Wyoming Trivia (Renamed) (Cheyenne, Laramie, Jackson: independent, used, change)

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by Rabbidave

Wyoming was renamed to Wisconsin?

No, Wyoming, as we know it now, was thinking about splitting off one portion along with portions of two other states and making those three parts into a new state. What was the name of that state, what states were involved and when?

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

At one time, Wyoming wanted to break into two parts. One part was going to join parts of two other states. What was this new state going to be called? What year? What were the other two states?

They went so far as to make new license plates and everything.

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

Hint: It wasn't until the 1930's. The name selected for the new state name has been discussed, numerous times in the Wyoming Forum.

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

2nd Hint: Wyomings 24th County is the name.

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

No, Wyoming, as we know it now, was thinking about splitting off one portion along with portions of two other states and making those three parts into a new state. What was the name of that state, what states were involved and when?

There are only 23 counties in Wyoming. List of counties in Wyoming - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There was an petition in 2011 to create a 24th county. Pinedale Roundup Officials question legality of Wyoming 24 ‘campaign’

Sublette Examiner Petitioners seek to carve 24th County

The Territory of Wyoming was created in 1868 taking land from Utah, Dakota and Idaho Territories. Wyoming became a state in 1890. I have not been able to find any indication that Wyoming wanted to split in two in the 1930's. But times were hard then during the depression, so they may have been such proposals floating around.

I wrote the above and went looking more. Found this:

In 1939, a brief state secessionist movement proposed the State of Absaroka to be drawn in portions of Montana, with adjacent areas of Wyoming, Nebraska and parts of North and South Dakota. The craze was reflected in state automobile license plates bearing the name; the only "Miss Absaroka" contest, held in that year; and a minor league baseball team called the Absaroka (Rapid City) Eagles.

The State of Absaroka: More detail here: Absaroka (state) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Here is a New York Times article about the State that never was. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/us/24wpa.html?hp&_r=0

That was an interesting find ElkHunter. I'm surprised I never heard of it before. I still don't understand why you wrote "2nd Hint: Wyomings 24th County is the name", when there is no 24th County.

[Wm Jas]

Elkhunter was referring to “Longmire”, both the books & TV show. Walt Longmire is the sheriff of “Absaroka” County and the vehicle license plates have a “24” where the typical Wyoming license plate County number would be, i.e. Wyoming’s “24th” County.

As an aside Craig Johnson spoke to a small group of us last week at the monthly meeting of the Sheridan County Historical Society. He explained that early on in the first draft of the first book he had based the town on Buffalo and had mentioned something about turning onto to such-n-such street to get to a particular destination. A friend noted that it should have been the street after that. Craig said that in that moment he instantly made the decision that he would use a fictional town in a fictional county as he didn’t want to put up with such nonsense forever. The idea was to make a town small enough so that Walt would not have to deal with a local police department but large enough to have the amenities that you see on the TV show.

He also wanted to have the reservations close by. It was the TV producers who created the map whereby Sheridan County squeezed out Johnson County to the South and has Absaroka County bordering Montana with the fictional town close to the border to make it close to the reservations. Craig said that he had never really thought it out that far but it works.

Historically Elkhunter has the rest of the story about the plan to create Absaroka correct too. Note that there are 2 common spellings of the word and they are often used interchangeably –Absaroka/Absaraka.

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

There are only 23 counties in Wyoming. List of counties in Wyoming - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There was an petition in 2011 to create a 24th county. Pinedale Roundup Officials question legality of Wyoming 24 ‘campaign’

Sublette Examiner Petitioners seek to carve 24th County

The Territory of Wyoming was created in 1868 taking land from Utah, Dakota and Idaho Territories. Wyoming became a state in 1890. I have not been able to find any indication that Wyoming wanted to split in two in the 1930's. But times were hard then during the depression, so they may have been such proposals floating around.

I wrote the above and went looking more. Found this:

The State of Absaroka: More detail here: Absaroka (state) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Here is a New York Times article about the State that never was. Going Down the Road - A State That Never Was in Wyoming - Series - NYTimes.com

That was an interesting find ElkHunter. I'm surprised I never heard of it before. I still don't understand why you wrote "2nd Hint: Wyomings 24th County is the name", when there is no 24th County.

Ok, even though you have an obvious reading and watching tv disability, I'll give it to you. hahahaha I had a heck of a time coming up with hints as it seemed that any hint would give it away too quickly and Wm Jas was kind enough to dm me and remind me about Longmire, so I won't give you too much of a bad time.

Good job, you are up.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

Ok, even though you have an obvious reading and watching tv disability, I'll give it to you. hahahaha I had a heck of a time coming up with hints as it seemed that any hint would give it away too quickly and Wm Jas was kind enough to dm me and remind me about Longmire, so I won't give you too much of a bad time.

Good job, you are up.

Ahh yes, I was not thinking of fictional counties. Good one! Walt Longmire is sheriff of Absaroka County. They probably got the name from that tale of previous effort to create the 24th County.

I thought this quote below was interesting, that any effort to create a new county in Wyoming is probably doomed to failure because all of the other counties would loose funding.

Reached for comment, Wyoming Sen. Stan Cooper, who represents parts of Lincoln, Uinta, Sublette and Sweetwater counties, said he had attempted something similar to this for north and south Lincoln County some years ago.

“The statutes look pretty plain and forthright, but then you read the fine print ... it will tell you that forming a county is a legislative function… . If another county is created it will mean splitting the funding into 24 instead of 23 counties. Every existing county in the state will be breathing down their legislator’s neck to vote against it.”

OK along these lines, a new question...

Since 2000 there have been four efforts in Wyoming to create new counties. I described one of them in my previous post. When and where did the other three efforts take place?

[CptnRn]

It is my impression that there is very low interest in this thread these days, so I'm going to just let this question simmer, maybe someone will answer it eventually. Or if anyone has a different question they want to ask, have at it.

[jody_wy]

The talk of spitting Lincoln a few year ago is that the State is not going to make a poor county. There are 2 School districts in the county , # 1 is Kemmerer and #2 is Cokeville and Star Valley. The map of #2 has thin space of land running down from the north part of the County it by passes the Mine at Kemmerer but then widens out and Takes in the power Plant into the #2 area...

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by jody_wy

The talk of spitting Lincoln a few year ago is that the State is not going to make a poor county. There are 2 School districts in the county , # 1 is Kemmerer and #2 is Cokeville and Star Valley. The map of #2 has thin space of land running down from the north part of the County it by passes the Mine at Kemmerer but then widens out and Takes in the power Plant into the #2 area...

That was one of them, the other two are more recent.

In 2004, state senator Stan Cooper introduced a bill to form Fossil County from the southern half of Lincoln County, Wyoming, which failed.

I read that the reason no one is likely to succeed in creating a new County in Wyoming is that the funding for them comes from the state and any funding for a new county would take money away from the existing counties, so every existing county is of course going to oppose the creation of a new one.

[Froggie Legs]

Trivia revival...


Name the founder, and the gas station chain, which got it's start in Wyoming, and has now spread to over 10 western states. Where did it start and in what year?

Founder:
Name of Chain:
Town/City/Village in Wyoming it started:
Year started:

[jody_wy]

Ruel Call, Carabiou 4 corners later changed to Maverick, Started in Afton , there still an office there, 1928