Laramie in Albany County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)

Ranching from the High Point

Photographed by Beverly Pfingsten, June 11, 2011

1. Ranching from the High Point Marker

Inscription. This area of Albany and Laramie Counties is noted for its rich agricultural history. The forests and rolling hills were home to large sheep and cattle herds from the mid 1800s into the 1900s. After the Civil War, trees harvested from what is now the Medicine Bow National Forest helped build the Union Pacific Railroad -- essential to moving livestock to markets. Cheyenne was known in the 1880s as "the wealthiest little city in the world". Much of this wealth was held by area cattle barons.

Tom Horn, an infamous stock detective, was accused and convicted of killing 14-year-old Willie Nickel approximately 30 miles north of here in 1901. Horn was hanged in 1903 in Cheyenne.

to the west, the Laramie Plains are now home to many cattle and sheep ranches. To the east, the High Plains primarily support cattle, sheep and wheat. Less traditional crops such as sunflowers are becoming popular.

Ranching and farming are largely responsible for the wide open spaces that surround you. These agricultural lands provide critical habitat for both wildlife and diverse plant communities. hunting, camping, hiking, and bicycling are activities that easily coexist with agriculture on both private and public lands.

Erected by Wyoming.

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Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Agriculture. A significant historical year for this entry is 1901.

Location. 41° 14.21′ N, 105° 26.149′ W. Marker is in Laramie, Wyoming, in Albany County. It can be reached from the intersection of Interstate 80 and Wyoming Highway 210. Marker is at Lincoln Monument Rest Stop. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Laramie WY 82070, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Wyoming’s Laramie Basin. It is also in the American Mountain West.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Republic of Texas.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Purple Heart Trail (here, next to this marker); Abraham Lincoln (here, next to this marker); Henry Bourne Joy and the Lincoln Highway (here, next to this marker); Telephone Canyon (here, next to this marker); Gateway to the Rockies (here, next to this marker); Henry B. Joy Monument

Wyoming's Agriculture image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Beverly Pfingsten, June 11, 2011

2. Wyoming's Agriculture

(within shouting distance of this marker); Old Sherman Cemetery (approx. 7.2 miles away); Ames Monument (approx. 7.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Laramie.

Photographed by Adam Margolis, August 25, 2014

3. Ranching from the High Point Marker

Photographed by Adam Margolis, August 25, 2014

4. Ranching from the High Point Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on January 12, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 14, 2011, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,038 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 14, 2011, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. 3, 4. submitted on January 12, 2024, by Adam Margolis of Mission Viejo, California.