"The Mail Must go Through"

“The Mail Must go through,” a talk on the passenger and mail stages that ran between Lander and Rawlins Saturday, September 12, at 3 pm

Before the train came to Lander in the early days of the community all people, goods, freight and mail came to the town via wagon. People, mail and freight arrived by train in Rawlins or Rock Springs, then made the long journey to Lander in a freight wagon or stage. Reid Miller will give a talk Saturday, September 12 on the mail stages that served the Lander Valley. Miller’s talk is at the museum and starts at 3 p.m.

The program is part of the Wyoming Community Bank Speakers Series at the museum. The series features speakers and programs on the area’s culture and history at all three county museums throughout the year. The programs are free and open to the public.

"The Mail Must go Through" highlights aspects of late nineteenth century commercial public transportation of passengers and mail in Fremont County, with an emphasis on carriers that operated under contract to the United States Postmaster General. The audience will be able to enjoy a variety of historic photographs that are not otherwise readily accessible, and learn about the development of a service-oriented philosophy within the United States Postal Service that coincided with the early days of Wyoming Statehood.

Reid Miller began his public service career in Oregon in 1969 with the U.S. Forest Service.  He has worked for five separate federal agencies in five distinct job series since that time.  Since May, 2002 he has been part of the staff of the Bureau of Land Management's National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper.

The next events at the Lander Museum will be the unveiling of the J.K. Ralston paintings of Chief Washakie October 17, then the Halloween Night at the Museum October 24. For more information call the museum and 307-332-3373, on Facebook at: Pioneer Museum Lander Wyoming www.fremontcountymuseums.com

Photo credit :. A stage coach loaded with passengers gets ready to leave Lander circa 1900.