Snow Chi Minh Trail discussion set

Western Wyoming Community College will host author and archivist John Waggener, in a historical discussion of Interstate 80 connecting Laramie and Walcott Junction on Friday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m., in room 1302.

Waggener is an archivist at the University of Wyoming’s American Heritage Center and writer of the book “The Snow Chi Minh Trail: The History of I-80 Between Laramie and Walcott Junction.”

The 77-mile stretch of highway got its nickname “Snow Chi Minh Trail” from long-haul truckers negatively referencing the Ho Chi Minh Trail, in Vietnam.

The perilous mountain roadway in Vietnam was used by North Vietnamese soldiers traveling to South Vietnam with supplies and ammunition during the Vietnam War.

The “Snow Chi Minh Trail” is a particularly treacherous part of I-80 is responsible for some of the worst highway crashes in Wyoming’s history. Tales of the road are filled with tragedy but also of controversy, myth and even conspiracy.

It was dedicated on Oct. 3, 1970, and Wyomingites warned highway officials of the adverse weather conditions to no avail. The presentation offers both historical and regional perspective, enriching the understanding of the cultural significance of our state. 

The WWCC Department of History, as well as the WWCC Historical Society, strives to enrich the awareness of the Rock Springs and Green River communities to their cultural and regional heritage.

John Waggener’s new book about the legacy of the stretch of I-80 between Laramie and Wolcott Junction is a fascinating—not to mention entertaining—read about one of the most notorious stretches of highway in not only Wyoming, but the United States,” said Mark Neels, Ph.D., visiting assistant history professor. John Waggener’s presentation on the Snow Chi Minh Trail is sponsored by the Arlene and Louise Wesswick Foundation, WWCC History Department, the WWCC Historical Society, the Outlaw Inn and the American Heritage Center. 

The event is free and open to the public. The community is encourage to attend. For more information please contact Mark Neels, by phone (307) 382-1771 or via email at mneels@westernwyoming.edu.