February 20, 2018

SOUTH PASS CITY—Wyoming State Highway 28 will have a new name starting May 22: The Wyoming Women’s Suffrage Pathway.

Wyoming’s Wind River Country is home to rich history in driving history forward in the Equality State.

In 1869, William Bright, a representative to the Wyoming Territorial Legislature from South Pass City, introduced a bill giving women the right to vote and hold public office. He had come to believe, thanks to his wife, that suffrage was a right of American citizens. He was also eager to promote the territory to attract more settlers. The all-male Wyoming Territorial Legislature approved his bill, the first to do so in the young nation.

The following year, Esther Hobart Morris filed to be—and was named—the first female justice of the peace in the entire U.S.

This year, in recognition of the pending 150th anniversary of Wyoming granting women the right to vote, the Wyoming Legislature named the highway to South Pass City “Wyoming Women’s Suffrage Pathway.”

The highway dedication and sign reveal will take place at mile marker 44 near South Pass City State Historical Site on May 22 at 11 a.m. Reception and tours will follow remarks by Governor Matt Mead and others. Learn more about this commemorative event on Facebook.

About Wyoming’s Wind River Country/Fremont County – Go beyond Yellowstone to Wyoming’s Wind River Country. This is authentic Wyoming, where the landscape and lifestyle provide room to breathe. Access world-class playgrounds for fishing, rock climbing, snowmobiling, hiking, and much more. Open the doors to the past on South Pass, the gateway to the West. Uncover an art scene that will surprise and inspire you, and learn about Native American culture on the only Indian Reservation in the Cowboy State. Find more inspiration at WindRiver.org.