Wyoming Trivia (Renamed) (Casper: tree, counties, road)

[CptnRn]

One last try...

Deadman Mountain

Origin of Name:
During the early days of trapping, two men built a cabin near this landmark and trapped during the winter, collecting pelts. In the spring, one of the men, Broadbent, set out on the last trip to bring in the catch, intending to be gone three days. Having forgotten some equipment, he returned to the cabin, to find his partner gone with the pelts. Taking a short cut to the one trail into Star Valley, Broadbent met his partner in the pass now known as Deadman's. According to his story, he put his hat on a stick and raised it over some rocks; two bullets hit the hat. Broadbent fired at the escaping partner and killed him.

One thing I know for sure, there are a heck of a lot of places named for Deadman in Wyoming.



I came across this while searching, funny quote...

There has to be a story behind this name.

http://www.pinedaleonline.com/news/2...admanCreek.htm


Here is an odd one: Deadman Lake, Fremont County

Named after a ill man with rheumatism on his way to the hot springs in Thermopolis, who drowned in the lake.

[jody_wy]

escaping partner had also taken , Broadbent horse acorring to anoter acount...
your turn..

[wyoquilter]

Hey way to go CptRn. you got it.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by jody_wy

escaping partner had also taken , Broadbent horse acorring to anoter acount...
your turn..

Much to my surprise! That was a tough one Jody.

Next Question:

Most people know of Mummy Cave near Cody, Wyoming, primarily because of the Mummy found there during the archeological excavations that took place from 1962-1966. But the knowledge gained from the excavations were far more significant than the Mummy itself. I will explain that if someone can answer this question.

What do Crater Lake in Oregon and the Mummy cave near Cody Wyoming have in common?

[CptnRn]

Here is a clue. What was the name of the mountain that once existed where Crater Lake is today?

[wyoquilter]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

Here is a clue. What was the name of the mountain that once existed where Crater Lake is today?

The mountain was Mount Mazama

Is the one thing they have in common be the tephra ash? or the Mazama ash?

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by wyoquilter

The mountain was Mount Mazama

Is the one thing they have in common be the tephra ash? or the Mazama ash?

Excellent, you got it! Your turn! I was beginning to worry that this was too obscure. The following is a little long but I think it is very interesting and hope some of you also find it enjoyable to read.

Mount Mazama, a volcano that erupted and spewed Mazama Ash over 500,000 square miles around it, including parts of Wyoming. [2]

Crater Lake is roughly 800 miles West of Mummy Cave, yet a distinctive layer of Mazama Ash [1] was found by archeologists at cultural layer 14 (out of 38) in Mummy Cave, and played an important role in helping them date the cultural layers and establish a time line for the history of the cave. [3]

I promised I would explain why the knowledge gained from the excavations at Mummy Cave were more significant then the Mummy itself. "The cave is notable for the depth of its cultural deposits, extending over 28' in depth, and in particular for the continuity of those deposits. The deposits have been classified into 38 occupation levels that represent at least seasonal use of the site on an annual basis, extending from the Paleoindian period to the late Prehistoric period." "The excavation of Mummy Cave yielded a nearly continuous succession of artifacts over 9000 years, disposed in a manner that permitted dating in both relative terms through stratigraphy, as well as through radiocarbon dating to establish an absolute scale. This continuum has proved to be invaluable in relating and dating other excavations in the Rocky Mountain region. In particular, the stone points found at Mummy Cave have been used to set the standard for point typology in the region. The point typology has been extrapolated to define cultural and commercial relationships between peoples throughout the American West." [3]

The data collected here tells us that Mummy Cave was occupied almost continuously by varying native american groups over a period of 10,000 years. The Mummy itself was a fairly recent addition to the history of the cave, it was found in cultural level 36, out of the 38 layers excavated, and is dated around 1230 years old. I find this 10,000 year [3 C] history truly impressive, especially when you compare it to the paltry 500 year history of European's in the Americas.

To illustrate this graphically:

-- European History in the Americas 500 years
---------- Age of Mummy found in Mummy Cave 1230 years
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ History of Mummy Cave 10,000 years [3 C]


References:

[1] Photo of Mazama Ash layer in Washington http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/6102830.jpg

[2] Mount Mazama Crater Lake was formed by the volcanic explosion of Mt. Mazama in 5677 BC, 7,686 years ago (+/- 150 years). The eruption, estimated to have been 42 times more powerful than Mount St. Helens' 1980 blast. Winds carried tephra (ash and pumice) from Mazama northeast, where it covered over 500,000 sq mi including nearly all of Oregon, Washington, northern California, Idaho, western Montana, and parts of Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan.
Geologists know the exact chemical composition of this tephra (which they call Mazama ash) and both geologists and archeologists use the distinctive layer it formed in the specific techniques of relative dating called tephrochronology.
[3] "The Archeology of Mummy Cave, Wyoming: An Introduction to Shoshonean Prehistory" http://www.nps.gov/mwac/publications/pdf/spec4.pdf This document is an interesting but technical read about the excavation. It is well worth reading if you are interested in archeology. But, I feel i have to warn anyone considering downloading it that it is 247 pages long so may take a minute or two to download depending on your modem speed. You can read just the introduction here The Archeology of Mummy Cave, Wyoming:
[3 C] Comment: In some places the history of the cave is refered to as 9,000 years old, in others it is described as 10,000 years old. I have not yet reconciled this difference. It could be that the 9,000 age refers only to the projectile point chronology. The introduction to this document, by Wilfred M. Husted, states: "Although there were small gaps here and there, the Mummy Cave projectile point sequence integrated with previously obtained data indicated a cultural continuum in the central Rocky Mountains from about 10,000 years ago to historic times."" and "The upshot of this effort is the Western Macrotradition Hypothesis (Husted 1968, 1969, 1995; Mallory 1968), which is the basis of my interpretation of the Mummy Cave and Bighorn Canyon data. The core of this hypothesis is that the middle and northern Rocky Mountains are the homeland of the Aztec- Tanoan-speaking peoples of the western United States and that the Eastern Shoshone and their ancestors have been in Wyoming for 10,000 years."
[4] Recommended for further reading: "The Discovery of Mummy Cave" in 1950: The Discovery of Mummy Cave (http://www.bbhc.org/hmrl/mummycave.cfm - broken link)

[wyoquilter]

Okay, most of us love our television programs. In 1953 Casper, WY was the first in the state to get a cable system.

Even though Casper was not the first town in the nation to get a cable system it was the first town in the nation though to do WHAT with it's cable system?

[jody_wy]

By the mid 1950s, however, a number of these western towns had CATV systems served by microwave relays. The relays made it possible to retransmit broadcast signals over many hundreds of miles. The first such system, launched in 1953, brought a Denver signal to Casper, Wyoming. Within the next decade, microwave relays--many of which had been connected to form networks--covered a large portion of the West.

[wyoquilter]

Originally Posted by jody_wy

By the mid 1950s, however, a number of these western towns had CATV systems served by microwave relays. The relays made it possible to retransmit broadcast signals over many hundreds of miles. The first such system, launched in 1953, brought a Denver signal to Casper, Wyoming. Within the next decade, microwave relays--many of which had been connected to form networks--covered a large portion of the West.

You are correct. Casper's cable system was the first in the nation to relay a broadcast signal using microwave technology.

It's your Turn.