A monument celebrating the 150th anniversary of Sweetwater County will be dedicated on October 17, 2017.
The granite monument will be unveiled at 5:30 p.m. on October 17th in front of the main entrance of the courthouse at 80 W. Flaming Gorge Way in Green River. The Sweetwater County Commissioners will give a short address, and light refreshments will be served. The public is invited at that time to view a new sampling of historic photos displayed at the courthouse also in celebration of the county’s history.
The monument was envisioned by Sweetwater County Historical Museum staff with exhibits coordinator Dave Mead leading the design. Hoffman Monuments of Casper was commissioned to prepare and place the monument, made from Dakota granite.
“As the county museum, we are thrilled to commemorate our county’s sesquicentennial. For both neighbors and visitors, this monument is a symbol of pride in our history and heritage that will itself become a part of history,” said Brie Blasi, executive director of the museum.
In December 1867, the Dakota Territorial Legislature formed Carter County, named for Ft. Bridger sutler and judge William Alexander Carter. The Territory of Wyoming was formed in 1869 and the new legislature changed the name to Sweetwater County after the Sweetwater River. The county’s original boundaries stretched from the Utah-Colorado to the Montana borders. South Pass City was the first county seat. In 1874, the seat was moved to Green River, an important town along the transcontinental railroad. Beginning in 1869, land was ceded to form other counties. This created the present borders and excluded the Sweetwater River from within the boundaries of its namesake county. Even after losing over two-thirds of its original territory, Sweetwater County is still the largest county in Wyoming and eighth largest county in the United States.
The Sweetwater County Historical Museum is a component unit of Sweetwater County government which exists to preserve and present the heritage of Sweetwater County. The museum is located at 3 E. Flaming Gorge Way in Green River. For information call (307) 872-6435 or contact them by email at [email protected]. More information can be viewed at www.sweetwatermuseum.org and on Facebook.