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CASPER, Wyo. – Get ready for an action-packed weekend at the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center, featuring exciting kids’ activities, appearances by special guests, and a captivating program on the historic “Battle of Red Buttes.”

Youth History Club: Trailblazer Skills – Lashing

Unleash your inner trailblazer on Saturday, July 15, with this month’s Youth History Club program focusing on trailblazing skills. At 11 a.m., participants will join knowledgeable BLM staff to learn how to lash a shelter that will withstand the Wyoming wind.  

Major Twiss and His Descendants, Past and Present

At 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 15, the Trails Center welcomes Dustin and Louis Twiss, Oglala Lakota descendants of Major Thomas Twiss, an Indian agent who called Wyoming “home” in the 1850s. Local historian and writer Tom Rea will also be on-hand to add background to the story. The presentation will include open dialogue and oral family traditions focusing on Major Twiss and his legacy.

Twiss arrived in Fort Laramie as a civilian in 1855. As a U.S. agent to the Indian tribes in the upper Platte Valley, he was tasked with keeping the peace with the tribes. Soon after, he had an Oglala family on Deer Creek near present-day Glenrock in addition to his family back east. He lived in two worlds for decades.

The Battle of Red Buttes

At 1 p.m. on Sunday, July 16, join us at the Trails Center for a special program focused on the Battle of Red Buttes, which occurred on July 26, 1865. The event will kick off with a screening of the film, “The Battle of Red Buttes,” and a presentation by Cheyenne River Sioux tribal member Donovin Sprague. Sprague, who is featured in the film, is a descendant of both Chief Hump and Crazy Horse. He will share stories that have passed down through generations regarding the events that transpired leading up to and during that day.

Following the film and presentation, participants have the option to travel to the Battle of Red Buttes site for a guided tour with Sprague and BLM interpreters. The Battle of Red Buttes site is located on the Rimrock Historic and Recreational Area west of Casper, which was acquired by the BLM in 2017.  

“The Battle of Red Buttes” film explores the planning, execution, and aftermath of the battles of Platte Bridge Station and Red Buttes that occurred on the doorsteps of present-day Casper, Wyo. Commissioned by the BLM and unveiled in July 2022, the film won Best Documentary at the Venice Shorts Film Festival in January.

Events Schedule

• July 15 at 11 a.m.: Youth History Club – Trailblazing Skills
  STEM activity on shelter lashing.
• July 15 at 1 p.m.: Major Twiss and His Descendants, Past and Present
  featuring Dustin and Louis Twiss, with local historian Tom Rea.  
• July 16 at 1 p.m.: The Battle of Red Buttes
  with Donovan Sprague: documentary viewing at the Trails Center followed by site visit.

Interested in upcoming programs at the Trails Center? Visit the Trails Center’s website at https://www.blm.gov/learn/interpretive-centers/national-historic-trails-interpretive-center or follow BLM Wyoming on Facebook or Twitter. For more information, call the Trails Center at 307-261-7700.

The National Historic Trails Interpretive Center is open 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MST.
1501 N Poplar St., Casper, WY 82601.
Admission is Free