In early Fall of 1879, a 22 year old French Canadian, Andy Manseau, reined in his horse on a beautiful, isolated piece of ground he would later file on with the US Government Patent Office. This little homestead, surrounded by red rocks, badlands and mountains, was the first ranch in the Upper Wind River Valley. Andy’s story, the story of the quintessential cowboy, is only one of the colorful tales told in this re-discovered manuscript recorded by Fremont County historian, Esther Mockler in the 1940s. Esther’s collection of interviews weaves a rich tapestry of oral histories—the hopes, dreams, triumphs and tragedies of the hardy souls who pioneered the area in and around Dubois, Wyoming. In stirring vignettes, readers can catch a glimpse into the lives of foundational families like the Becks, the Weltys, J.K. Moore, and Edith Cross. Personal accounts chronicle events and natural disasters etched into both lives and landscape. Interestingly, Andy surfaces time and time again like a thread binding the stories and the people into the fabric of the Upper Wind River Valley.

Available EXCLUSIVELY through the Dubois Museum

duboismueum.director@gmail.com