Boring Little Kaycee Wyoming Is Packed With History

There are several little towns in Wyoming where, if you looked at them today, you might think that nothing has ever happened there.

You might even wonder why anyone lives there at all. Yet the place is filled with history and may be one of the most important little towns in the West. Kaycee, Wyoming, is one of those places.

Located on Interstate 25, about 45 miles north of Casper, Wyoming, it is one of those little towns that most people zoom by while on their way to someplace that they think is more important.

It was where the first shot of the Johnson Country War was fired. In April 1892, the KC Ranch was the site of a pivotal siege where 50-armed men attacked a cabin, killing rancher Nate Champion. Thus began a 3-day shootout that the army (Buffalo Soldiers) had to break up.

Then there was Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid. They have a link to Kaycee. Located west of Kaycee, the "Hole-in-the-Wall" is a natural break in the red rock wall that served as a famous hideout for Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, and their gang during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The town was incorporated in 1906 and named for the "KC" brand of John Nolen's homestead. But the U.S. government does not allow towns to be spelled with initials or acronyms. So, the people spelled out Kaycee to solve that little problem.

Kaycee is near the Bozeman Trail and the site of Old Fort Reno, established to protect travelers during the Old West era.

Modern Kaycee is known for the famed country singer Chris LeDoux. There is a park in his honor, and the town used to hold a concert weekend called Chris LeDoux Days.

So, the next time you drive by Kaycee, Wyoming, pull over and have a look. Go visit their museum. It is a tiny town with quite a history