Cowley Heritage Center & Pioneer Museum
Cowley Heritage CenterPioneer Museum · Cowley, Wyoming

The Collection

Artifacts & Archives

Browse our growing catalog of pioneer artifacts, historical photographs, and archival documents.

AllPioneer ArtifactsPhotographsDocuments & RecordsSchool HistoryVeteransCommunity Life

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Pioneer Artifacts

Sidon Canal Construction Tools

Hand tools used in the construction of the 37-mile Sidon Canal, which brought water from the Shoshone River to Cowley beginning in 1900.

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Documents & Records

Early Cowley Documents & Records

Historical records and documents from Cowley's earliest days, preserving the stories of the founding families.

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Photographs

Big Horn Academy Construction, 1916

Photograph showing the construction of the stone Big Horn Academy building, with the old Relief Society Building visible to the right.

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School History

1922 State Championship Basketball Team

Photograph of Cowley's 1922 Wyoming State Championship Basketball Team from the Big Horn Academy.

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Photographs

The Explorer Party, 1900

Group photograph of the original exploring party sent to find a suitable location for the colony, including George H. Taggart, Byron Sessions, and Abraham O. Woodruff.

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Community Life

Log Gym Banquet, 1940

Cowley townsfolk gather for a banquet in the iconic log gym, constructed in 1935. The building hosted basketball contests and served as a community gathering place.

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Veterans

Cowley Veterans Roster

List of veterans from Cowley who served during the Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II.

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Documents & Records

Cowley Newspaper Clippings

News articles from local papers documenting events, milestones, and everyday life in Cowley over the decades.

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School History

Original Cowley Elementary School, 1910

Photograph of the original elementary school built in 1910, which also served as the first home of the Big Horn Academy.

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Pioneer Artifacts

Pioneer Homestead Artifacts

Household items and personal belongings from Cowley's founding families, including items from the Baird, Graham, Taggart, and Simmons families.

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Photographs

Portrait of Matthias F. Cowley

Portrait of Matthias F. Cowley (1858–1940), member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, for whom the town was named.

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Documents & Records

Obituaries & Memorabilia

Photographs, obituaries, news articles, and memorabilia honoring the lives of Cowley residents past and present.

Have items to contribute?

We're always looking for photographs, documents, and artifacts related to Cowley's history. If you have items you'd like to donate or share, we'd love to hear from you.

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