Wyoming’s nickname gives homage to its legacy of supporting women’s rights (they were the first state to give women the right to vote) and its culture and heritage of independent and self-sufficient people. Wyoming offers spectacular scenery, opportunities for outdoor recreation and a strong tourism industry that employs a good number of the state’s residents.
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Although the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1806 did not enter the territory, one of its members, John Colter, did in 1807. After he arrived, there was a constant stream of trappers, explorers and traders. During the 1840s the lure of the fur trade brought pioneer wagon trains along with settlers and their families. Although the wagon trains brought in many people, the real development arrived on the Union Pacific Railroad. It was brought in the southern portion of the state in 1868 to meet the Central Pacific line.
Cattle drives began in the 1860s and prospered enormously until the winter of 1886 when market prices fell, fortunes were lost and the harsh weather killed more than one sixth of the herds. These events coincided with an influx of farmers in the northern portion of the state, which helped the state’s economy immensely.
Cattlemen and sheepherders then began warring. Arson, murder and livestock slaughter were commonplace. Yet among all of this wild west activity, Wyoming had time to become a state. Despite a tiny population, it was admitted into the Union in 1890.
With all of the rangeland conflicts ended by 1910, the state’s attention turned to exploiting the abundance of oil, coal and other natural reserves. The Teapot Dome scandal of 1922 sent Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall to jail for secretly leasing an oil field without taking competitive bids. Wyoming still relies heavily on the oil industry, becoming more heavily relied upon since the oil scares of the 1970s.
All of the chief economic industries have a common element -- the land. Petroleum, minerals, tourism and agriculture by far lead all other industries in terms of total revenues. The state is second in coal production and the world leader in soda ash mining. Farming produces beans, sugar beets, alfalfa, hay, wheat oats, barley and potatoes. More than a million head of sheep place the state second in wool production.
The statewide sales tax is 4 percent with local options for an additional increment up to 2 percent. Localities may also impose lodgings taxes of up to 4 percent.
The vast expanse of land, coupled with the cold, clear lakes give Wyoming a vast array of recreational opportunities. Fishing for many varieties of trout, bass, perch and whitefish is almost unsurpassed anywhere in the country. Boating, water skiing and windsurfing round out the warm weather activities. The national parks provide the opportunity for camping, hunting and snow skiing. Skiing hotspots include Casper, Jackson Hole and Laramie.
