Kaycee is a place for legendary outlaws and legendary heroes.
With the origin of its name coming from the KC Ranch brand, the town has a long history, making it an important place in the development of Wyoming and the West. From the Portuguese Fort to the Bozeman Trail and Fort Reno, the area was part of an important thoroughfare since the earliest times.
The KC Ranch was the site of the first major battle of the Johnson County Cattle War of April 1892. It was here that small-time ranchers Nick Ray and Nate Champion were surrounded in a cabin by a vigilante group of 50 hired gunmen and ranch owners, known to history as the Invaders. Ray was shot early in the fight, but Champion became a legend for holding off the Invaders alone for several hours before he was smoked out of the cabin and shot. The standoff allowed word of the Invasion to spread, and a large opposition group formed to stop the Invaders from killing more people and taking out the county government as planned.
Kaycee also is the gateway to Red Wall Country, where outlaws such as the Hole in the Wall Gang hid from authorities. Wild Bunch outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid spent time at the Hole in the Wall, as did folks like Flat Nose George Currie, Tom O’Day, and the notorious Harvey Logan.
Another Kaycee legend falling in the hero category is Chris LeDoux, the 1976 world bareback riding champion at the National Finals Rodeo and an award-winning and influential country music star. LeDoux’s life was cut short by cancer. He is remembered with a larger-than-life sculpture in Chris LeDoux Park and the annual Chris LeDoux Days celebration.
The history of Kaycee is preserved at the Hoofprints of the Past Museum, where the collection features items from the days of Native Americans through modern times.
Kaycee is located along Interstate 25 about 45 minutes south of Buffalo and less than an hour north of Casper.
The Johnson County Tourism Association produced banners featuring 10 historical figures who were part of Kaycee’s early development in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Those banners will be on display along Nolan Avenue at times during the year.
125 Nolan Avenue
320 Nolan Avenue
343 Nolan Avenue
346 Nolan Avenue
101 Old Barnum Road
42 Mayoworth Road
344 Nolan Avenue
401 Nolan Avenue
August 17, 2024
Offered by Hoofprints of the Past Museum
September 14, 2024
Offered by the Hoofprints of the Past Museum
Takes place each June
Offered by Hoofprints of the Past Museum
Takes Place Each June
Downtown Kaycee and Harold Jarrard Park
Takes Place Each June
Hoofprints of the Past Museum
June 14-September 6, 2024
Harold Jarrard Park