Speaker 1: 0:19

Good morning and welcome to let's Talk Wyoming. I'm Mark Hamilton, your host, and today we'll be taking a look at our Wyoming weather. We'll take a look at some happenings around the state of Wyoming and some Wyoming sports. Then we'll take a look at camping along the Lincoln Highway in the early 1900s. Hope you enjoy the podcast. Thanks for joining us taking a look at Wyoming weather here on the 18th day of February. Been on a little bit of a sabbatical from the podcast.

Speaker 1: 1:08

Getting back in the swing of things. We've had kind of a strange winter here in northern Wyoming, in Hot Springs County, pretty much. January has been pretty moderate. In February now we've had a few times that we've hit minus, minus 10, 15, 20 below, but not for an extended period. But right now we're just getting out another one of those little stretches where we got down to about 10 below overnight. But it looks like the next 10 days, starting about Saturday, they're talking about some pretty moderate temperatures. So, boy, that's going to be nice.

Speaker 1: 1:46

The part that worries me we really haven't got much snow here. Usually Hot Springs County, we get a lot of snow where we're situated up against the Wind River Canyon in this area here Around us the town of Cody, up in Park County, cody and Powell and up into Montana up to Billings. That area and parts of Montana have got a lot of snow but it's bypassed us. Right now Boysen Reservoir is really low and we're hoping that we keep getting our snowfall because we're going to need to put some water back into that thing If we don't get much more snowfall. That snowpack doesn't play out like we're hoping. It could be a very long dry summer. On the positive side, a lot of these areas that were dealt with some colder temperatures, but it hasn't been a really extreme time for our livestock producers. A lot of people right now are in the middle of calving or lambing. Before we know it we're almost at the end of the month and we'll be into some warmer temperatures and before you know it the farmers will be out in the fields and starting to plant barley and starting that direction and going back to work. But right now it looks pretty favorable coming up the next 10 days. I hope we do get some moisture into March and into April. I'd just soon have some nice rain Heading into the end of the month and we are starting to warm up.

Speaker 1: 3:13

Had a chance to make a trip up to Billings Montana a week ago and that was the day where we had the 15 below temperatures. Some of the areas up in the Bighorn Basin were at 20, 30 below. Had to go up to get a root canal, of all things. Really a lot of fun. But made that trip up through Matizzi and up to Cody and then into Belfry and up to Bridger and then you come into Laurel and come in on the interstate into Billings, go off on Shiloh and head over off Grand where the dentist's office was. Got a chance to stop at Costco. Of course Don't go to Costco very much anymore. Got to stop in there and spend a little bit of money, not a big Costco run, kind of a short Costco run, but it's amazing. And Billings and Cody, as I said earlier, and their roads are terrible. With the snowfall and I did see some reports they got more snow so they piled up a lot more. So with these warmer temperatures, especially in Cody, they can warm up pretty quick with those winds, get those Chinook winds and they're going to have a little bit of a mini flood around there when all that melts.

Speaker 1: 4:20

The other thing in our area I'm sure everyone, if you follow anything here in the state of Wyoming is aware of our happenings up in Byron, wyoming, where the young mother shot her four kids and then she shot herself. Mental health was at play there. Now that they've started to release some of the information. The poor girl was going through a lot of issues and she had been married and got divorced with two kids and then she got remarried and she'd been having a lot of problems, been in a lot of treatment for postpartum issues and a really sad, sad thing that happened. There's ache for people when they reach that point. I think it's really showing our problems we have in our country with mental health. You wonder what happens when somebody gets to that point. Maybe it'll open up a few more eyes on what's happening in mental health. Also, we had a sad situation where a highway patrolman in the southern part of Wyoming had to respond to an accident and his wife was involved with their two kids and the mother or the wife, she was okay with the older daughter, but the two-year-old son was injured and taken to Colorado Children's Hospital with some issues. So our thoughts and prayers go out to them.

Speaker 1: 5:36

And then at the same time last weekend we had a major accident in the tunnels outside of Green River, wyoming on I-80. They had a crash in the tunnel on the westbound tunnel, if I remember right. I think that's where it was and they had cars stuck in there. Fire started. I saw the reports that there were Holland Transformers through there and one of the Transformers caught fire. Something happened Heroic people that help people get out of there, and so they are right now have been got everything cleared out and trying to assess the damage and what they're going to have to do with that tunnel. So right now all the traffic is going around the tunnel.

Speaker 1: 6:18

It's always a question when you travel. One of my family members was on a trip overseas and had a issue with airline travel where a flight was delayed and canceled, missed connections back to the States and ended up having to stay an extra day in London before being able to fly back. And you know you have everything arranged, but travel is just not that way anymore. It's just how it is. It's something you have to deal with. We're also at that point of the season for sports fans. We are here in the state of Wyoming. We're getting closer to our regional basketball. We've got one more week of 1A, 2a basketball for boys and girls and the 3A will go two more weeks. Regional tournaments will start up around the state for 1A, 2a boys and girls next weekend and the 3A will finish out their season and so they alternate between those two. In two weeks we'll have the state tournament down in Casper for 1A, 2a and then the week after that they'll have the 3A and 4A state tournament down in Casper. So I know that some of these areas have been affected by travel but with that good weather it's going to help a lot with travel and it makes it a little bit easier for all those schools getting to these events in our area. So I want to wish good luck Right now.

Speaker 1: 7:39

Here in Hot Springs County our boys team is number one in 2A. In Hot Springs County Our boys team is number one in 2A. We moved down last year from 3A down to 2A this year with our enrollment and they've been pretty dominant in 2A. They have lost three games during the season but they're on a win streak right now and I don't see anybody in 2A that'll be able to beat them. It's going to take a pretty down game and a pretty up game for somebody to knock them off. So they start regionals next week in Riverton. And it's been a while since Thermopolis has had a state title contender. The last time that Thermopolis had those state championship teams were back in the early 2000s. They had some just unbelievable teams. I didn't get a chance to see them. I moved to Thermopolis the year after. That group won back-to-back titles in 3A. Now the following year they had one player left and they did end up in second place in state, losing to Lander. But they have a pretty good chance in 2A this year. So a lot of excitement here for the Thermopolis boys basketball team and also the girls. But across the state everybody's getting ready and a lot of excitement, a lot of travel. Wrestling is also going to be starting up, their regional tournaments coming up this weekend and they will be getting going around the area and so good luck to all the wrestlers.

Speaker 1: 9:16

Wyoming sports the Wyoming men's basketball team, had kind of an up and down season. They've been dealing with the issue that all college athletics is having now with the NIL and it seems like they just end up with a new team every year. We've got a new coach this year and just about similar results. Just don't know who the players are. I turn on the TV and I can't tell you who's who or anything. The days of having a Marcus Bailey and those players that were here for four years, and Larry Nance and that group, it's not going to happen anymore. So pretty much it's really had an effect on attendance to the games and I don't blame fans. It's really hard to get excited when you really don't have a clue who's out on the court. Most of those players are going to be gone after the season, going to sign with someone else. So it's a one-and-done season in sports right now. So it's really put a blotch on everything as far as I'm concerned.

Speaker 1: 10:17

On the men's side, women's basketball the Cal girls are at or near the top. They're always in that top one-third of the conference. We'll see how they progress here. They've got UNLV as their big game at the end of the season and then we'll go to the Mountain West Tournament where they will most likely play UNLV I would say just the way I'm looking at it in the championship game. Winner of that would go on to qualify for the NCAA big dance. So this year in NCAA women's basketball, no Caitlin Clark. So not quite the same excitement as it has been in the past. But the sports continues on here in the state of Wyoming and with our high school and college athletics.

Speaker 1: 11:05

Take a look at our history section. I found this story on wildhistoryorg Camping along the early Lincoln Highway in Wyoming by David Johnson In 2011,. Archaeologists from the Western Archaeological Services in Rock Springs, wyoming, recorded a historical campsite located along segments of the second and third generation Lincoln Highway in central Sweetwater County. The site is at the western edge of the Red Desert between Rollins, wyoming and Rock Springs. The Red Desert, or the Great Divide Basin, is a large internally draining basin, some 60 miles wide, which the Lincoln Highway in the early and mid-20th century crossed from east to west. The early and mid-20th century crossed from east to west. The continental divide splits the and encircles the basin. Water flows to either the Atlantic or the Pacific. The campsite contains clusters of inscriptions carved by Lincoln Highway travelers on sandstone outcrops located off the road. These inscriptions date back from 1910 to the 1950s. There's also a scatter of historical artifacts, including glass bottle fragments, tin cans and fragments of ceramic tableware. The site was an informal camping area which saw repeated use over the early years of the Lincoln Highway. Use declined when the third generation Lincoln Highway replaced the second generation route in 1937. When I-80 was built in the 1960s, the site was bypassed altogether and forgotten.

Speaker 1: 12:38

The Lincoln Highway was a work in progress over five decades, from 1913 to the construction of I-80 in the 1960s. The road was upgraded in segments within individual counties rather than all at once across the entire state. As motor vehicles became larger, faster and more powerful, the highway's design changed to meet these advances. The route was moved, curves were straightened and roads were widened. Grades were lowered and improved. Surfacing was added to allow for faster and safer travel. The three distinct construction phases are generally referred to as the first, second and third generation highway. There are no fixed dates for these phases, as the highway was upgraded whenever specific segments were improved.

Speaker 1: 13:26

The first generation refers to the original route designated by the National Lincoln Highway Association. This road dates back from 1913 to the 1920s. It stitched together existing unimproved wagon roads or, where available, abandoned sections of the Union Pacific Railroad's original 1868 transcontinental route West Granger in southwestern Wyoming. The original Lincoln Highway used the Oregon Trail. Little original construction was done on the early road. Wood and stone culverts and wooden bridges were built over arroyos, but these were often flimsy and could not bear the weight of heavy truck traffic. The railroad grades were very narrow. It was nearly impossible for oncoming traffic to pass Cropping the crest of a railroad grade was necessary to widen them for two-way traffic.

Speaker 1: 14:17

The second generation highway was designated by the Lincoln Highway Association as a boulevard. It was 24 feet wide, two-lane improved road surfaced with gravel or crushed rock. In the early 1930s the surface was often sprayed with oil. Mecadam, an early form of road paving, was also used, especially on sections prone to erosion. More substantial culverts and bridges were built over the arroyos and the large steel and concrete bridges across major rivers. Some second-generation segments not upgraded to third-generation status in the 1930s were paved with asphalt but were not otherwise altered or widened. Second-generation roads saw much new construction and new road alignment. Third-generation routes were constructed from 1930 to 1940 through the completion of I-80 in 1960. These roads were 36 feet wide two-lane highways with broad shoulders. Third generation segments were paved with asphalt or rarely with concrete. Some were upgraded second generation routes, others were original construction.

Speaker 1: 15:25

The development of the Lincoln Highway across Wyoming in the 1910s and 1920s necessitated the parallel development of a support infrastructure, including tourist accommodations. Two forms of tourist accommodations were used hotels and campgrounds, existing hotels in the late 19th and early 20th century were built in town and city centers along or near the railroad tracks. In town and city centers along or near the railroad tracks, these hotels served local patrons or people traveling by train and were poorly suited by location and design for automotive traffic. The 1916 Complete Official Road Guide of the Lincoln Highway listed 36 Wyoming communities along the Lincoln Highway between Pine Bluffs on the east and Evanston on the west. Of these 36 towns, 17 or 47 percent had hotel accommodations for a total of 43 hotels. 27 hotels, or 63 percent, were located in major cities, including Cheyenne, laramie, rollins, rock Springs, green River and Evanston. 16 hotels were located in 11 smaller communities, either one or two to a town. There were five hotels located between Pine Bluffs and Cheyenne, no hotels between Cheyenne and Laramie, four hotels in three towns between Laramie and Rolllins, two hotels located between Rawlins and Rock Springs and five hotels in three towns between Green River and Evanston. The other form of accommodation utilized by Lincoln Highway tourists was campgrounds.

Speaker 1: 17:03

Lincoln Highway camping was initially a western feature due in part to the relatively small number of towns with hotels and long distance and bad roads between them. Very few camping areas were located in the eastern states because towns with hotels were numerous and closely spaced, with better quality roads resulting in faster travel. The Lincoln Highway Association encouraged camping as a way of saving money and to deal with the lack of hotel accommodations across the West. The Lincoln Highway Official Road Guide published long lists of camping equipment with early motorists were advised to bring with them for anticipated camping stops and of preceding breakdowns. This list of recommended supplies for a trip on the Oregon Trail in the late 1850s.

Speaker 1: 17:51

Like those Oregon Trail forebearers, early Lincoln Highway motor campers in Wyoming saw most campsites as a point along the way, not a destination. At first, campers simply parked along the side of the road. Because these stays were largely overnight, the lack of formal campgrounds was not overly important. Groceries could be purchased in any town and necessities such as water or firewood could be attained from sympathetic ranchers or railroad camps. Of the 36 communities between Pine Bluffs and Evanston, 18 had campsites by 1916. No campsites were located between Pine Bluffs and Cheyenne or between Cheyenne and Laramie. There was camping in Cheyenne. The 13 communities between Laramie and Rawlins had 11 camping areas. Three of the seven communities between Rawlins and Rock Springs and three of the five communities between Green River and Evanston also had campsites. Most of these early camping areas were unimproved fields.

Speaker 1: 18:53

By 1920, it was estimated that one-third of all Lincoln Highway motor tourists camped for part or all of their journey. It was becoming apparent that motor tourists had money to spend and it was of economic benefits to town and cities to convince them to stop and spend it. Towns and cities began to build formal municipal campgrounds within city limits to entice tourists to spend time and money in their town. Wyoming's first significant Lincoln Highway municipal campground opened in Cheyenne in 1920. Cheyenne was an important hub on the Lincoln Highway as it was a junction with roads to Denver, yellowstone Park and the Colorado Rockies. It was also a tourist destination hosting the Frontier Days Rodeo which attracted tens of thousands of visitors each July. The Cheyenne Municipal Campground became the largest and most elaborate campground along the Lincoln Highway in Wyoming. It came to including washing and cooking facilities, a store, post office, tourist information, firewood and shelter from inclement weather. From 1920 to 1923, camping at the Cheyenne Municipal Campground was free. Expenses were covered by local businesses. In 1923, the campground began to charge 50 cents per night, about a $9 value in 2024. To support the facilities and discourage squatters, the success of the Cheyenne Municipal Campground quickly inspired other cities and towns, including Pine Bluffs, laramie, rock River, rollins, rock Springs and Green River, to build their own municipal campgrounds. They were also free, at least at first.

Speaker 1: 20:34

As municipal campgrounds grew and developed, towns tried to discourage roadside camping, which was seen as a health hazard, as well as competition with formal campgrounds. In 1925, cheyenne civic leaders coined the phrase promiscuous camping to describe tourists who set up camp in empty lots or in areas just out of Cheyenne city limits in order to avoid paying the municipal camping fee. Roadside camps were seen as dangerous and dirty and perhaps more important to urban leaders showed a lack of civil spirit. In not supporting the municipal campgrounds, civic leaders began to lobby for ordinance prohibiting roadside camping. By the late 1920s, tent camping began to evolve into motorcarts which consisted of small, unfurnished wood-framed cabins. Tourists also had to supply their own cooking and sleeping gear. Like the tent camping grounds, motor courts began to add amenities including stores, gas stations, washing and cooking equipment. After World War II, motels became the ultimate expression of tourist accommodations. Hotels became the ultimate expression of tourist accommodations, but despite state and local laws and the interstate highway system, roadside camping never entirely disappeared.

Speaker 1: 21:44

The Red Desert Lincoln Highway campsite is located at the west edge of the Great Divide Basin. The site consists of an informal roadside camping area along the second and third generation segments of the Lincoln Highway. The second generation highway segment consists of a two-lane boulevard built in 1920s Lincoln Highway standards. The route of the 1920 variant was originally surveyed in 1919 and followed the first generation route. The highway consists of 24-foot wide two-lane boulevards. The roadbed consists of low berm with shallow barrow ditches. To the east and west the road had been surfaced with crushed rock gravel. Some asphalt isn't present. South of the segment, near the crossing of the 1930 variant, it sees no modern traffic.

Speaker 1: 22:32

The third generation segment consists of a two-lane paved highway built in 1937 to 1930 Lincoln Highway standards. The segment consists of a 36-foot wide two-lane highway paved with asphalt. Yellow center lines are still visible across much of the segment. The highway follows existing terrain. However, shallow cuts are present along the crests of the finger ridges and fills are present across the bottom of valleys. Integrity of the asphalt paving and the presence of those yellow center lines indicates that this segment was maintained up to 1960 when it was replaced by I-80. The segment sees occasional modern traffic.

Speaker 1: 23:12

The campsite consists of five sandstone rock outcrops containing historical inscriptions dating to the early 20th century and a scatterer of historical artifacts which date to the same period. Inscriptions are located on either side of the second generation Lincoln Highway. The third generation segment of the Lincoln Highway is located approximately 150 feet south of this site of the Lincoln Highway is located approximately 150 feet south of this site. The inscriptions are located on five isolated sandstone outcrops, designated to panels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Panels 1 and 2 are located to the east of the 1920 Lincoln Highway segment, and panel 3, 4, and 5 are located west of the road segments. Fragments of broken glass are present at the base of several of these outcrops, indicating that these artifacts were used to carve at least some of the inscriptions.

Speaker 1: 24:06

The largest set of inscriptions is located on panel 1, a large sandstone outcrop located to the east of the 1920 Lincoln Highway segment. Panel 1 is in an isolated sandstone outcrop approximately 105 feet long by 50 foot wide, by 6 foot to 10 foot tall. The outcrop is located approximately 60 feet east of the 1920 Lincoln Highway segment. The inscriptions are concentrated along the south, southeast and southwest side of the outcrop. The inscriptions consist of names and initials, with a small number of location and several dates On panel two. It is located on a small isolated sandstone outcrop located approximately 40 foot east of panel one. Panel two is approximately 20 feet long by 12 foot wide and 6 foot tall. Inscriptions are found on all sides of the outcrop. Panel 3 is located on the west of the Lincoln Highway 1920 variant at the north end of the site.

Speaker 1: 25:08

The panel is a small isolated sandstone outcrop. It is located approximately 40 feet west of the highway segment, at the base of a ridge forming the west side of the valley, 40 feet west of the highway segment, at the base of a ridge forming the west side of the valley. The sandstone outcrop is approximately 15 feet long by 15 feet wide and 5 feet tall. Few inscriptions were noted on this outcrop. Panel 4 is a small sandstone outcrop located on the west side of the site, approximately 30 feet south of panel 3 and 60 feet west of the Lincoln Highway segment. The outcrop is 12 foot long by 12 foot high by 5 foot wide. Only two inscriptions were noted on this outcrop. And Panel 5 is a relatively large sandstone outcrop located west of the Lincoln Highway segment along the west side of the valley. The outcrop is located 100 feet south of panel 4 and 30 feet west of the Lincoln Highway segment. The outcrop is 30 foot long, 15 feet wide by 6 foot tall. Inscriptions are located on the east, south and north side of the outcrop.

Speaker 1: 26:09

Historical artifacts were found across the site. Artifacts include food storage cans, glass bottle fragments and ceramic tableware. Glass bottle fragments include solarized amethyst glass, brown glass, white glass and clear glass bottle fragments. Solarized amethyst glass bottle fragments include one wide mouth rim from a milk bottle. Brown and clear glass bottle fragments were alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage bottles. White glass fragments are from the personal bottles, likely cold cream or lotion. Decorative glass fragments that were also found are likely bowls or cups. Two identifiable bottle marks were found at that site, one dated between 1900 and 1929. The second dated between 1929 and 1954. Ceramic tableware fragments were also present at the site. At least two plates are represented by the fragments. One was a manufacturer between 1914 and 1925. The second date was from 1894 to 1909. In addition to glass and ceramics, tin can fragments are also noted. One hole in top can and six sanitary can fragments held fruit or vegetables. One evaporated milk can and one beer can which had been opened with a church key were also noted.

Speaker 1: 27:32

The artifacts and inscriptions found at the site indicate this was an informal roadside campsite for the Lincoln Highway motorists. The narrow valley and rock outcrops may have provided a welcome change from the relatively unambiguous scenery that had been seen during the long crossing of the Red Desert. Historical documents do not mention this area as a formal camp. No structural remains were found. The date inscriptions and diagnostic artifacts all point to the site being used during the early to mid-20th century. Canned goods, evaporated milk and beverage. Bottles and cans indicate that meals were prepared and consumed at the site. Meals included canned fruit or vegetables, were served on ceramic plates and in glass bowls or cups. Alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages were consumed. Lotion or cold cream bottles indicate personal health or hygiene was also practiced at the site. While stopped at the site, motorists carved their names into the sandstone outcrops. The dates on panel 1 range from 1918 to 1925. The dates on panel 2 range from the 1930s to 1956. The diagnostic bottles dated from 1900 to 1929 and from 1929 to 1954. Ceramic plate dates from 1894 to 1909 and 1914 to 1925. The inscription dates and the full diagnostic artifacts all fall within the range of use of the first, second and third generation variants of the Lincoln Highway. Inscriptions by motorists from Pulaski, wisconsin, astoria, oregon, Salt Lake and possibly Massachusetts and Georgia showed that people from across the country stopped here. No other cities or towns are located within eight miles of the site.

Speaker 1: 29:20

The Red Desert Roadside Campsite reflects an important aspect of early travel on the Lincoln Highway. In Wyoming, roadside camping grew out of lack of alternative accommodations the long distances, poor roads and lack of accommodations in the Red Desert that travelers could create their informal stops on their own. Even the development of private and municipal campgrounds in the 1920s did not bring an end to roadside camping. It was a critical feature in early tourist travel, fulfilling a need which other available accommodations could not satisfy. Very interesting story on the start of motor travel. Today we look at our state and that's all we see. Going down the road are campers, motorhomes and campers especially in the summer it's real heavy here. And how much we've changed with our ability, with our vehicles and our roads and our campgrounds a time in our history that made Wyoming what we are today. Thanks for joining us today and we hope you enjoy our podcast. As per the code of the West, we ride for the brand and we ride for Wyoming. We'll be right back 3, 2, 1, go © BF-WATCH TV 2021.