Archives West Finding Aid

A number of historical organizations preceded the Wyoming State Historical Society of today. In 1921, the state authorized the formation of a state historical society. State historian Mrs. Cyrus Beard headed the society, which encouraged membership and in 1924 began publishing what is today Annals of Wyoming: The Wyoming History Journal. However, by 1932, Wyoming again was without a state society.

The current WSHS was founded in 1953. A new Constitution was proposed and passed, which borrowed from preceding societies. Articles and amendments were proposed, revised, and adopted according to the constitutional rules of the society. Secretary-treasurer Lola Homsher became a long-term executive board member of the WSHS.

The close WSHS connection to the Wyoming State Archives and Historical Department evolved during the time when the society organized the executive headquarters in the Cheyenne office. Local county chapters formed and flourished after the reorganization of the state society. The society published Annals of Wyoming: The Wyoming History Journal, which was initiated in 1924 by Mrs. Cyrus Beard, the state historian.

Wyoming’s representative statue of Esther Hobart Morris in Statuary Hall, Washington, D. C., was the first major project of the WSHS. Subsequent projects included awards programs in recognition of art, literature, film, and drama related to Wyoming history. L. C. Bishop’s work, Organizing Historical Treks on the Old Oregon Trail, and T. A. Larson’s book, Wyoming’s War Years 1941-45, were among the first to receive awards.

Popular historical treks each summer became a highlight of the WSHS activities. Local chapters took turns hosting the event, which entailed planning bus tours, lodging, social activities, and publications for the event.

The society sponsored and conducted a variety of projects to interest members and the general public. The purchase of Fort Fetterman in 1961 and the preservation of the Sheridan Inn in 1965 are examples of society endeavors. Protection from vandalism was another major concern of the WSHS, which worked on such as projects as better security for Fort Fred Steele, Independence Rock, and Register Cliff.

History Day, initiated in 1980, was a central focus of the WSHS. It promoted the study of history in Wyoming public schools by encouraging students to use primary research sources in archives, museums, and oral history. Students researched their topics along a central theme defined each year by History Day at the national level. Presentations included a choice of formal papers, two or three dimensional displays, individual or group drama, along with extensive bibliographies for competition at the local, regional, state, and national levels.

In January 1995 the WSHS was based at the Executive Headquarters at the State Archives and Historical Department, a division of Parks and Cultural Resources, Department of Commerce. However, Dr. Celeste Colgan, director of the Department of Commerce, maintained that the former relationship between the State and the WSHS, a private organization, was no longer advantageous, and she withdrew financial assistance for the society. For a short time the Department of Commerce continued to produce Annals while the WSHS published the Wyoming History Journal.

The WSHS became a self-supporting, non-profit organization as a result of a new statute agreement with the Division of Parks and Cultural Resources, which renewed partial, monetary assistance for the recombined Annals of Wyoming: The Wyoming History Journal later in 1995. The journal was produced with editorial assistance provided by the History Department of the University of Wyoming with office space provided by the American Heritage Center. Other WSHS publications include Wyoming History News, Wyoming Historic Trails, and the Wyoming Historic Calendar (in conjunction with the American Heritage Center). The WSHS web site: www.wyshs.org was also part of the society’s outreach program by 1997.