Get a Taste of Laramie's History

   
Laramie is nestled between the Laramie Range and the Medicine Bow Mountains, and is an inspirational place for outdoorsmen and history buffs, with the beautiful mountain range to explore and the spirited stories of the past. Laramie has a strategic location: the nearby Fort Sanders protected it from Denver-Salt Lake Stage Line on the south. And the area was blessed with water; the streaming Big Laramie River and two streams were the main sources.
   
Laramie shares the same history as many of the communities situated along the railroad. Laramie received its name after a trapper with French origin, who was killed in the region in 1821. Meant to protect the workers in the intercontinental railroad, a military post had been raised in 1866. In 1868 the first train of Union Pacific arrived in the town. With the laying of the tracks, the population rapidly grew, soon reaching 5,000 people. The first settlers mainly consisted of railroaders, military troops, stockmen and criminals. The town was declared as “the wildest town in the Wild West”, being a haunt for prostitutes, robbers, and all kind of outcasts. Most of the riff-raffs had been driven away by an  initiative organized by the city fathers.
   
Laramie played a significant role in testing the unique laws of the state of Wyoming. In 1870, the first woman serving in a jury attracted numerous journalists, who crowded into the Gem City of the Plains to witness the event. A year later Laramie gained a new reputation - of being the first place in the world where a woman voted in a general election. This groundbreaking act was done by “Grandma” Louiza Swain. In the course of time, despite the fact that the railroad went westward, Laramie turned into a prosperous town with more than 1,500 permanent citizens.
   
Lying on the foundations of this rich historical past, present-day Laramie is a home for many institutions such as: the University of Wyoming, the Tate Geological Museum, the Wyoming Territorial Park, the American Heritage Center, the Rocky Mountains Herbarium, the Art Museum, designed by the famous architect Antoine Predock, and Laramie Plains Museum. The University, established in 1886, is home to the Geology Museum, which displays the remains of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
   
Providing a large variety of outdoor adventures like camping, fishing, skiing, snowmobiling, Laramie is a spot of unparalleled beauty.
   
Once a frontier town with no laws, dotted with wild saloons and vigilance committees upholding justice, Laramie gives you the chance to have a closer peek into the West's lawless past. The Wyoming Territorial Prison and State Park used to incarcerate renowned bandits like Butch Cassidy.
   
The Abraham Lincoln Memorial Monument is only ten miles away from Laramie. The monument is a Lincoln's bust, thirteen-foot high, on top of vertically joined rocks. It was built in 1959, by Robert Russin.
   
Located on the Rocky Mountains' Eastern edge, the Laramie Mountains are a real heaven for bicyclists, campers and outdoor enthusiasts. Their name originates from the picturesque Laramie River, meandering through this gorgeous region. 9,000-foot peaks majestically tower overhead as reminder of the tremendous power of nature.
   
The Laramie Plains Museum, located in the Ivinson Mansion, Laramie which has been restored is the best way to encounter the unique historical background of the area, from the perspective of Ivinsons family. You will also stumble upon rooms filled with antique furniture.
    
Laramie is a host to numerous intriguing annual events such as:  Butch Cassidy Days, the Albany County Fair, Jubilee Days and the Western Outlaw Festival.