History

Converse County was created from Albany and Laramie counties in 1888 and organized May 21, 1888. In 1911, the eastern portion became Niobrara County. The county is named for Amasa R. Converse, Cheyenne banker, stockman, and early business partner of Sen. Francis E. Warren. Even though thousands of travelers crossed the area on the Oregon-California-Mormon trails, few people lived in the county until the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad (later the Chicago and Northwestern) was built.

County Organization

Named for pioneer stockman and Cheyenne banker, Amasa R. Converse, Converse County was created by the Tenth Legislative Assembly of Wyoming Territory on March 9, 1888, from Albany and Laramie Counties. The new county's boundaries were Crook County on the north, Nebraska on the east, Laramie and Albany Counties on the south, and Natrona County on the west. The organization of Niobrara and Platte Counties in 1913 made Converse County's eastern boundary Niobrara County, and its southern boundary Platte and Albany Counties. The county's northern boundary had become Weston County in 1890, with the organization of that county, and then with the organization of Campbell County in 1913, that boundary became both Weston and Campbell Counties as it is today.

Early Settlement

Located on the high plains, with the Wyoming Black Hills (now called the Laramie Mountains) in the southwest corner of the county and bisected west to east by the North Platte River with numerous tributaries emptying into it; the region to be designated Converse County had long been occupied by the cattle industry. Large ranching operations the Swan Land And Cattle Company, Joseph M. Carey's Careyhurst, and others -- had been established during the 1870's. Using the open range, cattle ranching had brought people into the region, as had the establishment of Fort Fetterman in 1867, but the population was sparse and scattered across the vast open range.

The county is rich in trails history, with the old emigrant trails crossing the southern extremity, where trade was carried on at LaBonte and LaPrele stage stations. LaBonte was the name of a trapper; LaPrele, a grass referred to by Fremont. Both locations had been visited by Fremont, the "Pathfinder," in the 1840's. With the opening of the Bozeman Road to Montana, Fort Fetterman became a supply depot for the three forts protecting the trail: Forts Phil Kearny, Reno, and C. F. Smith. After these were abandoned under Indian pressure, Fetterman continued as a trading center for ranches, widely scattered along the streams. It was popular too with the Arapahoes, and for a time it served as a sub-agency where they received their annuities, before being placed on the Wind River Reservation.

As occurred in many Wyoming Counties, the coming of the railroad was the impetus for permanent settlement and resulted in the formation of Converse County. At about the same time that Fort Fetterman was being abandoned by the army, the civilian population around the fort moved and founded the town of Douglas. Named for the "Little Giant," Stephen A. Douglas, who had debated Abraham Lincoln, Douglas was located a few miles southwest of the fort. Shortly after the founding of the town, the Fremont, Elk Horn and Missouri Valley Railroad tracks reached the new town. This brought new settlers and soon business began to flourish. With a growing population, Douglas incorporated on June 7, 1887, encouraging the residents to advocate an independent county government for the immediate area.

County Organization

On the same day that the legislative assembly approved the act creating Converse County, March 9, 1888, eager citizens presented a petition with 422 signatures to Governor Thomas Moonlight, requesting that commissioners be appointed to organize the county. Governor Moonlight responded favorably and promptly, appointing Dr. J. M. Wilson, Douglas; Edmond J. Wells, Glenrock; and J. K. Calkins, Lusk; as commissioners to arrange and oversee the organization of the county.

The appointed commissioners also went promptly about their business, and on May 15, 1888, a special election was held in the county to choose a county seat and to elect the county's first officers. Twenty-one hundred seventy-two Converse County citizens cast their votes. Douglas was selected as the county seat by a margin of 1,014 votes over Glenrock and Lusk. The first elected county office-holders were:

For 17 years, county government in Converse County didn't have a permanent home. During most of these years, the county rented the second floor of the First National Bank of Douglas to house county offices. In conjunction with the Town of Douglas, a stone building was leased and used as a city-county jail, but was later purchased by the county and exclusively used by the county. One report indicates that this was the busiest building in town. Even for territorial Wyoming, the county's district court facilities were rather unique during these 17 years. The first district court sessions were held in a warehouse owned by businessman George Bollen. Later, after its construction, the town's plush Opera House was used for district court trials.

George W. Pike

George W. Pike of Douglas was a regular participant in trials held in the Opera House. Like most of Wyoming's frontier counties, Converse County had its share of outlaws and notorious characters, but Pike was the county's most noteworthy. A gambler, suspected cattle thief, and outlaw generally, Pike was tried by a jury on one or more felony charges at practically every session of the district court for 15 years -- and was never convicted. Early in his career, apparently anticipating that he was going to play a continuing role as a defendant at the Opera House, Pike contracted with the brilliant trial lawyer Fred Harvey, paying him a yearly salary for his continuing legal services. Harvey had been the county's first prosecuting attorney and had learned how to successfully manipulate Converse County jurors so that they always returned a not-guilty verdict for Pike.

County Courthouse

With continuing population and economic growth in the county, and a greater volume of county business after the turn of the century, the county commissioners began considering building a permanent courthouse. Bill Barlow's Budget, established in Douglas by Barlow in 1886, reported that on April 13, 1905, "Sealed bids for the erection of a courthouse building, including labor and all materials,'' would be received by the county's commissioners. In the amount of $30,000, the contract for the courthouse was let to Clark Brothers Company of Douglas, and was to be constructed of stone and "pressed brick" manufactured in Douglas. The plans called for a two-story building, with a basement for storage vaults, public restrooms, and a furnace room and coal bins. The first floor was to contain offices for all of the county's officials, except the clerk of district court. That office, along with the judge's chambers and the courtroom (George W. Pike had disappeared from the county and never made an appearance in the new courtroom), would be on the second floor.

The cornerstone was laid on August 2, 1905, and shortly thereafter Bill Barlow was reporting that exterior construction of the courthouse was progressing rapidly. However, three months later, March 28, 1906, he was complaining that ''work on our new courthouse is progressing slowly." Barlow went on to say that the contractor was having trouble hiring skilled laborers and had "went south yesterday after four additional men." Apparently, contractor Clark succeeded in hiring more workers, as the county officers moved into the new courthouse during April 1906.

On May 30, 1906, Barlow's Budget reported: "The county will clear off and make a lawn of the courthouse yard. The city is talking of building a bandstand in the northwest corner (of the block), in which event the band boys promise us weekly Sunday evening concerts, gratis." The citizens of Converse County were justifiably proud of their new courthouse as they gathered on summer Sunday evenings to sit on the grass and listen to the marches of John Phillip Sousa, or take care of business in their new building. But their pride was short-lived. Within a year, cracks and other signs of structural deterioration of the new courthouse were evident. The building had been constructed on a shale formation which was continually shifting, and by 1909, the courthouse had been condemned as unsafe.

The courthouse problem caused a furor in Converse County, with charges and counter charges being leveled. Faced with ongoing controversy, the county commissioners delayed for nearly six years making a decision as what to do with the courthouse, and continued to use it to conduct county business. Finally in late 1914, a decision was made to build a new courthouse and to demolish the old one. In February 1915, the commissioners accepted the plans drawn by architect M. Bowman of Denver for a new courthouse. The plans called for the construction of a three-story building with a half basement, and for a separate jail and sheriff's residence. The new county facilities were to be built near downtown Douglas, at 4th and Center Street.

This decision to relocate the proposed courthouse away from the attractive courthouse square, with its spacious lawn, trees, and bandstand, created another uproar among the county's citizens. The uproar became a crescendo of complaint when the rumor began circulating that the commissioners intended to divide courthouse square into lots and sell them for home sites. The good taxpayers of Converse County were heard. A month later, the commissioners announced that the new courthouse would be built on the north end of the square, and the courthouse park would be preserved for the use of the people.

Early in May, the contract for constructing the new courthouse was awarded to Rogers and Ashley of Denver by the county commissioners. This also caused a stir in the county, because Rogers and Ashley's low bid was only $623 below the bid of local contractor J. H. Esmay. The plumbing and heating contract went to J. R. Seaton for $1,813, and the fixtures for the jail were let to the Pauley Jail Company for $4,087. Because the new courthouse was also being built on top of the shale formation which had caused the problems with the old one, construction costs were more than expected; since the plans called for under-pinning the structure to bedrock to avoid the stress caused by the shifting shale.

Throughout the summer and fall of 1915, the Douglas Enterprise reported construction progress, and late in the year stated, "the modern courtroom with its up-to-date equipment for the convenience of the judge, jurors and court attachés" was the most striking feature of the new building. Failure of the furnace to operate properly caused some delay in completing the courthouse, but during the first week of January

1916, the county's officials moved into the new building. The courthouse was opened to the public on February 16, with an evening reception hosted by the county officers and their wives.

The festive occasion began with a concert by the "band boys" in front of the new building and was followed by tours of all the facilities. From 7:45 to 9:00 p.m., a program was held in the courtroom. Speakers during the evening included Commissioner Robert D. Carey, who was chairman of the board and who would serve as governor of Wyoming from 1919 to 1923; Architect M. N. Bowman, who discussed details of his work in designing the courthouse and its special features; District Court Judge C. E. Winter; and State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Edith K. D. Clark. According to the local newspaper, the highlight of the program was remarks by George H. Cross and Edward T. David, two members of the first Board of Converse County Commissioners, who humorously discussed their efforts to initiate county government in the county.

The courthouse served the county well for more than fifty years, and without the structural defects that had plagued its predecessor. By the mid-1960's however, with population growth and a corresponding increase in the volume of county business, it became obvious to the county commissioners that the county needed to begin planning for a replacement of the courthouse -- office areas were overcrowded, vaults were inadequate for records storage, and the jail facilities fell far short of modern standards and need. Consequently, the commissioners proposed a long-term funding plan for a new courthouse and jail facilities. This was to be accomplished by establishing a capitol facilities fund and tax, but the first attempt was defeated by the electorate on November 5, 1968, by a vote of 960 to 848.

A year later, however, the voters approved the establishment of a capitol construction fund for the eventual construction of a new courthouse. It was not until 1976, that sufficient funds had been accumulated by the county to pay for a new courthouse. Built of native stone at a cost of $1.8 million, the spacious and attractive two-story courthouse was dedicated October 8, 1977. Former Wyoming Governor Stanley K. Hathaway was the principal speaker at the dedication ceremony. Since that time, the new courthouse has served Converse County well, and county government has continued to function effectively.

Mineral Development

Converse, a natural ranching area, showed promise of mineral development in the early 1900's. Emphasis turned to oil and gas with the opening of the Big Muddy, the South Glenrock, and the Shawnee Flat Top oil fields. Coal, lumber, and uranium add to the economy of the county, while wildlife attracts the sportsmen.

State Fair

The Wyoming State Fair is the county's most popular annual event. Besides furnishing entertainment in the way of rodeos and parades, it provides an opportunity to exhibit the state's products — its agricultural and livestock assets. Here the 4-H groups have a chance to compete with boys and girls of similar interests throughout the state. The first State Fair was held in Douglas in 1905 and has continued to the present, with only a few interruptions during the 1930s and 1940s.

History of the Wyoming State Fair

Jackalope

According to local legend, the Jackalope originated near Douglas.