Small Town Salute: Kemmerer [UPDATE]

I was OVERWHELMED with YOUR response of Tuesday’s “Small Town Salute” to  Kemmerer.  There's so much to know about this town.  Here’s what we learned.

Judith Drudge brought it to my attention on our Facebook page,  Kemmerer is the home of the very FIRST JC Penny's, founded by James Cash Penny, who was sent to Evanston, Wyoming to continue a chain of stores called the “Golden Rule” store, but later relocated to Kemmerer, Wyoming with his wife and partner to start his own store, thus JC Penny’s was born.  His home is still standing in Kemmerer today, and people can visit this historic landmark.

We also learned from Cowboy Country listener Mike Smuin that Kemmerer is one of the BEST places to unearth your very own fossil fish! Here's a link to the Fossil Basin Promotion Board that explains more. There’s actually fossil quarries located just west of Kemmerer, in the hills surrounding Fossil Lake.  This “limestone graveyard” is over 52 MILLION years old, and has some great ancient fossils of fish, turtles, birds mammals and more, who once roamed the western portion of our state millions of years ago.  You can visit the Fossil Butte National Monument to learn more!

And, thanks to both listeners Bobby Reetz and Sharon Luthy, Kemmerer is the home of the Oyster Ridge Music Festival, known as “Wyoming’s Largest Free Music Festival,” held every year at Historic Triangle Park in downtown Kemmerer.  All sorts of great bands from all over the state and region will be doing some “fancified pickin’ and grinnin’” with some of the bluegrass music around, plus a little blues, rock and more.  This year’s event will be July 25^th 26^th and 27^th!

Cowboy Country listener Marty Robertson told us that Kemmerer is also the home of the late Dr. Jerry Buss who was the owner of the L.A. Lakers basketball team.  Clyde Travis Rice told us that this beautiful town is also the home of “a really great Governor, Ed Hershler, where you can see a beautiful memorial in his honor at Triangle Park.

Zeth Roberts said his father was born and raised in Kemmerer, and has lots of fond memories, Trent Ser told us about the coal mining there, and most of all, we FINALLY learned the proper pronunciation for Kemmerer, thanks to Tyran Jetkoski, who told us you don’t pronounce the extra “er” in Kemmerer, it’s pronounced “Kemmer.”

Thanks to ALL of you who chimed in about this beautiful little town to the west of the Capitol City, and if there’s another town you think we just pay honors to, please let us know, we’d love to pay them a “Small Town Salute!”