Looking through old photographs is like stepping through a portal in time. They can take you back decades — even centuries. When these old Wyoming photos were unearthed, we knew we had to share them. They may even be the oldest photos of Wyoming you can find! It's incredible the way they depict the Cowboy State in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, showing that Wyoming has come a long way, yet some aspects largely remained unchanged.
This well-known scene is a picture of Tower Falls and was taken in the 1870s, somewhere around the time explorers first came across the area we now know as Yellowstone National Park.
In the late 1860s, teams of geologists and surveyors flocked to Wyoming, then an unknown territory. This historic Wyoming picture shows one team led by geologist John Wesley Powell as they prepare to launch into their adventure.
The teams would set up camps like this one along their way.
First published in 1868, this photo shows the stately Church Butte near Fort Bridger.
The railroad was a big deal here out west. This picture from the mid-1860s captured the bridge construction near Citadel Rock.
Carbon County was founded in the late 1860s and this image shows the group of men credited with pioneering the area.
Today, this site is a ruin, but this undated photo is proof that a hospital once stood there.
Once immigrants started settling in Wyoming, it didn't take long for cities to start popping up. This picture depicts Cheyenne as an established and growing town by 1876.
This 1870s snap of Teapot Rock by Green River could have been taken today - some things in Wyoming never change.
Wyoming kept U.S. Geological Survey teams busy in the late 1800s. This photograph was taken at a U.S.G.S. camp at Red Buttes near the junction of the Sweetwater and North Platte rivers.
This 1869 picture of the Unita Summit near Bear River proves that Wyoming's wilderness has always been breathtaking.
As the 20th Century got rolling, so did road construction. A road crew working in Wyoming in the 1920s got together to capture this moment for posterity.
What did you think of these old Wyoming photos? Were there any historic Wyoming pictures that caught your attention? Do you have any old images you'd like to share? Let us know in the comments.
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What fascinates you most about Wyoming's history? If you can't get enough of our state's past, visit some of our historic sites and you can step back in time! And if you love visiting historic sites like we do, consider a road trip. Just make sure you don't forget the snacks for your drive!
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