Historic 'Coxey's Army' Protest of 1894, Involving Wyomingites, Marked by Train Theft and Arrests in Green River
In 1894, a significant protest known as 'Coxey's Army,' led by Jacob Coxey, saw unemployed Americans march on Washington, D.C., to demand government assistance and public works projects during the Panic of 1893. This movement included many individuals from Wyoming who had lost their jobs. A notable incident occurred in Green River, Wyoming, where approximately 250 protesters, part of Coxey's Army, were arrested after stealing a train in Montpelier, Idaho, in an attempt to reach the capital. U.S. Marshal Joseph P. Rankin, with the help of local men and soldiers from Fort Russell in Cheyenne, apprehended the group. The arrested individuals were subsequently taken back to Idaho to face charges for minor offenses. Coxey himself was arrested upon reaching the U.S. Capitol for trespassing and attempting to speak from the Capitol steps. The protest's exploits are also speculated to have inspired L. Frank Baum's 1900 book, 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.' 
