Richelle Rawlings-Carroll, Author at

Independent Historian

Richelle Rawlings-Carroll has been a resident of Sweetwater County, Wyoming for 46 years where she has been an active member in the community and in the school districts. She is a member of the Sweetwater County Museum Board, former board member of the Community Fine Arts Center, member of Phi Theta Kappa and the University of Wyoming National Honor Society. Richelle completed her BA dual degrees in History and African American Studies with a minor in Museum Studies at the University of Wyoming in May 2019. Richelle enjoys historical research and writing with a focused interest in African American history. However, she considers her four children to be her most fulfilling and greatest accomplishment.

Joel Woodson (?-1918)

Joel Woodson of Omaha, Nebraska was lynched by a mob in Green River, Wyoming on December 10, 1918 at the Union Pacific Railroad yard. He had come to Green River for work three months earlier, leaving his wife and family in Omaha. Woodson was an … Read MoreJoel Woodson (?-1918)

Wade Hampton (?-1917)

Wade Hampton was a Wyoming lynching victim. He was taken from the Rock Springs city jail by three men who attempted to hang him. When the hanging was unsuccessful, Hampton was shot to death on December 14, 1917, shortly after midnight. We know little about … Read MoreWade Hampton (?-1917)

Empire, Wyoming (1908-1930)

Empire, Wyoming was an African American community founded in 1908 by Charles and Rosetta Speese along with three of Charles’ brothers—John, Joseph and Radford—and their families. John’s brother-in-law, Baseman Taylor, and relative, Otis Taylor, also joined the settlement. The families migrated from Nebraska. With the … Read MoreEmpire, Wyoming (1908-1930)

Joseph (Joe) Martin (?-1904)

Joseph (Joe) Martin, an African American man, was lynched by a mob of three hundred white men in Laramie, Wyoming on August 29, 1904. The Cheyenne Daily Leader headline read, “Joe Martin Taken from Jail After Desperate Battle and Hanged to Telegraph Pole.” Martin was … Read MoreJoseph (Joe) Martin (?-1904)

The Searchlight Club (1904-?)

The Searchlight Club was a service-based group organized in 1904 for African American women in Cheyenne, Wyoming. It was the first women’s club in Cheyenne specifically for African American women. The Black Women’s Club Movement spread across the nation beginning in the 1890s paving the … Read MoreThe Searchlight Club (1904-?)

Isom Dart (1849-1900)

Isom Dart, born enslaved in Arkansas in 1849, and originally known as Ned Huddleston, gained a reputation as a late 19th Century Wyoming Territory outlaw. He had many aliases including “Black Fox,” “Tan Mex,” and “Calico Cowboy”. At the age of twelve Huddleston accompanied his … Read MoreIsom Dart (1849-1900)