Thursday, December 3, 2020

Today In Wyoming's History: A New Sidebar: Wyoming Myths

Today In Wyoming's History: A New Sidebar: Wyoming Myths

A New Sidebar: Wyoming Myths

In the next couple of days we're going to premier a new sidebar series on this site, that being Wyoming Myths. The focus of the series is probably obvious.

It's not like it'll be an exhaustive series with vast numbers of entries.  By and large, Wyoming's history has been pretty accurately recorded and portrayed.  But every state's story includes some myths, some simply frequently repeated, and some that are in fact cherished.

Indeed, it's just one such myth that causes this series to come about.  It's a myth that I've known about for a long time and its simply not true.  But it is a beloved one in certain quarters.  I've avoided writing on it as deflating a beloved myth can provoke ire, particularly one like we're going to start off with, but things that aren't true, aren't true.  And preserving a falsehood doesn't do anyone any good.

One thing on this, which I'll note right from the onset, this thread won't be "revisionist".  I'll occasionally take positions on some things, although not so much on this blog, which are "revisionist" in nature, but only where they are in need of revision based upon the facts of a matter.  Indeed, one likely teed up "myth" we'll address is a revisionist myth seeking to "correct" an earlier history which, at least based upon what we currently know about the matter, was likely correct.

Indeed, that would tend to be true about the first myth we'll deal with here as well, which was the product of an early 20th Century revision.

The first entry is almost ready to go.  We hope you'll enjoy the series, or at least read it, and of course should you choose to defend the myth, well you certain are welcome and encouraged to comment on it.  And if you are relieved, surprised, or whatever when a post comes up, well please feel free to note that as well.

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