|
Washakie
County
Formed in 1911 and named for Chief Washakie
(wash-a-key)
According to C.F Robertson, in
his book “From Sage to Sugar” it took some
work to become a county.
Quote:
Efforts Toward Securing a County — Washakie
 The best evidence that this particular section of the state was
rapidly filling up with a bunch of “live wires” was the avidity with which its
citizenship gave unified support to any new enterprise that promised advancement
‘for Worland. One of the first Concrete demonstrations of this intangible
something, later called the “Worland spirit’ was when the question of calving
the state into counties appeared upon the horizon. Worland was not ‘slow in
taking every possible advantage of its natural location, as a means of pressing
its claims to a portion of ‘the state covering the area tributary to it. In fact
when the carving began, or even before that, Worland “staked out its Claim” and
held tenaciously to it until success crowned her efforts. This took two sessions
of the state ‘legislature before it was accomplished.
It became apparent from the
first that we were too new, or thought to be
by older settled sections of the state.
It took one entire session
of the legislature, that ‘of 1909,
accompanied by the hardest kind of work to
overcome this prejudice. Our first effort
was to prevent, if possible, the cutting up
of our area in such a manner that ‘would
forever keep us from getting a county. The
task of guarding Worland’s interests was
turned over to honorable H. B. Gates and the
writer; these men were hurriedly sent to
Cheyenne when the proposed lines came too
close for comfort. The Thermopolis crowd had
a cinch from the first as their member of
the legislature ‘was chairman of the
committee on Counties and County boundaries.
This gentleman was in e position to play his
cards to win, which he did in due time, but
lie “double crossed” the Worland contingent
when it came to fixing the north boundary
line of their proposed County.
This action cost them their
county at that session of the legislature,
for when the unfairness of this line was
called to Governor Brooks’ attention, He
promptly vetoed [the bill. This veto by the
governor caused much resentment in and
around Thermopolis for sonic time, but this
feeling softened in time and all was finally
forgotten.
Two years later, in 1911, we
all came up smiling and several bills were
introduced in the legislature carving up
various sections of the state, it was
generally conceded that the time probably
had arrived when the job of creating several
new counties had to be done. The members of
that session cheerfully faced the task with
rare good humor and the several new counties
were created with very little friction.
Governor Carey
whole-heartedly supported the move and
signed all bills passed by the legislature
creating these new counties which all
because laws without exception.
Fred Bragg, J. A. Howell, H.
B. Gates and the writer formed the committee
from Worland that had charge of the bill
which eventually created Washakie County.
The Enabling Act for Washakie County was
signed by Governor Joseph M. Carey April 18,
1911. The writer still possesses the gold
pen used for signing the bill that created
Washakie County.
An interesting sidelight as
to just how the county was named “Washakie”
might well be told here. When the bill
creating the county was being prepared, we
were at a loss for a name for the new county
and inserted that of “Hanover,’ into the
original bill. This was merely done for
identification purposes, and with no idea of
it being the permanent name. Finally Senator
Cross of Converse County, a man well versed
in Indian lore, and who had a great
reverence for anything Indian, came to our
committee and asked for the privilege of
giving our county a real name. We readily
assented, and that afternoon ~ made the
motion to strike out the name “Hanover” and
insert “Washakie” and the deed was done.
As to the name, I might add
that the committee had been cautiously
angling for the name Washakie from the
first... This had not been mentioned, as two
years previously the Thermopolis contingent
had introduced their bill under the name of
Hot Springs, and at the opportune time
Senator Cross changed it to the name
Washakie.” They were displeased but dared
not risk the loss of the establishment of
their county just because of a name they did
not want. Two years later the change was
made, Hot Springs became the name of the
Thermopolis County and Washakie was saved
for the Worland district.
I feel that I must pay my
respects to those associated with me in the
arduous task of bringing into being such an
outstanding county of Wyoming as Washakie
has proved to be. No better selection than
Fred Bragg could have been made to head time
county committee having the bill in charge.
Mr. Bragg was a. pioneer of this part of me
state and was well and favorably known to
almost every one, particularly to all the
old-timers within the legislative bodies of
both house and senate. I sometimes doubt if
there would ever have been a Washakie County
ad not Fred Bragg gone with us to Cheyenne
and lent the weight of his influence to our
cause. J. Ashby Howell and H. B. Gates,
active, energetic and rising young men
Worland, were good fielders”
for a man of Fred Bragg’s temperament. Mr.
Bragg demanded results and as satisfied with
nothing less. Lie was so intensely practical
in all his moves that he did not allow
anyone, not even himself, to make any
tactical mistakes in formulating and
carrying out the plans of his campaign for a
‘Washakie County
Our hearts are tinged with
sadness when we reflect at these men, so
forceful and useful to our community, have
all passed on to join, the great majority,
and so early life too.
Honorable Patrick Sullivan,
a particularly close personal friend of Mr.
Bragg, was a member of the state senate at
that session, amid under Mr. Bragg’s
direction, sponsored the Washakie County
bill and guided it safely rough the senate.
He, too, proved to be in an invaluable ally
to Washakie County’s plans. Because it was
known at Pat would not attend another
session of the state senate, his great
personal popularity granted any bill that
sponsored “right-of-way.” All he had to (10
was to let. S wishes be known, and they were
granted for the asking. Washakie County bill
had strong opposition and seasoned influence
was needed in order to carry the bill
successfully through, not only the senate
but the house as well. : End Quote
WASHAKIE
COUNTY
Population 8000 (EST.)
 The only county in Wyoming named after an Indian Chief; Washakie
County is located in the center of the Big Horn Basin. The name Washakie
(Wash-a-key) in honor of one of the strongest and most famous Shoshoni leaders,
Chief Washakie, born Pina Quanah, which means “Smells of Sugar,” Chief Washakie
of the Shoshones was one of the best friends the pioneers and settlers of the
Big Horn Basin ever had.
The area was known and
hunted by this great chief and his people.
Early settlers in the county quickly
recognized the agricultural potential when
irrigation could be applied to lowlands
along the larger streams and the Big Horn
River. In addition to farming and ranching,
history has seen considerable development in
manufacturing and in the mineral industry in
Washakie County, and many oil and gas wells
can be viewed in the county.
When traveling within the
county, as a traveler you will see many
irrigated fields producing a variety of
crops, including corn, grains, hay, beans
and sugar beets. Major industries include:
Wyoming Sugar Co. LLC, sugar processing
plant; Fremont Beverage, a soft drink
bottling and canning operation; Crown Cork &
Seal, a can manufacturing plant; Black Hills
Bentonite, one of the nation’s cleanest
Bentonite processing plants and Adolph Coors
Malt Barley Storage Facility, which will
store up to a hundred and fifty million
pounds of barley.
Washakie County was created
through the division of Big Horn County,
which included all of the Big Horn Basin and
Yellowstone Park. Worland and Ten Sleep are
the only incorporated municipalities in
Washakie County.
Credit to
C.F. Robertson – Sage to Sugar, Northern
Wyoming Daily News & the State of Wyoming,
Worland-Ten Sleep Chamber of Commerce
|
|
