Camp Along Medicine Bow River, Hayden Expedition 1871, photo by Wm. H. Jackson

In the background is Elk Mountain, originally called "Medicine Butte." Compare with the next scene from the 1930's along the Lincoln Highway.

Elk Mountain in distance, Medicine Bow River in foreground

The Stansbury expedition passed through the area in 1850. The area was on the original route for the Overland Stage, but due to Indian attacks the line was moved further south nearer to the present day town of Elk Mountain. The Union Pacific reached Medicine Bow in 1868, when the town consisted of little more than a store and saloon. As indicated in the discussion of William Henry Jackson on Photos IV, Jackson in 1869 followed the Railroad from town to town across the Territory. Thus, he had visited the area before his joining of the Hayden expedition pictured above.

Entrance Sign to Medicine Bow on the Lincoln Highway, undated. Note the spelling of "Wonderful Wyoming."

As indicated in the photo, Medicine Bow takes great pride in being the fictional home of the Virginian in Owen Wister's classic novel of Wyoming. The line quoted on the sign comes after Trampas, the villain, in a poker game casually called the Virginian a son-of-a-bitch:

The Virginian's pistol came out, and his hand lay on the table, holding it unaimed. And with a voice as gentle as ever, the voice that sounded almost like a caress, but drawling a very little more than usual, so that there was almost a space between each word, he issued his orders to the man Trampas:-

"When you call me that, smile!" And he looked at Trampas across the table.

Yes, the voice was gentle. But in my ears it seemed as if somewhere the bell of death was ringing.

Wister Monument, Medicine Bow

Early motorists on the Lincoln Highway did not see the monument. It was not constructed until 1939. The monument was built of petrified wood from about 40 miles to the north. After the arrival of the railroad Medicine Bow's primary population was military. The 1870 census listed the population as 100, consisting of 65 military and 35 civilians, perhaps for good reason. On June 25, 1870, the town was attacked by Indians, but fought off by Company 1 of the 2nd cavalry.

Ten years later, the total population was shown in the 1880 census as but 54, primarily associated with the railroad. Indeed, even the cemetery is primarily associated with the railroad, either workers or in some instances passengers. The most famous passenger, lying in an unmarked grave, was William W. Piper, noted as the designer of the University of Oregon's Administration Building, Deady Hall. The building, the last ever designed by Piper, is a baroque, Second Empire style, mansarded brick pile with multiple dormers, almost as ugly as the old New York State Capital Building. Piper ended his life shortly after the completion of Deady Hall by taking a dive, head first, off a Union Pacific train passing through Medicine Bow. Piper also designed Portland's New Market Theatre.

By 1876, the first school was established. With the cattle boom of the late 1870's and early 1880's, Medicine Bow became the largest cattle shipping point on the UPRR, shipping an average of 2,000 head a day. In the early 1900's, the town was a center for the shipping of wool.

Automobilists, Medicine Bow, approx. 1910

With the construction of I-80, traffic was diverted from Medicine Bow, but in the 1970's the town experienced growth with the advent of low suphur coal and attained a population of 953 in 1980. The boom ended, however, and the population by 1990 had regressed to 380.

Medicine Bow, 1907

The Depot pictured burned in 1913 and was replaced by the present depot, erected in November, 1913, which now houses a museum. The depot was moved to its present location in 1954.

Medicine Bow continued on next page.