Modern Development

After statehood, farming began to increase with the aid of federal irrigation projects. Cattle and sheep raising, however, continued to be the mainstays of the economy. Although the first oil well had been drilled at Fort Bridger in the 1860's, it was not until 1912 that an oil boom began when vast fields were discovered in central Wyoming. Oil reserves held by the federal government near Casper were involved in the Teapot Dome scandal of the Harding administration. (

Beginning in the 1920's—before the Great Depression began—Wyoming was plagued by economic problems. Agriculture, coal mining, and oil production suffered severe setbacks. Prosperity returned with the increased demand caused by World War II. By mid-century, the production of oil and other mineral resources had surpassed agriculture in importance. Tourism also became a major industry. Rapid development of the Powder River Basin's coal reserves in the late 1970's and in the 1980's provided new growth for Wyoming's economy. During the 1990's, the minerals industry, tourism, and agriculture were the mainstays of the state's economy.

During the 1980s, Wyoming became the state with the lowest population in the U.S., after Alaska passed it. Despite growth during the 1990s, Wyoming still had the lowest state population in 2000.