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Wyoming Becomes a State, 132 Years Ago, July 10
Sunday, July 10, is Wyoming’s 132 anniversary of statehood. On July 10, 1890, Wyoming became the 44th state to enter the union. It was preceded by Idaho, on July 3, and followed by Utah, six years later, on Jan. 4, 1896.
It is interesting to note that two of the events that have made Wyoming famous, Women’s suffrage, 1869, and the creation of Yellowstone Park, 1872, both happened before Wyoming’s statehood.
But it was a long journey from territory to statehood, with some opposing the change.
In The Sheridan Enterprise, May 3, 1890.
The Enterprise, June 28, 1890
But Wyoming did become a state. In Bill Barlow’s Budget, Douglas, July 9, 1890, We the People. The House Concurs in the Amendment. President Will Sign. Cheyenne, July 8, 1890 – On the motion of Delegate Carey, the house concurred in the senate amendment to Wyoming’s statehood bill. The president may sign the bill today; If not today, he will certainly do so tomorrow, Doubtless that President (Benjamin) Harrison has appended his signature to the certificate of the birth of the new state. All hail to Wyoming, the forty-fourth star.
And, after Wyoming’s inclusion as a state into the union, there is this article from the Cheyenne Weekly Leader on Thursday. July 17, 1890.
The State of Wyoming. After the toilsome march, the bivouac, the preliminary skirmish, the hard-fought battle, comes the victory! The statehood campaign is over and, God be praised, the champions of our rights, liberties and sacred honor have won the fight. Wyoming is a state of the American union. Joseph M. Carey, our magnificent leader, marshaling the loyal forces of the republican party has secured us a victory, grand in proportions and precious in results. July 10th, 1890, will be a day memorable in Wyoming’s annals through all future time. It is the day of Wyoming’s assertion and realization of manhood, self-government and independence. All Hail the day! The dawn of our newborn liberty comes like a day spring of joy to every soul, as the fresh morning atmosphere with its rosy lances of light, and singing birds awaken a new life, quickens the step and stirs the pulses of the heart with a livelier motion. A new era dawns upon the state of Wyoming. Emerging from its condition of territorial vassalage it is now a peer of the states born of the American revolution. Young, proud, resolute, self-reliant and strong in its native resources, it will hold its place among the great states of the union. Henceforth its career is onward and upward. The Sun with pardonable pride refers to its enlistment in the statehood campaign. As a newspaper it was the pioneer in the movement. The situation may be briefly explained. The democratic party was in trenched in power nationally. So far as the West was considered by that party, its policy was that every western man was a scoundrel, a land grabber and an outlaw. He was bound to be held guilty until he proved himself innocent. Its land policy was atrocious. Patents to honest settlers were withheld. Special agents were appointed mostly from the south to harass the settler and deprive him by various devices and extra judicial regulations, of his home. It was the settled policy of a democratic administration to make life a burden to every settler in a western territory.
In addition to this, in the appointment of territorial officers, men were foisted upon us from Kentucky, Mississippi and other old states. The ardent desire of our people for home-rule was ignored, and we were slaves to the caprices of strangers and of men entirely alien to our ideas, purposes and ambitions. Every great interest of the west was antagonized by the democratic party, the land interest, the silver interest, the policy of protection and the more vital interest of all to Wyoming, home rule. On general principles, the entire development of the west in any direction was opposed by the democratic party. With this dark situation overshadowing our territory, The Sun saw the beginning of the end, enlisted in the cause and took up the line of march for statehood.
Delegate Carey, with true statesmanship, boldness and clearness of purpose assumed the leadership in that splendid campaign in which he as earned the imperishable laurels of honor and victory. The democratic leaders and press of the territory sneered, scoffed and argued against statehood. It still desired to retain the rule of southern brigadiers. It measured the price of our liberty by the base rule of selfishness, dishonor and money. But the thought of statehood grew in the hearts of Wyoming’s sons as the arguments, facts and logic of The Sun was poured forth from day to day, and the wide awake, earnest republican leaders of the territory put themselves at the head of the column. The democrats were coaxed and bidden to the feast but like the seven unwise virgins they brought no oil in their lamps and they are now compelled to sit in. outer darkness. Statehood has been achieved without their assistance and in spite of opposition. The grand old party has accomplished the work from beginning to end— first, last and all the time. It is the party of advancement— the party for the development of the west— of protection to its varied interests, for the rights and progress of the people and it takes its place rightfully and naturally as the organizer of Wyoming’s statehood.
People were enthusiastic about statehood, and honored the people in congress that made it happen.
Cheyenne Semi-Weekly Sun Cheyenne, Saturday, August 2, 1890. Carey at Laramie: Introduced by Mayor Peabody, He Entertains a Large Audience and Shows “What Victory Means” for Laramie and Wyoming. There was a large and enthusiastic gathering at Miennerchor hall in Laramie, Thursday evening, to greet Hon. J. M. Carey upon his first visit to the city since his return from Washington.
Delegate Carey, in 1889, proposed legislation to admit Wyoming into the union as a state. At that time, however, congress failed to act upon the proposal. On March 26, 1890, Carey again introduced the legislation to admit Wyoming as a state, and this time it was successful. The bill passed the house by a vote of 139 to 127 and passed in the Senate 29 to 18.
The Cheyenne Sun article continues. The gathering was, moreover, a thoroughly representative one, and included members of both political parties and the ex-delegate was listened to as closely and with as deep interest by democrats as republicans. The stage was handsomely draped with flags, and in the mass of bunting Wyoming’s star and the symbolical “44” were very conspicuous.
When Mayor Peabody stepped upon the stage, accompanied by Judge Carey, there was a spontaneous outburst of applause. Besides these there were also seated upon the stage during the evening Edward Ivinson, ex-Governor J. W. Hoyt, Judge I.P. Caldwell, who by the way is a recent convert from the democracy, Secretary of State Meldrum and N.F Spicer.
After an air by the band Mayor Peabody addressed the audience. The meeting, he said, was held under pleasant circumstances. The love of country was implanted In the breast of every true man and we had a country of which we had more reason to be proud than the people of any other nation on earth. We also knew what it was to live in that country without representation— deprived of the common rights of an American freeman. We could yet scarcely realize that we had passed the threshold of statehood, but it was a pleasure to reflect that we could now express our choice for the next president as well as select our own state government. Those present were about to learn more fully how the successive steps were taken which brought about the admission of Wyoming and what statehood really meant, and there was one present who had worked harder and deserved more credit for what had been accomplished than any other man.
The mayor then introduced Judge Carey who was greeted with loud and prolonged applause as he advanced to the front of the stage. The applause was renewed as he addressed his auditors as “Fellow Citizens of the State of Wyoming.” He expressed his pleasure at meeting once more the good people of Laramie. The reception would have surprised him had not the people of Albany County and Laramie always treated him with a generosity which indicated that they had some confidence in his manhood. He did not propose to say anything that would offend anyone. He had learned by experience that the man whose motto was to camp on his enemy’s trail won the fewest victories. Little was ever accomplished by prejudice. The better way was to forge a way to the front and have determination, perseverance and patience until what was undertaken was accomplished.
As early as 1894, people began to promote the wonders of Wyoming, as per this story from the Wyoming Weekly Republican Sundance, Wyoming, Wednesday, July 8. 1894.
An Educational Exhibit: The people of Wyoming are fully alive to the importance of advertising the vast resources of the state on all occasions. The teachers who will attend the national convention at Toronto, Canada, this month will take with them an exhibit that cannot fail to attract general attention. It consists of a fine cabinet of minerals selected by Prof. Conley of the state university. The beauty and grandeur of Yellowstone Park will be grouped in twelve large photographic views. Pictures of cities and towns, bits of scenery from plains and mountains, novelties made from minerals and photographs of prominent state officials will form a framework for the exhibit. The collection will be accompanied by a big banner containing these words:” Wyoming, 44th Star, equal suffrage, intelligent electors and compulsory education secured by the constitution.
The Sundance Gazette, on August 28, 1891
So, Happy Birthday Wyoming, the 44th State.
The Wyoming State Flag was adopted in January of 1917, but that’s another story.
