Regional Timeline Development of the Big Horn Basin & Powell Valley 1890 1894 1895 1896 1899 Wyoming Carey Land Act Big Horn Basin Park County, Wyo. Park County, Wyo. August 18 – President Grover Cody, Wyo. is platted. Cody was founded. William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody July 10 – Wyoming Cleveland signed the Desert and investors acquired rights becomes the 44th State Land Act of 1894, better Burlington and Otto, from the State of Wyoming in the United States of known as the Carey Act. Wyo. are established. Sponsored by Wyoming appropriate waters from the America. Senator Joseph M. Carey, the Shoshone River for 120,000 acres Act was meant to improve the of public domain near Cody. success rate for the settlement of the public lands. The law specifically addressed the millions upon millions of acres in the western states that required irrigation for productive farming—the so- called ‘arid lands.’ 1 Homesteader Museum/Big Horn Basin Timeline 15 July 2019 Regional Timeline Development of the Big Horn Basin & Powell Valley 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 Reclamation Act Park County, Wyo. Park County, Wyo. Park County, Wyo. Shoshone Dam June 17th – Newlands Act Burlington Railroad (Reclamation Act) is signed The Wyoming State $2,250,000 is set aside for Construction of Shoshone Dam completed its spur line by President Theodore Board of Land the initial construction of the begins (In 1946, Shoshone Dam to Cody, Wyoming from Roosevelt. A federal act Commissioners, with Shoshone Reclamation was renamed Buffalo Bill Dam by Project. Toluca, Montana. directing the Secretary of the William F. “Buffalo President Harry S. Truman). Interior to reclaim arid lands in the western United States, Bill” Cody’s approval, Shoshone Reclamation Cody, Wyoming was urged the U.S. Project incorporated. use irrigation projects to revive the lands, and prepare Reclamation Service to William F. “Buffalo Bill” Garland, Wyo. was the lands for homesteading. complete the proposed Cody transferred his water irrigation development. founded. Cody, Wyo. rights to the Secretary of the th Interior and drilling began November 18 – Irma Hotel, that July. named after William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody’s daughter opens. 2 Homesteader Museum/Big Horn Basin Timeline 15 July 2019 Regional Timeline Development of the Big Horn Basin & Powell Valley 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 Shoshone Project Shoshone Project Shoshone Project Shoshone Project Shoshone Project th May 8 – Second drawing on the January 15th – last bucket of concrete Entries open for Garland Ralston & Corbett Dam were Garland Division; 217 units, Construction of Corbett Dam completed. poured completing the Shoshone and diversion work starts. Division homesteading with 15,662 acres. 35,000 acres. Dam, total cost $929,558.88 (World’s First water delivered to Garland Canal completed. Tallest Dam at this time = 325 feet Construction of Garland th homesteaders on Garland above canyon floor). Canal starts. November 25 - First drawing for homesteaders are chosen Division. Park County, Wyo. by lot; 276 units, 15,237 acres. Powell, Wyo. May – Camp Coulter, Powell, Wyo. February 15 – Legislature for the formation of Park County was government base of Park County, Wyo. May 10th – A.P. Libby elected mayor. operations for work on the March 13th – First Powell authorized. January 28th at Midnight – Disastrous Garland Division is Camp Colter is renamed Tribune published. Powell Business established. Powell. fire destroys Bent Street block. First tree is planted. May 10th – Powell incorporated. March 16th – Ralston, Wyo. May 25th – Town lots go on sale 62 lots had been sold in the town of Ralston, Wyo. platted. School opens with 36 students. Post Office was established. in Powell, including business Powell by end of year. Population about 300. section. 3 Homesteader Museum/Big Horn Basin Timeline 15 July 2019 Regional Timeline Development of the Big Horn Basin & Powell Valley 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 Park County, Wyo. Powell Business Shoshone Project Shoshone Project Powell & Powell Business January 15th – Early morning fire Park County September 18th – S.A. Government forces begin Garland Division Nelson sells the Powell complete with 450 destroys almost all wood-framed commissioners hold first correcting bog problems buildings on Bent Street. official meeting. Tribune and founds the on the new project by homesteads. First National Bank of installing drains. Powell Telephone Company is Park County valuation is Powell. incorporated. $6 million. Art Owens opens the first May 20th – Powell’s first high school barber shop in Powell. class graduates. New school built. Powell water system is completed. Estimated population on Oil was discovered in Elk Basin, the Shoshone Project Wyo. was 1,700. 4 Homesteader Museum/Big Horn Basin Timeline 15 July 2019 Regional Timeline Development of the Big Horn Basin & Powell Valley 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 Powell, Wyo. Shoshone Project Powell Business Powell Business Wyoming September 15th - Frannie Severe agricultural depression Fire destroys the Powell Powell Electric 800 acres of sugar beets Division opens to Tribune building. follows the war. is contracted. homesteading with 14,600 Company files acres. incorporation papers. Wyoming banks begin to fail. First hospital (Whitlock) in the Big Horn Basin Powell, Wyo. Big Horn Basin begins construction in Whitlock Hospital opens. Public gatherings are Powell. Population reached 800. prohibited because of April 21st – Powell Spanish Influenza. Volunteer Fire Big Horn Basin Department established. William F. Cody dies in Denver. Germania, Wyo. changes its name to Emblem. 5 Homesteader Museum/Big Horn Basin Timeline 15 July 2019 Regional Timeline Development of the Big Horn Basin & Powell Valley 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 Powell, Wyo. Shoshone Project Shoshone Project Powell Business Wyoming Natural gas turned into Willwood Dam June – Willwood Dam Powell National Bank Mrs. Nellie Tayloe Ross mains in Powell. construction camp had complete. fails. became the first woman been set up and work governor in the United States – Shoshone Project began on the dam, A new bridge across 14th Governor of Wyoming. which would divert the Shoshone River Drilling at the foundation water from the linking Powell and the of the Willwood Dam Shoshone River to the new irrigable was completed. rd 3 Division of the Willwood lands was Shohone Project. completed at a cost of $20,000. 6 Homesteader Museum/Big Horn Basin Timeline 15 July 2019 Regional Timeline Development of the Big Horn Basin & Powell Valley 1926 1927 1929 1930 1933 Powell, Wyo. Shoshone Project Shoshone Project Powell, Wyo. Wyoming September - Powell June 1st – Willwood About 25% of the land Powell Schools had Mrs. Nellie Taylor Ross (14th hosted the Shoshone Division opens; 42 on the Willwood 1,043 students enrolled; Governor of Wyo.) becomes the Project Fair (Park units. Division had been high school students first woman director of the U.S. County Fair) for the settled. included 103 freshmen, Mint. Powell, Wyo. 56 sophomores, 55 first time, even Powell gets streetlights juniors, 37 seniors, and though Powell had 3 post graduates. fairground facilities and concrete since 1921. sidewalks. 7 Homesteader Museum/Big Horn Basin Timeline 15 July 2019 Regional Timeline Development of the Big Horn Basin & Powell Valley 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 Powell, Wyo. Powell, Wyo. Powell, Wyo. Shoshone Shoshone Project National Forest 488 people in Powell New high school was May 2nd – Powell’s Bid invitations for construction have telephones. built with Public Works brand new bandshell, Blackwater Fire on the of earthwork and the canal Administration funds. built by Public Works Northfork of the lining for the Shoshone Administration was Shoshone River kills 15 Project’s 4th division, Heart New Powell library dedicated. firefighters and injures Mountain, were issued. was built across the 39 more. street from new high school building. The Powell Branch Library is still located on the corner of Clark and 3rd Street. 8 Homesteader Museum/Big Horn Basin Timeline 15 July 2019 Regional Timeline Development of the Big Horn Basin & Powell Valley 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 Powell, Wyo. Park County, Wyo. Shoshone Project Heart Mountain, Wyo. Elk Basin, Wyo. th 11 days of Earl Durand September 10 – First water May – Heart Mountain New well in the Tensleep Road over Dead Indian was turned through the Relocation Camp formation in Elk Basin March 13th – Earl Durand Pass to Sunlight opens Shoshone Canyon Conduit construction begins, over produced 100 barrels of oil a controlling works and into 2,500 workers erected 456 arrested for poaching elk. for travel – Chief day. Joseph Scenic Highway. the Heart Mountain Canal. barracks and other March 16th – Earl Durand necessary facilities to escapes custody; shot/killed Powell Business handle the Japanese- First deep well at Elk Basin Town Marshal Charles comes in. st American internees (over “Chuck” Lewis & Deputy March 31 – 7:00am KPOW, 10,000). Sheriff D.M. Baker. the first radio station in the Big Horn Basin, begins August 12th – First March 24th – Earl Durand broadcasting with 250 watts internees arrive. During shot during First National of power. Al Meyer this period, Heart Mountain Bank Robbery by Tipton Cox. established the station, which was Wyoming’s 3rd largest is the 5th oldest in Wyoming. city. 9 Homesteader Museum/Big Horn Basin Timeline 15 July 2019 Regional Timeline Development of the Big Horn Basin & Powell Valley 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 Shoshone Project Shoshone Project Powell, Wyo. Heart Mountain, Wyo. Northwest College Heart Mountain Division th th February 4 - Heart Sewer system is November 10 – Last of Shoshone Project opened to Mountain Division is Northwest Center graduates expanded to serve entire train of internees leave homesteading. (4,000 officially opened to 212 its first class. town of Powell. Heart Mountain applications sent out to veterans. Drawing held in inquirers). Relocation Camp. Powell; 82 applicants became Shoshone Project owners of 7,720 acres. Powell Business nd Powell, Wyo. Polio outbreak closes The 2 drawing of the Heart Powell, Wyo.