THE HISTORY OF JACKSON HOLE

In 1920, Jackson residents elected an all-female town council, continuing the pioneer spirit of Wyoming that earned it the nickname of Equality State when it became the first state in the country to grant women the right to vote in 1869.

Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks have always drawn sightseers to this region, but Jackson Hole’s tourist trade truly took root in the 1920s, when dude ranches like the still-operating Triangle X Ranch began inviting visitors to stay. A “dude,” in Western parlance, is a guest who pays to experience cowboy ranch life.

Perhaps nothing shaped the identity of Jackson Hole from a cowboy town to a ski town as much as the creation of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in 1965. Indeed, the acclaimed ski resort was built at the site of a dude ranch called Crystal Springs Ranch. Nearly overnight, the resort helped propel the valley from a one-season economy to a year-round one, drawing visitors from every corner of the world.