with religious, hallowed, and spiritual significance.[1] The revisionist and culturally congruent English nomenclature 'sacred hoop'.[2]
A 2007 Indian Country Today article on Indigenous American hoop dancing defines the hoop this way:
The hoop is symbolic of "the never-ending cycle of life." It has no beginning and no end. Tribal healers and holy men have regarded the hoop as sacred and have always used it in their ceremonies. Its significance enhanced the embodiment of healing ceremonies.[3]

[Ann the Artist]

That's it CptnRn! You're on deck for the next one!