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The strike of a rattlesnake, the danger of stampede, the whistling of cowboys, the swish of a lasso and the sting of the hot sun.

The cowboys on round-up are a true pioneer of Wyoming.

Welcome to another episode of "Pioneers of Outlaw Country," where we delve into fascinating stories from Wyoming’s past that often go unnoticed. I am your host, Jackie Dorothy, and today we are traveling on a round-up with one of our favorite tourists, Owen Wister.

His observations led him to write "The Viriginian" which became the most famous western romances in the world. He introduced an entire generation to the noble cowboy and a strange new world on the western frontier.

It is the year 1885 and Owen Wister, the young tourist – and future novelist – has been invited to join a round-up with the Wolcott cowboys. He had been on the ranch for a month and was more comfortable in a saddle but still very much a greenhorn. His journals capture the adventure he experienced on his very first cattle round-up.

This episode has been brought to you in partnership with the Hot Springs County Pioneer Association and would not be possible without the support of the Wyoming Humanities. www.thinkwy.org

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Be sure to subscribe to “Pioneers of Outlaw Country” so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series. The stories of our pioneers were brought to you by Hot Springs County Pioneer Association. Join us on Facebook!

Your hosts are Jackie Dorothy and Dean King and you can find us at (20+) Pioneers of Outlaw Country | Facebook

This is a production of Legend Rock Media Productions.

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The Harvard student of law bent over his journal, writing in camp light and by kerosene. He was capturing the words that he would one day use to write the most popular Western fiction in the world.

In 1885, a young tourist arrived in Wyoming and went by stage to Medicine Bow. He was a 24 year old Owen Wister who faithfully recorded in his journal all that he saw - and he wasn't very impressed! Years later, these jottings were the experiences of the Tenderfoot and the opening scene to his most famous book, The Virginian, Horseman of the Plains.

In this episode, we compare two scenes Wister observed in his journal of the small town of Medicine Bow with the fiction scenes he wrote nearly 20 years later in his western romance. Step back into time and hear the distant train as a young Owen Wister explores a dusty western town on the edge of civilization!

The stories of our pioneers were brought to you by our partners, Hot Springs County Pioneer Association. Descendants of Thermopolis, Wyoming can learn how to join their organization by sending us a text! Also send us a text if you have a story you would like featured on the podcast!

This program has been made possible through a grant from Wyoming Humanities.

Support the Show.

Be sure to subscribe to “Pioneers of Outlaw Country” so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series. The stories of our pioneers were brought to you by Hot Springs County Pioneer Association. Join us on Facebook!

Your hosts are Jackie Dorothy and Dean King and you can find us at (20+) Pioneers of Outlaw Country | Facebook

This is a production of Legend Rock Media Productions.

Send us a Text Message.

When we think of the early visitors of Wyoming, we think of the cowboys, homesteaders, miners and others coming to the West to make their fortune. There was another group of young men who came west on the trains and stagecoaches. These were young, rich men looking for an adventure and relaxation. They were not in Wyoming to find their fortune but here to vacation.

Among these young tourists was a Harvard student of law, Owen Wister. His journals kept a record of his first arrival to Wyoming. As a world traveler, he was not easily awed but Wyoming caught his imagination and pulled him back for visits over the next 15 years.

Join Wister on his first weeks in Wyoming, a broken young man who had traveled to Wyoming as part of his 'camp cure' and left with the beginnings of the great American novel, The Virginian.

Thank you for listening to Outlaws of Pioneer Country. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series. The stories of our pioneers were brought to you by Hot Springs County Pioneer Association.

This program has been made possible through a grant from Wyoming Humanities.

Support the Show.

Be sure to subscribe to “Pioneers of Outlaw Country” so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series. The stories of our pioneers were brought to you by Hot Springs County Pioneer Association. Join us on Facebook!

Your hosts are Jackie Dorothy and Dean King and you can find us at (20+) Pioneers of Outlaw Country | Facebook

This is a production of Legend Rock Media Productions.