The quaint little town of Centennial, on WYO 130, is the gateway to the beautiful Snowy Range Mountains. An area first visited by the nomadic Plains Indians (Shoshone, Arapaho, Sioux, Crow, and Cheyenne), Centennial was first lightly populated by settlers seeking timber on Centennial Mountain which rises above the town on the West. Ties were needed when the Transcontinental Railroad came through Laramie in 1868. The town's growth continued when the Homestead Act opened the lush Laramie River Valley to ranchers and got another boost with the discovery of gold on Centennial Mountain in 1875. In 1876 a post office was established and the town was named for the big event of the year, America's first centennial celebration. In 1877, the main gold vein ended at a fault line.
The other half of the vein has never been found, though the search goes on. In 2000, the Wyoming State Geological Survey announced a new gold sample had been found that gives new hope of the vein being found again. Remnants of the Utopia, the Queen Mine and several other mines still remain. By 1907, the town had established a bank (now a bed and breakfast), hotel (still in use), school and its own railroad spur. Today, Centennial is a popular visitor’s site having historic charm, fine dining, grand vistas and great recreation.
Powwow is the steady thump of beaters on a hide-covered drum, a cadence of mixed voices singing in Arapaho, Shoshone, Crow, or Lakota, and the sweep and swirl of men and boys wearing brightly colored regalia, of young girls with fringed shawls, older women dressed in buckskin, even tiny tots in beaded moccasins and creamy white buckskin outfits. Begun as a ritual gathering of spiritual leaders and medicine men, powwow is now a social event. read more
Nearly 100 courses are scattered throughout the state. The high altitudes of Wyoming allows the shots stay aloft almost 10 percent longer than the same shot made at sea level. Now that's something to drive for. read more
