Wyoming Pioneer Association facts for kids
| Established | 1926 |
|---|---|
| Location | PO Box 1545, Douglas, Wyoming 82633 |
| Type | Association |
The Wyoming Pioneer Association is a group that helps keep the history of Wyoming's early settlers alive. It started way back in 1884 and officially became an organization in 1926. This happened in a small cabin on the Wyoming State Fair grounds in Douglas. Later, in 1956, the state helped build a museum there. In 2013, they added a new building called the Ruthe James Williams Center.
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Discovering Wyoming's Past
The group that became the Wyoming Pioneer Association started holding yearly meetings in 1905. Before that, they had unofficial gatherings as early as 1884. These early meetings took place in the Wyoming Pioneer Cabin. People who attended included soldiers, cowboys, and ranchers. Many of them had helped Wyoming become a state.
An earlier group, the Wyoming's Old Timer's Association, formed in 1914. Some members of this group were people who helped Wyoming become a state. The first president of the association was John Hunton. The Wyoming Pioneer Association officially became a non-profit organization on January 8, 1926. Their first official meeting was on September 15, 1926, in Douglas at the Princess Theater.
By the 1950s, the old cabin was too small for all the members. So, in 1956, the Wyoming Legislature gave money to build the Wyoming Pioneer Museum. This new building gave the association more space for meetings. It also provided a better place to keep their historical items. The museum was built on the Wyoming State Fair grounds, right next to the cabin. In 2013, the association built another new building. This was the Ruthe James Williams Center, located next to the museum.
The Ruthe James Williams Center
The Wyoming Pioneer Association built the Pioneer Cabin in 1927 for their yearly meetings. But as the group grew, the cabin became too small. They often had to meet in the Wyoming State Fair Cafeteria. Around 2012, the association realized they needed a bigger space. They wanted more room for meetings and to show off their historical items.
A large donation from Jack and Ruthe James Williams helped fund the new building. It was named in Ruthe's honor. Ruthe's parents were pioneers who moved to the Douglas, Wyoming, area in 1917. Ruthe was born there in 1919. She grew up mostly in Douglas and went to school there.
Ruthe James Williams passed away in 2008. She left a large part of her money to the Wyoming Pioneer Association. The association used most of these funds to build the Ruthe James Williams Center. In 2013, association members held their first meeting in the new center.
The Association Today
In 2015, the Wyoming Pioneer Association celebrated 125 years! They celebrated during the Wyoming State Fair in Douglas. For this special year, the 1926 Pioneer Cabin and the Grist Mill were open to the public. Almost 1,200 people visited the cabin. The association is now working with State Parks and Cultural Resources. This allows them to open and show off more historical buildings. These include the original Pioneer Cabin, two old schoolhouses, and the Grist Mill.
Why the Association Exists
In 2016, the association's president, Bob Vollman, updated their main goal. He said:
The mission and purpose of the Wyoming Pioneer Association is to keep alive the traditions of family loyalty, integrity, and honor that have sustained us in the past and made Wyoming great. We will build on our heritage and history with the confidence that our future generations will be as proud of us as we are of our ancestors.
The Wyoming Pioneer Association also helps the Pioneer Museum. The museum is open all year. It collects and displays items important to the history of the American West and its pioneers.
Wyoming Pioneer Memorial Museum
The museum first started in 1927 in what is now called the Wyoming Pioneer Cabin. The association ran the museum there until 1956. That's when the state built a new museum building. In 2017, the museum created an Advisory Council to help the superintendent. The association has a permanent voting member on this council. The association also acts as a "Friends of the Museum" group.
The museum has been open continuously since 1927. It has been in its current building for over 50 years. You can see many interesting items on display. These include an original jackalope, a historic bar, old photographs, and a collection of Native American artifacts. Another cool item is the bib overalls from Charles Irwin, a famous rodeo stock contractor.
Honoring Pioneers and Veterans
The Wyoming Pioneer Association helps the community by honoring people. They often recognize work related to cemeteries and veterans.
In 2010, the association helped get a proper grave marker for John C. Hunton. Hunton was born in 1839 in Madison, Virginia. He served in the American Civil War before moving to Wyoming. Besides being the first president of the association, Hunton was one of Wyoming's first cattlemen. He worked many jobs and started businesses across Wyoming Territory. His diaries are important early historical documents for Wyoming. He also helped start the Wyoming Stock Growers Association.
Hunton died on September 4, 1928, at 89 years old. He was buried in Cheyenne, Wyoming with only a small stone marking his grave. Association members worked to get a new gravestone. They used his Civil War records to apply for a new marker. The new gravestone was placed next to the original marker in Westlake Cemetery.
In 2016, the association gave its second Historical Restoration Award. This award went to a community that fixed up a cemetery in Niobrara County, Wyoming.
