December 22

1812 Robert Stuart and his party reached the Laramie River on December 22, 1812. They had followed the North Platte River and on December 22, reached what Stuart wrote as "a well wooded stream apparently of considerable magnitude came in from the south west."

1911 Stewart Post Office in Goshen County was established on December 22, 1911 with L. Stewart as its postmaster. Louis N. (or M.) Stewart received a patent on land at this location on March 10, 1915. Stewart is representative of many places in Wyoming that were either named after the postmaster and/or the land owner.

1921 President Warren Harding signed an Executive Order designating "All lands that are now or may be hereafter included within the boundaries of the National Elk Refuge are hereby reserved and set apart as a refuge and breeding ground for birds."

1944 The Boysen Dam and Reservoir was authorized by the Flood Control Act. The dam is built across the Wind River in the Wind River Canyon above Thermopolis. It was named for Asmus Boysen, who had mining interests in the area and envisioned the Boysen Dam as a source of power that would aid the mines.

United States of America Executive Order