Territory of Wyoming 1879

This map depicts the territory of Wyoming in the year 1879. It was produced by the General Land
Office of the Department of the Interior, and commissioned by J.A. Williamson. This map was the
second to be published by the department, and features a great detailed view of Yellowstone National Park in the upper left quadrant. Also featured, are various bands of native American tribes who were indigenous to the area.

At this time in history, Wyoming was a young territory. Just over a decade earlier, the Union Pacific Railroad begin to cut its way through Wyoming.. It would not reach the western border of Wyoming until Wyoming gained territory status. It is noted that the railway alone is responsible for the increase in Wyoming's budding population. One year after this map was be produced, the population of Wyoming Territory would be counted as 20,789 people. Half of those in that number were contained in one of the seven small towns along the Union Pacific Railway line.

These are the settlers that were responsible for creating the cattle boom in the territory from 1868 to 1886. Because of that boom, the state of Wyoming is still referred to today as the Cowboy State.

However, eventually the cattle boom would decline, mostly due to the nasty winter of 1867-1868, and coal would be one of the main sources of economic growth in the state. Settlers began flocking to Wyoming in hopes of finding a homestead location close to clean water and coal deposits. Those that were lower-class, moved in hopes of seeking employment at one of the local mines. The railroad continue to grow as a result, and other railroad found their way into the territory during that time.

However, there was a problem. Men outnumbered the women 6 to 1. As a result, Wyoming brought forth a bill in 1869 designed to give women the right to vote and allow them to hold office. The hope was that women would find that to be an attractive offer, and encourage them to come to the state. Of course, this would also benefit the population of men in the area as well. The short version is, it worked. There was a lot going on in Wyoming at the time of this map. This was a time when railroads, cattle, coal mining, and women's suffrage where the order of the day.

All sizes are approximate.