Eastern Shoshone Tribal Council awarded Semiquincentennial Grant for Wind River Canyon mobile audio tour

(Cheyenne, WY) – The Wyoming Semiquincentennial Planning Task Force has announced the fifth round of awardees for the Semiquincentennial Grant Program – including the Eastern Shoshone Tribal Council. 

The Council will use the grant to create a mobile audio tour called Travel Story GPS Wind River Canyon.

The tour will introduce travelers to the Wind River Scenic Byway and its use and value to the Shoshone people at the time of the nation’s founding. 

Another fifth-round grant recipient – Cowboy Trades Association of Jackson – will visit Fremont County as part of its project: a statewide traveling exhibit that honors Wyoming’s living cowboy heritage.

The Saddle Up! Western Handmade Art and Gear travelling exhibit, featuring tools, stories, and live demonstrations from traditional Western artisans, will tour Sheridan, Lander, and Cheyenne between May 2026 and January 2027.

The project uplifts rural voices, supports artisan livelihoods through interactive storytelling.

Other fifth-round grant recipients include:

• Cody Community Foundation: Chuckwagon Cookoff – The Cody Community Foundation will host a community-wide chuckwagon cookoff to highlight the traditions of Western trail cuisine, cowboy heritage, and early American self-sufficiency. The event will feature authentic chuckwagon meals, live demos, and live music. 
• Wyoming Arts Council: 250th Commemorative Song Competition – To commemorate America’s 250th, the Wyoming Arts Council will partner with the Wyoming Singer Songwriter Competition to commission a 250th Commemorative Song through a statewide contest in 2025. The winning artist will perform the song at events across Wyoming in 2026, including the 4th of July celebration in Cheyenne.
• Otto Cemetery District: Otto Cemetery Memorial Wall – The Otto Cemetery Board will create a new entrance to the Otto Cemetery, built originally in 1889. Additionally, the cemetery will add a metal engraved sign reading: Otto Cemetery Est: 1889 entrance built in honor of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
• Jackson Hole Public Art: 250 Self Portraits of Wyoming Murals – Jackson Hole Public Art will showcase self-portraits of 250 people from Wyoming, displayed in public spaces in downtown Jackson.. Artists of all ages and abilities will be invited to submit self-portraits.
• Hoofprints of the Past Museum, Kaycee: KC Fight Site Marker – Hoofprints of the Past Museum plans to place a historical marker of the KC Fight. The project includes the fabrication and  installation of a Wyoming State Monuments and Markers “Wyoming” style sign in a location that allows viewers to overlook the site of the gunfight, as well as a pull-over for vehicles. There will also be a dedication event in 2026, part of a broader county and town celebration. 
• Alces Community Works: High Iron travelling train car, art and events – Alces Community Works intends to bring a public art and history project centered around a restored Union Pacific railcar, celebrating Wyoming’s rail and labor heritage. Currently based in Laramie,  High Iron will travel to Cheyenne for a year-long stay, and then continue west to communities along the I-80 corridor over the next five years.
• Edness Kimball Wilkins State Park: Virtual Walk the Oregon Trail – Edness Kimball Wilkins State Park is hosting a virtual hike of the Wyoming section of the Oregon Trail. From May 1 to September 30, 2026, 1,000 individuals or groups will have the opportunity to virtually hike a portion of the Oregon Trail in Wyoming using the Pacer app. Participants will choose either Fort Laramie to Independence Rock, which is a distance of 180.5 miles, or South Pass to Fort Bridger, which is a distance of 138.6 miles. 
• Wyoming Public Media: Wyoming’s History Through Listeners’ Eyes – Traveling Interactive Photo and Audio Exhibit – Wyoming Public Media will solicit photos from around the state, along with an audio story for each image, focusing on Wyoming over the past 250 years. Wyoming Public Media listeners will be asked to submit a photo they took, along with a comment on why the image is relevant to Wyoming’s history. The winners will be exhibited at several venues throughout the state, with opening receptions featuring local historians and commentators.

The 10 entities that were awarded grants this round received a combined total of $162,816.

The grants program was launched last year and is supported with a $2 million appropriation from the Wyoming Legislature.

The program allows communities to recognize and celebrate Wyoming’s unique role in American history and to explore both Wyoming’s lasting legacy and future potential.

Local projects will take place in conjunction with the celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. 

Grant funding is still available and applications can be accessed and submitted online. 

Governor Gordon established the Wyoming Semiquincentennial Planning Task Force to develop and coordinate events and activities that honor this significant milestone.

More information on the celebration will be made available on the dedicated Semiquincentennial celebration website at https://wyoming250.com.