Tenth and final post in a series about visiting Colorado and Wyoming.
Adventure in Old West Laramie Wyoming
In Old West Laramie Wyoming, we found a new adventure. With our historic walking tour booklet in hand, we ambled along historic Downtown Laramie and got a history lesson. We discovered that the Union Pacific Railroad was the catalyst for the founding of Laramie. The Company established a major stop there in 1868 as it was building the Transcontinental Railroad. The Overland Trail went through the area, and there was Ft. Sanders and some settlers, but nothing like a town. Once Laramie was connected to the East Coast by rail, passengers began arriving. They came to seek their fortunes, by legal or illegal means.
The Wild Frontier in Laramie Wyoming
During Laramie’s early days, some of the West’s most notorious criminals headed there. They were trying to stay one step ahead of the law. Thugs and outlaws like Butch Cassidy threatened those who came to settle down and create a new community. After about six months of rowdy and murderous behavior, the law-abiding citizens had enough. They formed a vigilante committee. Villains were captured and hung and others fled. Law and Order came to Laramie.
Old West Laramie Wyoming, Hollywood, and actor Robert Fuller
Laramie Wyoming’s colorful Old West heritage was captured and re-lived in more than 14 TV shows and movies and inspired hundreds of books. If you are a Baby Boomer, you might remember one of the TV shows was “Laramie,” set in 1870s Wyoming. It ran from 1959 to 1963 and starred John Smith and Robert Fuller. Episodes now run on Encore, MeTV and Grit.
Robert Fuller went on to feature and guest roles in several other westerns, including “Wagon Train,” “Big Valley,” and later “Walker: Texas Rangers”. When Westerns waned on TV, he gained fame in the 1970’s as Dr. Kelly Brackett on “Emergency” but his first love was acting in Westerns.
As of this writing, Robert Fuller is very much alive and a trim, fit rancher in his eighties. He returned to Laramie in 2017 to a “heroes welcome.” He was Grand Marshall in the Laramie Jubilee Days Parade. In July of 2019 he was back for the Laramie TV Show 60th Anniversary Reunion which was held in conjunction with Jubilee Days. He posed for selfies and participated in meet and greets and other events.
Laramie Wyoming Jubilee Days are Adventures for Old West fans
Laramie Wyoming’s Jubilee Days are billed as Wyoming’s Hometown Celebration – Celebrating the Western lifestyle and take place mid-July. Fans gather and get in the spirit by wearing western gear of yesterday as well as today.
The week-long schedule includes a parade, music, a golf tournament, a brewfest, and even a jalapeno contest. There’s also plenty to eat, as in addition to the local restaurants, there’s a BBQ, a pancake breakfast, and a chili cookoff. There’s even a carnival to boot. A western event wouldn’t be complete without horses and cows. So yep, there’s a rodeo with steer wrestling, tie-down roping, bull riding and more.
July 10 is Wyoming Statehood Day and celebrated during Laramie’s Jubilee days and includes the Wyoming Territorial Prison State Historic Site near Laramie. The prison was built in 1872. During the turmoil of the wild west it became a symbol of law and order . For 30 years it held violent and desperate outlaws (including the notorious Butch Cassidy). The 197 acre site boasts restored historic buildings and museum exhibits including the man and the myth of Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch gang. There’s also a nature trail, special events, a picnic area, and visitor center with gift shop. It’s open year round and there are guided and self tours.
If you are a fan of the Old West it looks like Laramie, Wyoming and especially Laramie’s Jubilee Days are for you.
Legends of Laramie Walking Tour with Robert Fuller
Legends of Laramie is an audio walking tour that you follow with your cell phone. At each of 16 locations you can experience stories of Old West Laramie’s pioneers, outlaws, and vigilantes. As you stand where history took place, and you can watch a video, slideshow, or panorama recreating Laramie’s colorful past as Robert Fuller provides the narration. You can download the app or scan the QR code at the location to enjoy the tour. We had limited time so we stuck to using the Historic Downtown Laramie Tour Guide. However, we did come across one of the Legends of Laramie stops. We scanned the bar code and “boom” enjoyed Robert Fuller’s evocative telling of a Wild West moment of long ago.
Downtown Laramie Wyoming Highlights
The railroad tracks run right along the outside of Laramie Wyoming’s downtown area. When the Union Pacific Railroad’s locomotive Big Boy 4014 stopped in Laramie the crowds were huge and filled the pedestrian footbridge over the railroad tracks . A short walk brings you to the restored Laramie Depot which is now a museum and community center. Nearby is Railroad Heritage Park which features a “snow train” consisting of a wedge snow plow, steam engine, bunk car and a caboose.
It says “Welcome to Laramie, Wyoming.” It’s an unparalleled vantage point for watching trains as they pass through Laramie.
Women’s Suffrage started in Old West Laramie Wyoming
As we walked along, we saw this Equal Rights seal painted on a small door.
Did you know that Wyoming’s nickname is the Equality State? Buffalo Bill, founder of Cody, Wyoming, said: “If a woman can do the same work that a man can do and do it just as well, she should have the same pay.”
Perhaps his word had sway, because, on December 10, 1869, Wyoming was the first territory or state to give the women the right to vote and to hold public office. In March, 1870, Laramie was the first city in the world to include women on a jury. In September, 1870, it was in Laramie that 70 year old Louisa Swain became the first woman anywhere in the western world to vote in a general election. Wyoming also had the first female Justice of the Peace, bailiff, and first female governor.
We didn’t have time to investigate it, but Laramie has the Wyoming House for Historic Women. It is run by the Louisa Swain Foundation. It has displays honoring 13 women of Wyoming whose actions were “firsts” for women and democracy.
The Murals of Laramie Wyoming
As we walked through Laramie’s historic downtown, we noticed several murals. They are part of the Laramie Wyoming Mural Project and done by local artists. There are walking tour brochures and also a cell phone audio tour, much like the one for the Talking Boots in Cheyenne. We were walking up a very wide, and very clean alley when we saw #5 Prairie Dog Town.
Wrapping up in Wyoming
If we could have, we would have spent more time in Wyoming. Going to Laramie was a late add-on. Someone at the wedding we attended said, well, if you’re going to Cheyenne, you should definitely consider going to Laramie. As it was, we were only in Wyoming for a day and a half. The time we were there was a teaser and it made us want to learn more about what we saw, and what we didn’t have time to visit.
We discovered that Wyoming has a great website with all sorts of visitors information and offers a free travel guide and email newsletter. We had no idea that Laramie and Cheyenne Wyoming have such rich histories regarding the Transcontinental Railroad, outlaws, and equal voting rights for women.
And, now we have a greater appreciation of reruns of TV and film westerns. Also of Laramie’s place in the Old West. Looking up actor Robert Fuller was fun. He has an international fan club and makes special appearances at western films festivals and nostalgia conventions. You can find him on YouTube showing how to stage a no-contact fist fight. Some videos share his anecdotes about the Laramie Show and working with Yul Brynner. If you visit his website, robertfuller.info, you will find more about his career, as well as personal appearances. You can even order autographed photos and have him record a personalized audio message for voice mail, congratulations, or a happy birthday message.
Final Takeaways of Our Trip
One final takeaway is that ordering guides to Colorado, Denver, and Boulder helped us make a list of must-sees and maybe-sees and plan our itinerary. We wished we had done that for Wyoming, but we thought we would only spend a half a day in Cheyenne. Borrowing guidebooks from our library helped, but the city and state tourism websites and materials provided more details, handy maps, and additional current tips.
We have to give a shout out to the friendly, helpful folk there who are great ambassadors for their states.
Lastly, allow yourself as much time as possible to explore Colorado and Wyoming.