HSC Pioneer Association receives grant for project

Wyoming Humanities just awarded a $2,000 Spark Grant to support the Hot Springs County Pioneer Association for their new project, “A Historical Podcast & Presentation of the Pioneers who Inspired Owen Wister’s The Virginian.”

The story of many of these pioneers who inspired this famous book, such as ranchers Dick Washakie and Elizabeth Short, will be included in a podcast, “Pioneers of Outlaw Country,” and featured in a historical presentation at the Hot Springs County Museum. First-person narratives from the museum archives will be used to tell the story, and descendants of the pioneers who personally knew Owen Wister will be interviewed for their oral history. This project will explore our Wyoming history, folklife and how our cowboy heritage was expressed and interpreted in popular literature in the late 1800s.

It’s anticipated that the podcast will launch in 2024, with a public event at the Hot Springs County Museum planned for Feb. 10.

Spark Grants are awarded based on communities’ needs and programs designed to spark new insights and perspectives. Funding is provided by the state of Wyoming through the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. Grantees, who receive up to $2,000 with this opportunity, provide equal or greater matching funds and in-kind contributions. Wyoming Humanities’ grants generate significant social and economic impact five times greater than state funding.

For more information about Wyoming Humanities and its grants or sponsorship opportunities, visit https://www.thinkwy.org/grants.