Soil to Riches
Statue
A bronze monument featuring a pioneer cowboy and his quarter horse in downtown Thermopolis, dedicated in 1999 to commemorate the town's first 100 years of history.
Symbolism and Design
Depiction
The statue features a pioneer cowboy standing beside his quarter horse. The cowboy is shown sifting dirt through his hands, symbolizing the diverse "riches" drawn from the local soil.
The Theme
Its full title/theme is "From this soil come the riches of the world". This refers to the regional foundations of farming, ranching, mining, minerals, and the discovery of prehistoric fossils in the area.
Artist
It was designed and created by sculptor Carl Jensen of Wheatland, Wyoming.
Physical Details
Weight
The cowboy figure weighs approximately 250–300 lbs, while the horse weighs between 1,500 and 2,000 lbs.
Cowboy Model
The cowboy was modeled after Allen "Butch" Schweighart, who led the effort to create the statue.
Horse Model
The horse was modeled after one of artist Carl Jensen's own favorite horses, lending authenticity to the sculpture.
Unique Features
Livestock Brands
The base of the monument is decorated with 138 livestock brands from local area ranches. These were etched into Corian tiles, with each brand owner contributing $100 to help fund the memorial.
Historical Accuracy
The horse bears the "88-bar" brand, an old territorial-era brand from southeast Wyoming, adding authentic historical detail to the monument.
Location
Address
531 Broadway St, Thermopolis, WY
Located near the intersection of Broadway and 6th Street in the downtown historic district
Visit the Memorial
Experience this tribute to Wyoming's pioneer heritage and the riches of the land in downtown Thermopolis.
Get DirectionsHistory & Background
The Soil to Riches Statue honors Wyoming's agricultural heritage — specifically the farming and ranching traditions that have sustained Wyoming communities for over 150 years. Wyoming's economy has always rested on natural resources: cattle and sheep ranching, farming in irrigated valleys, coal and oil and gas extraction, and mineral mining. The phrase "soil to riches" captures the fundamental truth that the wealth of Wyoming communities grew from the land — from the grass that fed cattle, the hay fields that fed livestock through harsh winters, and the irrigated crops that fed families and communities.
Wyoming's agricultural history is inseparable from its history of land conflict. The Johnson County War of 1892 — when large cattle interests hired a private army to intimidate and kill small ranchers — was the bloodiest manifestation of disputes that ran throughout Wyoming's territorial era. The open range cattle industry of the 1870s and 1880s, which made fortunes for investors (often British and Scottish) and provided the foundation for Wyoming's mythological "cowboy" identity, gave way to more diversified agriculture as homesteaders claimed land under federal land grant programs.
Today, Wyoming agriculture includes beef cattle (the state's most valuable agricultural product), sheep, hay, sugar beets, and dry edible beans among its primary products. Wyoming ranks among the leading states in the country for per-capita agricultural production despite its challenging climate. The Soil to Riches statue acknowledges the farmers and ranchers — many of them families working land for multiple generations — who turned Wyoming's harsh terrain into productive agricultural enterprise and built the communities that visitors experience today.
Nearby Attractions
Wyoming Pioneer Memorial Museum (Douglas)
Documents Wyoming's pioneer and agricultural history with collections of farm equipment, homestead artifacts, and photographs. The museum provides essential context for understanding how Wyoming's agricultural communities developed from the Oregon Trail era through the 20th century, including the role of sheep and cattle ranching in shaping the state's economy and culture.
Guernsey State Park and Reservoir
Along the North Platte River in Platte County, Guernsey State Park is one of Wyoming's most beautiful and historically rich state parks. The reservoir offers boating and fishing, while the surrounding landscape contains visible Oregon Trail ruts — among the most dramatic surviving ruts from the trail — and Register Cliff, where thousands of emigrants carved their names into the sandstone as they passed.
Fort Laramie National Historic Site
Located at the confluence of the Laramie and North Platte rivers, Fort Laramie was Wyoming's most important trading post and military installation in the 19th century. It served as a supply point for Oregon Trail emigrants, a fur trade center, and a military fort during the Indian Wars. Thirteen original and reconstructed buildings open for tours tell the story of the fort's multiple roles in Wyoming history.