The Wyoming State Archives kicks off the first of its collaboration with the Wyoming State Parks on its speaker series events with a presentation and Q&A session on, "The Wyoming Territorial Prison: The Museum Collection That Isn’t," by curatorial resources specialist Renee Slider on Thursday, January 12, at 7 p.m. in the Wyoming State Museum classroom, located at 2301 Central Avenue in Cheyenne.

This will be a live, in-person event with an option for participating virtually. For those not able to attend in-person, registration to attend the event online is through Eventbrite at https://bit.ly/3pAAzYd. This free public event is part of the Archives’ monthly second Thursday evening speaker series.

Renee Slider gives a brief history of the many ways the Territorial Prison has been utilized over time.  The presentation focuses on the recreation of the Territorial Prison and how partnerships between city, county, state, and federal governments came together.  She will also talk about the many records used to create the timeline of the Prison, the inmates incarcerated, and much more. Following Slider’s presentation, Suzi Taylor, reference archivist, will give a short demonstration of the Wyoming Historical Prisoners Database on the Wyoming State Archives website. Time will be made available for attendees to ask questions. 

Renee Slider has been the curator at Wyoming Territorial Prison State Historic Site for the last seven years. Slider is a California native that received her bachelor’s in public and oral history from California State University, San Bernardino.

She obtained her master’s degree in history in 2015 from the University of Wyoming and began her work at the Prison in the fall of that same year. With over 10 years of experience as an archivist, Slider responsibilities include collections management, education, and tour volunteers.

The WSA Speaker Series hosts talks at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. The Wyoming State Parks Presents series will occur every other month and feature speakers from a different historic site. The alternating months will be our traditional historical topics. Upcoming topics include “Colly Collison: A Pilot Lost in Time” with Kent Hargraves on February 9th and Alexis Pratt presenting on Quebec01 on March 9th, with others scheduled throughout the year. To view upcoming events, check out the Wyoming State Archives events calendar at https://wyoarchives.wyo.gov/index.php/about-archives/events. A recording of this talk will be available on the WSA YouTube channel the week following the talk.

The Wyoming State Archives collects, manages, and preserves Wyoming state public records that have long-term administrative, legal, and historical value. These records document the history of our state and the activities of Wyoming Government offices. The Archives also collects non-government records that contribute to the understanding of the state’s history.

For more information, contact Sara Davis, Wyoming State Archivist, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call the WSA at 307-777-7826.

The Wyoming State Archives is accessible according to the Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. If you require special assistance, please contact the Wyoming State Archives at 307-777-7826.