The town of Douglas is located in east-central Wyoming in a gentle
valley, with the mountains of Medicine Bow National Forest on one side
and the beautiful Wyoming plains on the other. Established in 1887 by
the Fremont, Elkhorn, and Missouri Valley Railroad, the town was named
by representatives from the railroad's Chicago headquarters after the
great orator and Illinois senator Stephen Douglas. Douglas, probably
known best for his part in the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, was an
enthusiastic advocate of westward expansion. To many of the locals--and
by official proclamation in 1985--Douglas is considered the Home of the
Jackalope, an animal well known in American folklore as being part
antelope and part jackrabbit. Be it fact or fiction, the town has
successfully marketed the Jackalope through festivals, souvenirs, and
even hunting licenses. The area is rich in history, from military
establishments, immigrant trails, ranching, and homesteading, to its
beautiful scenery, such as the Ayres Natural Bridge, depicted on the
cover.