Fort Caspar Museum Association

07/24/2026

Don't miss our next exciting Lunch & Learn! We are extremely lucky to have the famous Wayne Motts from Gettysburg! Limited seating, please register today.

“From Gettysburg to the North Platte River: Gettysburg Connections to Fort Caspar and Fort Laramie”

Historian, author, and licensed battlefield guide Wayne Motts will present an engaging examination of the historical connections between the Civil War’s pivotal 1863 Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania and the significant frontier military posts of Fort Caspar and Fort Laramie along Wyoming’s North Platte River. Through selected stories and historical context, this program will explore the ways in which individuals, events, and military service linked the Gettysburg campaign to the broader history of the American West, both before and after the four-year conflict that profoundly shaped the nation.

Support Fort Caspar Museum by registering for this rare event, eating some local food and listening to the connection between Casper, Wyoming and Gettysburg, PA!

To register please choose between the following methods:

1. Call the museum at (307) 235-8462 to get on the list. Payment will be accepted at the door to the event.

OR:

2. Register electronically with our friends at the 11th OVC at https://www.11thovc.com/events-1/wayne-motts-lunch-learn-from-gettysburg-to-the-north-platte-gettysburg-connections-to-ft-caspar-and-ft-laramie

Don't miss this event! Hear an amazing historian talk about an unknown connection to Wyoming!

Wayne E. Motts is one of the nation’s most respected Civil War historians, known for his dynamic storytelling and deep expertise in battlefield interpretation. Born and raised in central Ohio, Wayne earned his B.A. in military history from The Ohio State University and later completed his M.A. in American History at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. Wayne began guiding tours at Gettysburg National Military Park in 1988. He was one of the youngest people in the history of the park to complete the licensing process. He is the author of Trust in God and Fear Nothing: Lewis A. Armistead, CSA (1994) and Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg (2015, with James Hessler). Wayne’s scholarship has been featured in numerous publications and documentaries, including work on the History Channel, TNT, A & E, and C-Span. He is a frequent speaker at Civil War Round Tables and other historical organizations across the country. Wayne has held leadership roles at several prestigious institutions, including the Adams County Historical Society (Now Gettysburg History) and the Gettysburg Foundation which operates the National Park Service Visitor’s Center at Gettysburg. He currently serves as CEO of the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He resides near the Gettysburg Battlefield.

A fried chicken lunch will be provided at noon with the lecture to follow soon after.

The location is different than usual. This lunch & learn will not be at Fort Casper, but will be held at the Natrona County Collective Trust at 421 S. Center Street, Casper, WY 82601.

Date: Saturday August 29th, 2026
Time: Lunch at 12:00pm and the Lecture at 1:00pm
Location of Event: 421 S. Center Street, Casper, WY 82601

07/06/2026

This will be exciting for the Fort Caspar Museum!

CASPER, Wyo. — Fort Caspar Museum Director Steve Gainer believes the local history is teeming with stories, and he hopes to commit one of its earliest —

06/03/2026

We are excited to bring this piece of railroading and industrial history back to the Oil City!

We have some incredible community partners and volunteers but we can't do it alone! Funds will be needed for some moving and placement expenses, interpretive signs and restoration work to make the locomotive shine. Follow the link to the donation page. Also please share this far and wide!

https://www.fortcaspar.org/standard-oil-locomotive

An 0-4-0T tank engine that spent decades switching tank cars at an oil refinery in Casper, Wyo., will return home to the Cowboy State thanks to the efforts of a local historian and two museums.

Standard Oil Company of Indiana locomotive No. 1 was built by the American Locomotive Company’s Cooke Works in Paterson, N.J., in 1920. It spent decades working at the refinery, one of the world’s largest, until it was retired in the early 1960s. In 1962, it was acquired by the Colorado Railroad Museum and put on display in Golden, Colo.

Over the past year, railroader, author and historian Con Trumbull — who also works as the archivist and assistant trainmaster at the Nevada Northern Railway Museum — has worked with the Fort Caspar Museum and the Colorado Railroad Museum to help bring the locomotive home to Wyoming. Plans call for the engine to be displayed near the museum entrance and incorporated into a larger exhibit about the city’s oil industry.

“We are excited about what this project means for Casper history, and Con’s dedication and persistence have been instrumental in moving this project forward,” said Steve Gainer, Fort Caspar Museum supervisor. “He recognized this locomotive’s historical importance to Casper years ago and has devoted an extraordinary amount of time and effort toward bringing it home. He is very committed to preserving our community’s history.”

Colorado Railroad Museum Executive Director Paul Hammond said the locomotive will have a better home in Wyoming, where it can be used to tell local stories.

“Through careful consideration and thoughtful deaccessioning — in cases where we either have artifacts unrelated to Colorado, or duplicates of other more significant objects — the Colorado Railroad Museum is working to place selected items with new owners. The goal is to better target our existing resources, including space, so the museum can continue to collect artifacts and rolling stock that focus on telling the rich railroad history and diverse stories of Colorado,” Hammond said in a press release.

The Fort Caspar Museum is launching a campaign to raise $15,000 to cover the transportation, cosmetic restoration and other costs associated with bringing the locomotive home. For more information, visit fortcaspar.org/standard-oil-locomotive.

05/22/2026

Wyoming Celebrates, our new exhibit is on view through February 27, 2027. See examples of how Casper and Central Wyoming have commemorated 250 years of US history and over 200 years of history in Wyoming. Celebrations covered include the US Bicentennial, the Wyoming Centennial, and the Casper Diamond Jubilee. Smaller, more personal celebrations such as birthdays, anniversaries and annual events are also explored.

12/23/2025

Happy Holidays!

12/18/2025

Many thanks to Honoring 307 Heroes for placing wreaths this past Saturday as part of the Wreaths Across America program at Fort Caspar Museum! We love that our soldiers are honored each year, and appreciate all your hard work and dedication to place wreaths on all veteran's graves.