The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus is a fraternal organization founded in the 1800s, in part as a mockery of other societies of the day. The way music artists today consider they’ve “made it” when Weird Al parodies their songs, being lampooned by the Order of E Clampus has evolved into a badge of honor.
There’s a method to the madness of these self-described “Clampers,” who also are dedicated to the study and preservation of the heritage of the American West. The group itself says it’s not sure if it’s a “historical drinking society” or a “drinking historical society.”
Whatever they’re drinking, the Lander-based Wyoming chapter of the organization — South Pass 1867 — will do something entirely serious Saturday when it dedicates the cemetery at the historic ghost town of Gebo. Many of those graves hold children who died in the coal mining town.
While dedicated to rejecting rational thought, the Clampers’ mission to preserve history is a serious one, said local Vice President Ben Jackson.
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“We really want to highlight and preserve to the best of our ability the sites of historical significance throughout the state of Wyoming,” Jackson said. “In this way, no matter what the condition of the sites may be as the years progress, there’s at least some type of marker that talks about what happened at these sites.”
The ’67ers, as they call themselves, do not want future generations to forget what the hard-working men and women went through in Wyoming’s early decades.
When people visit sites the society dedicates, the plaques highlight the trials and tribulations these early pioneers endured and overcome, such as the people of the coal mining town of Gebo.
Gebo, A Distant Memory
Gebo was once a thriving coal camp in the sagebrush with more than 2,000 miners and their families.
Located north of Thermopolis, this town was built by the Owl Creek Coal Co., and its heyday was in the 1910s and 1920s. It had a hospital, the largest high school in the region, a tennis court, company store, boarding houses, paved streets, sidewalks and company housing.
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The coal miners formed bands, baseball teams and held boxing matches. Its popular Labor Day celebrations were attended by thousands of people from around the Big Horn Basin.
As the coal mines closed, the miners and their families scattered across America. Some found work in mines in other states such as Virginia while others couldn’t bear to leave Wyoming.
They moved their families into neighboring towns of Lucerne, Worland and Thermopolis. The company homes were sold and moved out of Gebo, the mines closed up and only a handful of families remained until the last person moved out in the 1980s.
In the 1970s, the BLM bulldozed the remaining abandoned buildings, leaving behind foundations, relics of the mine and a small cemetery.
E Clampus Vitus will host its public dedication at this cemetery. Many of the small graves holding children have captured their imagination and hearts.
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“You go out there and you look at these headstones and you see these infants that died very close to the day they were born,” Jackson said. “It makes you wonder, ‘My God, what happened to these babies?’ Then you find out that it was either the Spanish flu or the diphtheria that ran through there like wildfire, and there’s nothing out there that talks about that. Their story will be lost if we don’t do something.”
When Jackson first proposed the site as an E Clampus project, many of the members, most based in Fremont County, had not even heard of Gebo. He took them to the deserted mining town in March and showed them around.
Once they stepped back into time, touring the sage and hills that once teemed with people, the members didn’t need any more convincing. The Clampers were determined to put up a marker in memory of the town and the people who once eked out their livings underground.
Remember All Of Wyoming
It’s part of the Wyoming chapter’s goal to branch out to put up markers around the state.
“We’ve done a tremendous amount of work up in the South Pass and Atlantic City area,” Jackson said. “But now we’re looking to branch out into other areas of the state. Next year, we are planning on dedicating the Irma Hotel at Cody.”
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The chapter also wants to expand membership and open new chapters throughout the Cowboy State. The goal is to continue preserving the history of Wyoming.
“We were originally started by miners for miners and to take care of the widows and orphans of miners that died in the mines, whether it be the gold mines or the coal mines,” Jackson said. “Obviously, that has gone by the wayside. We are now a fraternal order that’s dedicated to the preservation of sites of historical significance that is predominantly centered around the Gold Rush era.”
E Clampus Vitus was founded in the 1800s in West Virginia and brought to California during the Gold Rush. It exploded in the mining camps and brought levity into the lives of those hard-working miners.
“It was started by miners who couldn’t get into the other fraternal orders of the day such as the Freemasons and the Odd Fellows due to their social status,” Jackson said. “Those guys would look down their noses at the miners due to their rowdy nature. So, the minors wanted to start their own order and social club, if you will. E Clampus Vitus was born out of that, and they had a lot of fun with it.”
The miners would mock the other orders by making up strange rules and over-exaggerating their traditions. Members of this new society of fun-loving miners had been known to pull such antics as pinning can lids to their vests and walking in town parades.
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They would march alongside the other societies that would be decked out in all their fancy regalia.
In an ironic twist, as the order became more popular, the movers and shakers of the 1800s decided to join to get the votes of the miners. E Clampus Vitus grew to include governors, doctors, lawyers and senators. Famous Clampers include Ronald Reagan and Samuel Clemens.
“Mark Twain actually heard of the famous frog jump of Calaveras County at a ECV meeting,” Jackson said. “There’s just a lot of history and accomplishments in our society. Another example is that the first mention of the gold strike in California was from a telegram written by a brother clamper.”
As Jackson and his fellow clampers continue to preserve Wyoming’s history, you can bet they will be doing it with a smile and lots of humor.
The public presentation of the Gebo coal camp new marker begins at 11a.m. Saturday at the Gebo Cemetery.
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To reach the ghost town and cemetery, drive south from Worland or north from Thermopolis on U.S. Highway 20 until you hit the town of Kirby.
Turn west onto Sand Draw Road (Hot Springs County Road 18). When you hit a Y in the road after about 1.3 miles, bear left onto Hot Springs County Road 30.
Continue for another 1.3 miles until you hit the cemetery.
Contact Jackie Dorothy at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com
The South Pass 1867 chapter of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus based in Lander, Wyoming. (Courtesy Photo)
Jackie Dorothy can be reached at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com.
When a clinic closes in Wyoming, it doesn’t just close a door; it can cut off access to care for entire communities.
For many residents, getting to a health care provider already means traveling long distances across multiple counties, and local clinics are often the only nearby option for basic health care. With one Title X Family Planning clinic in western Wyoming now closed, the challenge is becoming even more real for many people.
Reproductive and sexual health care is a key part of overall health, but it’s often one of the first services people lose access to when clinics close. Title X Family Planning is a federal program that helps people get essential preventive care, no matter their income. These clinics offer services like birth control, cancer screenings, STI and HIV testing, and care before pregnancy. They help people stay healthy, catch problems early, and plan for their futures.
The need is real. Wyoming’s Title X Family Planning network remains a critical part of the state’s health care system, helping bridge gaps in both access and affordability. With 9 clinics currently serving communities across the state, these providers cared for nearly 12,000 patients through more than 28,000 visits between 2022 and 2025. For many, these clinics are their only source of care: 49% of patients were uninsured, and nearly half were living at or below the federal poverty level.
In a state where distance and cost can both be barriers, affordable care is essential. About 14.6% of Wyoming women ages 19–44 are uninsured, higher than the national average. Title X clinics help meet this need by offering low- or no-cost care, while also connecting patients to referrals and additional health services when needed, ensuring more individuals can get the care they deserve.
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These clinics are also on the front lines of prevention. In recent years, they delivered more than 3,100 cervical cancer screenings and about 20,000 STI and HIV tests. Services like these support early detection and treatment, helping reduce the need for more serious and costly care down the line.
In rural states like Wyoming, once a clinic closes, it is very hard to bring it back. These clinics are more than buildings; they are part of the local health care system that keeps communities healthy.
The good news is that Title X Family Planning clinics are still open, working every day to serve their communities. The Wyoming Health Council supports this network of clinics and works to ensure that people across the state can access the care they need. Through partnerships, education, and community-based programs, the organization helps connect Wyoming residents to reproductive and sexual health services, no matter where they live.
In a state where distance, cost, and provider shortages all play a role, these clinics, and the work supporting them, are more than just a convenience. They are a lifeline.
To help sustain this work and protect access to care across Wyoming, consider making a donation to the Wyoming Health Council.
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Donation Link: givebutter.com/WYTitleX
Required Federal Funding statement: This project is supported by the Office of Populations Affairs (OPA) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health (OASH) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award 1 FPHPA 006541-0-00 totaling $978,380 with 100 percent funded by OPA/OASH/HHS. The contents are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by OPA/OASH/HHS or the U.S. Government.
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CASPER, Wyo. — The Casper City Council voted Tuesday to approve on first reading a zoning change for a vacant 2.4-acre parcel located at 1530 SE Wyoming Boulevard, transitioning the property from residential to commercial use.
The ordinance reclassifies Lot 4 of the Methodist Church Addition from Residential Estate to General Business. Located between East 15th and East 18th streets, the irregular-shaped property has remained undeveloped since it was first platted in 1984.
While original plans for the subdivision envisioned a church and an associated preschool, Community Development Director Liz Becher reported those projects never materialized.
According to Becher, the applicant sought the rezoning to facilitate the potential installation of a cell tower or an off-premises sign. Under the new C-2 designation, a cell tower up to 130 feet in height is considered a permitted use by right, though any off-premises sign would still require a conditional use permit from the Planning and Zoning Commission. The applicant also owns the adjacent lot to the north, which the city rezoned to general business in 2021.
Becher said the change aligns with the “Employment Mixed Use” classification in the Generation Casper comprehensive land use plan. This designation typically supports civic, institutional and employment spaces.
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Despite the new zoning, the property remains subject to a subdivision agreement that limits traffic access. Entry and exit are restricted to right turns onto or from East 15th Street, and no access is permitted from East 18th Street.
The council will vote on two more readings of the ordinance before it is officially ratified.
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Two men were detained in Wyoming in connection with a fatal shooting at a downtown Salt Lake hotel that killed one man.
Carlos Chee, 23, and Chino Aguilar, 21, were both wanted for first-degree felony murder after the victim, identified as Christian Lee, 32, was found dead in a room at the Springhill Suites near 600 South and 300 West.
According to warrants issued for their arrest, Chee and Aguilar met with Lee and another woman at the hotel to sell marijuana. During the alleged drug deal, Aguilar allegedly shot and killed Lee after he tried to grab at his gun.
MORE | Shootings
Investigators said they found Lee dead in the room upon arrival, as well as a single shell casing on the floor and a small amount of marijuana on the television stand.
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The woman told investigators she had met Chee on a dating app and that he agreed to come to the hotel to sell her marijuana. She had been hanging out with him in the room, which Lee rented for her to use, when Lee asked them to leave. Lee was then shot and killed following a brief confrontation.
Chee and Aguilar allegedly fled the scene in a 2013 Toyota Camry with a Texas license plate that was later found outside of Rock Springs, Wyoming just a few hours later.
The two men were taken into custody and detained at the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office.
