Will Rogers visited Wyoming on several occasions and wrote about the state’s political figures. Will flew over Wyoming and survived another crash when his plane, “smashed its undercarriage” in a landing at an emergency field in Cherokee, Wyoming. Will wrote a touching tribute to his friend, Charley B. Irwin, cowboy cattleman and “daddy” of the Cheyenne frontier show.
“Ah, old Cheyenne won’t seem the same. Every time I would step off an airplane there, (where they gas, and get meals) I would holler, “Where’s C. B.?” And if he was in the town he would be there. Before Cheyenne had a real aerial depot and I was going through one night on a mail plane, he brought me a big box of fried chicken that Mrs. Irwin had cooked. Gosh it was good. I eat all the way to Omaha…. Charley had a great career. He was a real cowpuncher in his day, and the greatest spirit and best company that ever lived. That other world up there is going to hear a whoop at the gate and a yell saying, “Saint Peter, open up that main gate, for there is a real cowboy coming into the old home ranch.” – Weekly Articles, 1934
“Had the greatest kick flying this morning I ever had. All the way across Wyoming we chased wolves and antelopes.” – Daily Telegrams, October 21, 1927
“Dude ranches were the economic salvation of the Northwest. Wyoming may be king of the dude ranches, but Santa Barbara, Cal., is daddy of the rich “dudes’” owning ranches and enjoying ’em, and it’s a great thing from every angle. They improve ’em, give lots of employment, raise fine horses and keep themselves out of a lot of worse devilment. So buy a ranch somewhere in the West. All your life every man has wanted to be a cowboy. Why play Wall Street and die young when you can play cowboy and never die?” - Daily Telegrams, July 10, 1931
“In flying out from the East I stopped over Saturday in Cheyenne to see the frontier days celebration—the one they all got their idea from. It’s a great show and the people as much as the contest- ants make it. No private plane; still flying air mail with two hundred and six dollars worth of stamps pasted on me from Chicago to Beverly.” – Daily Telegrams, July 29, 1928