The Hoofprints of the Past Museum is in the initial planning stages for a historical book reading club. The group would meet at the museum at a date and time yet to be decided. Old and new books, with a connection to local or western history would be the likely focus of the group. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact the museum.
Hoofprints of the Past Museum
PO Box 114
344 Nolan Ave.
Kaycee, WY 82639
307-738-2381
Hoofprints of the Past Museum is adding to our collections and creating at least two new display spaces. However, we are limited in exactly what we can do and how based on lack of display space. A new display case that is tall, with a lot of glass, will allow us to more efficiently use display space. If you are willing to help with this museum need, you may sponsor a portion of a case for $100 or an entire display case for $400. Your donation will be recognized with a plaque located on the case.
Click on the link below to Donate now!
Have you visited the museum recently? If not, you may want to stop by soon and see the new collections and displays added at the museum. One of the more significant items is the Al Smith pistol, shot from his hand in the Hole in the Wall Fight in 1897. The museum will also be premiering a new rotating annual display on a local person or family in June. This year’s featured individual is Sandy Dixon and the museum has been working with Sandy’s friends and family to create a display that highlights the amazing person and life of Sandy with various items and artifacts from her collection.
There are 45 total spots available on the Johnson County War Tour scheduled for Saturday, August 18th. However, the bus is filling up quickly, so if you are interested in attending, please contact the museum at 307-738-2381 soon. You may also register here.
The Johnson County War tour takes attendees by bus the approximate route of the “Invaders” in their fateful attack on the “Rustlers” in April 1892, learning about the war and stopping at various sites of historical significance along the way.
Stops include the KC Cabin Fight site, where Nate Champion made a heroic stand against overwhelming odds, Plunkett’s Horse Ranch where the Invaders changed horses, the Smith homestead site where a near ambush of the Invaders almost occurred, the historic 28 Ranch where Invaders rested their horses, and the TA Ranch where the final battle occurred. The tour will also stop at the assassination sites of John. A. Tisdale and Ranger Jones, whose murders occurred in the months leading up to the war, foreshadowing the events of 1892.
The historical guides narrating the journey are John W. Davis and Brock Hanson. Davis is a lawyer and author of “Wyoming Range War” which relates the Johnson County War from a legal vantage using a large number of public documents from the period. Brock Hanson is a 4th genera
tion local historian whose family lived through the war and documented the historic events with interviews of the various people involved in the war.
The tour will be held on Saturday, August 18th, beginning in Kaycee at 9:00 AM (with an AM check-in time of 8:30 AM) and ends at approximately 3:00 PM. A nice lunch at the Ta is included the ticket price of $85, which must be purchased in advance due to limited space on the bus. The tour is an important fundraiser for the museum, so thank you to all of our supporters- from volunteer drivers to landowners and speakers.
The museum will officially re-open for the 2018 season on May 15th this year. Our hours will be Monday-Saturday from 9-5 and Sundays from 1-5. We will have new displays and collection items, so we hope you will stop by and visit. 
Thank you to everyone who has signed up for our annual Hole in the Wall Tour. We appreciate the
Hole in the Wall Valley, Ghent Barn Remains
support. We filled up unusually early this year, so our regrets to those who were hoping to still register. If you would like to be on a notification list for any cancellations this year and/or a notification list for next year’s tour date, please contact the museum.
Also, we do still have room on the Johnson County War tour on August 18th. Thank you!
On F
ebruary 11 at 2:00 at the Harold Jarrard Park in Kaycee, historian and gun collector Joe Hickey will be speaking on historical guns of the Old West. Hickey will tell the story of various western weapons by weaving together the related famous Western individuals and events of the period. Joe has guns used by Butch Cassidy, Tom Horn, and many others. He is a fascinating speaker and makes it fun even for people who do not know very much about guns.
The annual Hole in the Wall Tour will be held on June 9th of this year. The tour stops at numerous sites related to the Hole in the Wall gang and its activities, including the famed and beautiful Hole in the Wall. The tour is an important fundraiser for the museum and is a very enjoyable day in a beautiful area.
The Johnson County War Tour will be held on August 18th of this year. This tour chronicles the fascinating background leading up to the war and the infamous invasion on April 6, 1892 as it retraces related historic sites and the approximate route of the Invaders. The tour is also a fundraiser for the museum.
If you are interested in either of these tours, please visit our tours page for more information or to register. Space is limited so registration in advance is required.
The museum is selling raffle tickets again, and we would like to thank everyone who is helping. Thank you to our sponsors, the Kaycee General Store and the Kaycee Sinclair as well as the Sports Lure. Thank you to all of the local vendors and individuals who are selling tickets for us: The Invasion Bar and Restaurant, The Cassidy Inn, KC RV Park, The Kaycee General Store, and the Kaycee Sinclair. This is an important fundraiser for the museum so thank you for the support!
On August 19th the museum held its annual Johnson County War Tour beginning in Kaycee at the museum. The tour was completely full, with 45 attendees traveling by bus the approximate route of the Invaders in April of 1892 and stopping at the Tisdale and Jones Assassination sites. John W. Davis, author of Wyoming Range War, and Brock Hanson were tour historical guides and speakers with John presenting additional background information at the conclusion of the tour at the museum. 
