ROCK SPRINGS — The Sweetwater County Events Complex celebrated the dedication of its new Legacy Silo July 29 during the Sweetwater County Fair, unveiling a permanent exhibit honoring the ranching and homesteading families who shaped the county’s agricultural history.

Complex Executive Director Kandi Pendleton told the crowd the project was years in the making, from initial conversations and conceptual drawings through grant writing, fundraising and construction.

“It’s been in our master plan,” Pendleton said, adding that a $25,000 grant from the state allowed the complex to start the project earlier than planned.

The Legacy Silo uses QR codes to connect visitors to photographs and family histories highlighting the ranchers, farmers and homesteading families who lived in Sweetwater County. The Sweetwater County Historical Museum and local families shared photos and stories that contributed to the exhibit.

Pendleton said landscaping and patio work remain unfinished but should be completed by next summer.

The project was funded in part by the Wyoming Centennial Commission, a state America250 grant program, and the Sweetwater County Events Complex Foundation, along with other community partners.

Pendleton thanked the complex’s construction and maintenance staff, saying they “never let us down.”

The event also included the introduction of Taylor Thoman, the new National High School Rodeo Queen. Thoman said she is the first queen from Wyoming to hold the title in 35 years.

“No matter where the crown takes me, Wyoming will always be home,” Thoman said. “Because beneath these western skies, I would have to say we have the greatest people.”

Governor discusses agriculture, building a better future and the Colorado River

Gov. Mark Gordon spoke at the event, praising the entrepreneurial spirit and work ethic of Wyoming ranching families and calling agriculture the backbone of the state.

“Rock Springs is a place where people get things done,” Gordon said. “If you live in Rock Springs or Green River, you know what a splendid place this is, how beautiful it is, how productive it is and why it’s so important.”

Gordon also championed the idea of building up the community and staying proactive.

“There’s a new flavor of something going on in the country, which is ‘let’s not do anything, we just want to sit still and not build for the future,'” Gordon said. “That is not the way I was raised.”

“Right now in this country, it’s more important than ever that we remember the grit, the determination, the entrepreneurialship, and the desire to get things done,” Gordon said. “We can’t afford to say no.”

Gordon addressed the changing world of technology and how it can affect Wyoming’s workforce.

“It’s a good thing when we can make jobs better,” he said. “We just need to make sure the jobs don’t go away.” 

Gordon also addressed water issues facing the Colorado River basin, saying flows through the river system are at their lowest levels since 1956.

“We are fighting tooth and nail to make sure you all know that the Colorado River is the lowest volume that’s ever been through, roughly 3.6 million cubic feet,” Gordon said.

He said Wyoming is working with Utah, Colorado and New Mexico, the other upper basin states, to protect the region’s water rights under prior appropriation, the legal doctrine that gives priority to the earliest water rights holders.