This Land of Ours

Midway between the Mississippi River and the Pacific Ocean on high plateau land for burst by some of the most majestic of the Rocky Mountains lies Wyoming. Wyoming's 35 million acres contain few large centers of population. In many sections of the state, it is possible to travel for many miles without seeing a dwelling. The territory comprising Wyoming was among the last to be absorbed by the westward tide of national expansion. Old Fort Caspar, a military outpost on the Oregon Trail, less than 50 years ago was the scene of violent Indian fighting. Wyoming's largest city is Cheyenne. Once a small western cattle town, today a thriving commercial center, Cheyenne is also the state capital. Wise and progressive legislation is traditional in Wyoming, which is known as the equality state, having been the first state to grant women the right to vote. The second largest of Wyoming cities is Casper. Casper is the center of the state's great oil industry. Oil being one of Wyoming's greatest natural resources. Another of Wyoming's great natural resources is coal. A familiar sight is strip mining, so-called because the coal is stripped from open seam. Giant shovels scoop the coal directly from the surface of the mine into trucks, which then transfer it to distribution points. Wyoming is a spacious state, and almost 1/7 of her land is in forest. Her timber is particularly suited for use as railroad ties, mine props, and building lumber. And the logging, cutting, and treating of the wood is an important Wyoming industry. Modern farming methods have contributed greatly to the development of Wyoming's agriculture. Of the state's major crops, two of the most important are potatoes and sugar beets, the latter supplying a number of important sugar refineries, such as this one at Worland. Wyoming's climate favors the raising of turkeys. The next time your Thanksgiving dinner rolls around, there'll be a good chance that one of these magnificent gobblers supplied the drumstick, or, if you prefer, the white meat. And speaking of raising things, an interesting business in Wyoming is the raising of fur-bearing animals. These are foxes. Cute little fellows, eh? Ever since the coming of the railroad made eastern markets readily accessible to western growers, Wyoming has been recognized as one of the nation's greatest livestock producers. Wyoming ranks second only to Texas in the production of wool and mutton. The state's climate being particularly conducive to a heavy growth of fine, long wool. Hi there. Looking for someone? That's right, Blackie. The gang went that away. Wyoming raised horses are highly regarded for their muscle, energy, tenacity, and endurance. For the most part, Wyoming horses are raised for use on the state's vast ranges. From the beginning, cattle have been a part of the state's history, playing an important role in determining the course of that history. The cattle drives, the roping, and the branding are very much as they always were. But generations of scientific selective breeding have produced some of the most efficient beef producers developed anywhere in the world. Closely allied with the raising of livestock is one of Wyoming's most publicized industries, dude ranching. As a matter of fact, here was founded the first dude ranch, where real Western ranch life is available for those who would leave the hum and grind of the big city to follow the winding trails and breathe the rich air of Wyoming's great open spaces. At the dude ranch, life usually centers around the corral. The guest may merely admire the horses, or on the other hand, try his luck at something just a little more strenuous. Ride 'em, cowboy. >> And say, what vacation would be complete without a pack trip into Wyoming's incomparable back country? For those who love the great out-of-doors, the Big Horn Mountain country is a scenic wonderland. And rare indeed is the vacationer who can forget the overwhelming immensity of the region or the delicious odor of flapjacks or a fresh mountain trout cooked to a turn. Another of Wyoming's great recreation areas is the Jackson Hole country, and the view it affords of the stately Grand Tetons makes it a place of awe-inspiring grandeur. One of the most interesting of Wyoming's many unique natural formations is Devil's Tower, the Earth's most majestic obelisk. This gigantic monolith of volcanic rock, proclaimed by President Theodore Roosevelt as our first national monument, rises 1,280 ft above the level of the Belle Fourche River. But unquestionably, the most famous of Wyoming's attractions is Yellowstone. Practically the entire park area is volcanic. Heated rocks underlying the region warm the waters of its springs, causing spectacular intermittent eruptions. For sheer magnitude of display, no geyser can match Old Faithful, which at hourly intervals shoots a column of water and steam 15 stories high. So there you have Wyoming, among the last great areas to yield to the westward tide of expansion, where once the Indian and the buffalo roamed, today from her capital and largest city, Cheyenne, is administered a territory claiming some of the nation's great oil fields, enormous reserves of coal, and vast expanses of timber, resources that help measure the power and wealth of our nation. Here is a territory of vast plains and almost limitless grassland, where the ranch is the basic economic unit, whether its business be the raising of cattle or extending a hand of hospitality to the guest at the dude ranch. To Wyoming is wedded the wonders of her many lakes and rivers, the woodland inspiration of the Big Horn and Jackson Hole country, the first of our national monument, Devil's Tower, and Yellowstone, the incomparable. Here is climate, brilliant sunshine, the peace and quiet dignity of great open spaces, and a people whose hospitality is traditional. Modern and progressive, a state proud to call itself the land of the last frontier, this then is Wyoming, the equality state, truly one of the most colorful states in this land of ours.