Historic Contexts
Abandoned dryland farm homestead. Photo by Richard Collier.
Mission Statement
Historic contexts are an important component of the Historic Preservation Plan created by the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office to preserve and promote Wyoming’s heritage. It is the mission of the SHPO’s Historic Context Development Program to develop and maintain updated historic contexts to promote efficiency and better decision-making in the identification, evaluation, and management of Wyoming’s heritage resources.
What we do
The Planning and Historic Context Program of the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office oversees and aids in the research and development of historic contexts for use by academic researchers, federal and state agencies and industry in the evaluation and treatment of historic properties in the state. The program is guided by the Governor's Historic Context Development Committee on planning and historic contexts. The program is under the direction of
Judy Wolf, 307-766-5366.
Available Contexts
Historic Context Development Plan (10 MB)
Context Development Plan Executive Summary
Frequently Asked Questions about Contexts (Select "Historic Contexts" from the dropdown)
Guidelines and Outline for the Development of Historic Contexts
Planning Priorities
Priorities for the development of historic contexts depend on three factors: the significance of the historic context and property types; the severity of the threat to the property types within the historic context; and the fragility and condition of the resources. Public demand or desire to create historic contexts in a particular area will also be taken into consideration. The primary goal of the Planning and Historic Context Development Program will be to oversee the revision of existing historic contexts and the preparation of new historic contexts that meet the needs of Wyoming residents and government agencies engaged in cultural resource identification and management.
In 2006, a Governor-appointed Historic Context Development Steering Committee identified seven contexts that are the highest priorities for Wyoming. These were selected based on perceived development conflicts and cultural resources that were considered at risk.
- Southern Wyoming Transportation Corridor
- Overland Trail
- Cherokee Trail
- Freight/Stage Roads
- Territorial
- Expansion
- Industrial
- Union Pacific Railroad
- Lincoln Highway
- Hunter-Gatherer Archaeological Sites in Wyoming
- Hardrock and Softrock Mining in Wyomng
- Historic Schools
- Wyoming Irrigation and Water Systems
- Homesteading, Ranching and Stock Grazing in Southwest Wyoming
- "New Deal" Resources in Wyoming