Wyoming Place Names

The names of Wyoming's cities, counties, streams, and mountains are reflections of its history. It was Lewis and Clark who in 1805 dubbed a Wyoming mountain range Big Horn, and that name soon graced a town, a river, and countless local businesses. The Union Pacific Railroad left its mark across the state as the builders and engineers lent their names to rail stations such as Gillette, places that later grew into cities. Laramie, after trapper Jacques LaRamie, became the name of a university town, a river, a mountain, a county, and a large open area called Laramie Plains. This thorough and entertaining guide explores the backgrounds of over 2,000 Wyoming place names, prviding not only a handy reference but also a revealing protrait of the state's past.