Wyoming State Fair Reception Marks UW Extensions 100th Anniversary

University of Wyoming Extension will host a reception commemorating 100 years of helping Wyoming residents to improve their lives Wednesday, Aug. 13, at the Wyoming State Fair and Rodeo in Douglas.

The public is invited to the 1:30-3 p.m. event in the Peabody Energy Ag and Natural Resources Center. The traveling exhibition that documents 100 years of Wyoming Extension will be at the center Sunday, Aug. 10, through Saturday, Aug. 16.

“UW Extension has helped Wyoming citizens survive and thrive for 100 years,” says Tana Stith, manager of UW Extension’s Office of Communications and Technology, which created the displays. “This exhibition looks back at the many lives that have been improved through extension educational programs.”

The effects of world wars, the Depression and drought are shown along with some issues with a Wyoming touch -- one woman rode a horse 10 miles in a blizzard to get to a hat-making workshop in Cokeville in 1922. One workshop attendee said she had not had a hat in seven years.

“As an organization, UW Extension continually develops educational programs that meet the needs of the times,” Stith says. “This traveling exhibition is our way of celebrating a rich history as well as a promising future of helping improve the lives of Wyoming’s citizens.”