Stephen Downey was a prominent Laramie lawyer and legislator who, while serving in the Wyoming Territorial Legislature, played a crucial role in upholding the Woman’s Suffrage Act that had passed a year earlier in 1869. His political career included separate stints as territorial treasurer and auditor in the 1870s, and as Wyoming Territory’s delegate to the United States Congress.

In the 1886 Wyoming Territorial Legislative session – the last one before statehood – Speaker of the House Downey introduced a bill to fund a state university. Downey is therefore often considered to be the “father” of the University of Wyoming. After statehood, Downey served as president of the University of Wyoming’s Board of Trustees between 1891 and 1897.

While managing a political career, Downey continued to practice law. In 1899, he negotiated to gain the possession of an enormous dinosaur the University of Wyoming felt it had claim to—and the effort was eventually successful. Downey’s daughter, June Etta Downey became a professor of philosophy and psychology at the University of Wyoming.

Learn more about Stephen Downey. 

Resources

Ora Haley was the owner of the”Two Bar Ranch and Cattle Co.” along the Little Snake River in southeastern Wyoming in the 1890s. Known as a “bovine king,” his property eventually expanded to include 50,000 acres in Wyoming and an additional 2,500 acres in northern Colorado.

A large operation such as Haley’s did not mix well with those of the smaller settlers in the area, and there was a good deal of cattle rustling and other illegal activity around his property. Tom Horn, a hired gun and range detective, was hired in 1892 by the Swan Land and Cattle Company in Wyoming as a horse breaker. In truth, however, he was a stock detective working for cattle barons who were fighting for their very existence. Although a link between Ora Haley and Tom Horn was never proven, area rancher Matt Rash and Isom Dart, a local ranch hand, were both mysteriously murdered, and neither case ever solved.

A federal grand jury later indicted Haley for illegal fencing.

Learn more about Ora Haley.

Resources

Thomas Tipton Thornburgh was a Major serving in the United States Army’s Fourth Infantry Regiment at Fort Steele near Rawlins in the late 1870s. A Civil War veteran and West Point graduate, Thornburgh was transferred to the Paymaster Corps., but missed the “action” of the West and was transferred to the infantry at Fort Steele.

Action he wanted – action he got! When trouble arose between the Ute tribe on the White River Reservation near Meeker, Colorado and the reservation agent, Thornburgh and a detachment of 175 men were called out to halt the advancing Utes. Thornburgh was killed, and his troops required reinforcement from the 9th Cavalry “Buffalo Soldiers,” as well as 5th Cavalry units from Fort D.A. Russell.

Many places and streets in Laramie have been named after Thornburgh, although no one is sure why, as there seems to be some confusion concerning the part he played in local history. And, despite this fondness for the man, his name is often misspelled as “Thornburg.”

Learn more about Major Thomas Tipton Thornburgh. 

Resources

Where did Laramie Street Names Come From?
By
Kim Viner
Laramie Plains Museum

Editor’s note:  This story is one in a series prepared for the Albany County Museum Coalition, an alliance of organizations that promote Laramie’s historic and cultural resources.

Did you ever wonder how the streets in downtown Laramie got their names? Well, if you like the names, give credit to the Laramie Boomerang.

On February 19, 1889, the editors at the Boomerang stated that the original 1868 east to west street names of A, B, C etc. and the north to south numbered streets were not becoming of a modern metropolis in the late 1800’s. So, on that day the paper suggested an update was necessary.

The paper proposed that the streets should be renamed for early settlers or well-known locations. Names such as Trabing, Hutton, Holliday and Fillmore and famous sites such as Yellowstone were initially suggested.

Within a week, however, the Boomerang published another article that offered a different suggestion. This one came from local businessman W.H. Root. He suggested to the paper that the streets be named after “well known military officers who have served in this vicinity.” The Boomerang’s suggestion, with Root’s modification, took hold and soon the Laramie city council appointed a three-person committee to study the proposal.

On March 15, 1889, they reported to the council a list of names that should be considered and the recommendation that the numbered streets not be changed. For the east to west streets they chose mostly military officers and some pioneers. Over the next week, the list was changed. The proposed Bonneville Street was changed to Grand Avenue and the proposed Bridger Street was changed to Sheridan Street.  On March 21, the Boomerang listed the names for all the streets that were to be voted upon by the city council.

The list was adopted by city ordinance on May 8, 1889, and the formal list published by the paper on May 14. The paper praised the actions of the council, noting it was one of the last acts of the outgoing administration following the election of new council members on April 2, 1889 who would take office in June.

There was confusion over the changes. In early June, new mayor Augustus Trabing asked at a council meeting if the change had been approved. He said that several local residents where not sure of the name of the street in front of their houses. Councilman Hicks assured the mayor that the changes were official and lamented that people would know that if they simply read the paper. To rectify the situation, H. D.  Beemer was hired to paint street signs that were placed where the newly named streets intersected Second Street.

The new street names north of University to Mitchell have remained the same as they were adopted in 1889. Two changes happened south of University. Mizner Street was never built and the name not used. A significant change occurred in 1928. A proposal was made to change Thornburgh Street to Ivinson Avenue in honor of all the philanthropic works Ivinson had done for the city.  Just after the New Year, A.C. Jones, the vice president of the First National Bank and a longtime friend of Edward Ivinson, circulated a petition asking citizens of Thornburgh Street to support his call to the city council to rename the thoroughfare “Ivinson Avenue.”

All but one or two agreed and Jones presented the petition to the city. On January 18, the city council passed the ordinance renaming the street Ivinson Avenue. Mayor Downey was out of the city on that day but signed the ordinance on January 21, 1928. Interestingly, there is no record of the official name being changed to “Ivinson Street” as shown on current street signs.

Kim Viner, “Street Names in Laramie,” Volunteer at the Laramie Plains Museum 

A few pioneers had settled in the Laramie area prior to Fort Sanders’ founding, but with the new protection of the fort, that number grew quickly. Some ranches were established in the area, and aside from the civilians housed at Fort Sanders itself, a collection of tents and shacks formed along the Elizabeth Creek (now Spring Creek) approximately 2 miles north of Fort Sanders.  This was also very close to the ferry for the immigrant trail. These townspeople served the travelers, as well as the soldiers at the Fort in a variety of ways. Dominating the camp was the Sunnyside Resort, a log-built bawdy establishment catering to thirsty soldiers, weary travelers, and men seeking companionship.

In October 1867, the town of Laramie was platted by the surveyors for the railroad.  Many of the inhabitants of the creek encampment moved quickly to the platted land and set up squatter’s structures.  Land would not officially go on sale until April 1868.  There were a variety of tents, log-slab shacks, upended railroad ties and lodgepoles set into the ground and draped with canvas.

Early businesses from the creek were established in town, such as Henry Wagner’s Dry Goods Store. The first hotel to be built was the Shamrock, a long log cabin owned by Patrick Doran. Doran had walked westward from Pine Bluffs with a group of friends (M.H. Murphy, John and Lawrence Fee and John Connors). The group found work in the tie-camps in the mountains,  as well as carrying chain for the surveyors platting the city.

Learn more about Laramie’s early pioneers and cattle barons. 

Resources