State Flower:

Indian Paintbrush

State Bird:

Meadowlark

State Tree:

Cottonwood

State Flag:

The Wyoming flag has its State seal within the shape of a buffalo which once populated the state in enormous herds, providing food and clothing to both Indians and settlers. Within the seal are two men: one is a cattle rancher, the other a miner; surrounding them are the words Livestock, Mines, Grain, and Oil, the sources of Wyoming's wealth. The dates 1869 and 1890 are the dates when Wyoming first became a territory and later a state. The white border is for purity, the red is for the blood of the pioneers and Indians.

Famous Person:

Nellie Tayloe Ross

Governor Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming was the first woman governor in America. She was elected in 1924, (only four years after American women got the right to vote; however Wyoming women had been voting since 1869). A Democrat, she succeeded her husband, Bradford Ross, also a Democrat, who died shortly before she won the election. As governor she pushed for tax relief for farmers, school budgets, and more responsible banking practices. Although she lost her reelection in 1926, she was appointed vice-chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Seven years later, in 1933, FDR named her director of the U.S. Mint. She was the first woman to hold such a prestigious federal post. During her 20-year term, she introduced the Roosevelt dime, the Jefferson nickel, and the steel penny (during WWII to save on copper.)