An ancient inland sea, surrounded by lush vegetation and inhabited by dinosaurs, helped create the mineral-rich landscape where Rock Springs, Wyoming, now sits. French trappers first encountered American Indians who were traveling via a natural corridor that traverses the region, and eventually pioneer trails used this same route in the great westward expansion. The First Transcontinental Railroad arrived in 1868, and the national demand for energy...

Tucked in the northeast corner of Wyoming against the Black Hills is Weston County. The county has served as a gateway, byway, and way of life and living. In the beginning, it was home to dinosaurs and volcanoes. Nomadic Indians then wandered through, leaving signs of their passing, and the great Sioux Indian Nations held this land dear. Finally, the area was seen as a place to settle, since the mineral-rich land and rolling grasslands provided an...