(Sweetwater County, Wyo. – January 21, 2025) A new article on WyoHistory.org, the online platform of the Wyoming Historical Society, explores the intertwined lives of two men well known in Sweetwater County history: outlaw Robert Leroy Parker—better known as Butch Cassidy—and his friend, Rock Springs attorney Douglas A. Preston.

“The Outlaw and His Lawyer: Butch Cassidy and Douglas Preston,” by Dick Blust of the Sweetwater County Historical Museum, chronicles the unusual relationship between one of the Old West’s most famous bandits and a prominent Wyoming attorney, politician, and constitutional signer.

Read more: An Outlaw and His Rock Springs Lawyer

(Sweetwater County, Wyo. – July 19, 2024) Diane Butler, a volunteer at the Sweetwater County Historical Museum, recently reached a major milestone in her archival work. She has completed digitizing the museum’s “Album Collection,” consisting of 21,000 photographs organized into 198 three-ring binder albums.

Read more: County Museum volunteer digitizes over 20,000 historic photographs

Photo #1 - Nine Chinese miners in Rock Springs on the eve of their return to China, June, 1925. They are identified in museum records as Leo Chung, Ah Sung, Sing Lee, Joe Bow, Yon Kwong, Ah Fan, Ah Chung, and Ah How. Taken in front of the “Joss House” in Rock Springs’s “Chinatown.”

(Sweetwater County, Wyo. - May 31, 2024) A rare photograph of Chinese miners about to return to China in 1925 was discovered recently in the archives of the Sweetwater County Historical Museum. It was uncovered by volunteer Diane Butler, who has been digitizing the museum’s extensive photograph and negative collection.

Read more: Unique photograph discovered at County Museum

The Reliance Tipple in Sweetwater County, one of only two coal tipples still standing in Wyoming.

The “boney pickers” at the Tipple in 1943 are, left to right, Annie Krek, Christine Cukale, Zabia Mangelos, and Sumiko Hattori.

(Sweetwater County, Wyo. - March 26, 2024)     The Sweetwater County Historical Museum is continuing its celebration of Women’s History Month with a wonderful photo from World War II, when women entered the civilian workforce as millions of men were called to serve in the armed forces. The women in the photo are “boney pickers” on the job in 1943 at the Reliance Tipple.

Read more: Women’s History Month - Women War Workers at the Reliance Tipple