| The name of Medicine Bow is derived from the Indians. A tradition says that the northern tribes traveled annually to the foot of the Medicine Bow Mountains for the purpose of procuring a variety of ash timber from which they made their bows. With the Indians, anything that is excellent for the purpose for which it is intended is called Good Medicine. The locality was known as the place where they could procure good medicine bows, hence Medicine Bow Mountains, Medicine Bow River, and the town of Medicine Bow naturally follows. ... Located in the Snowy Range area west of Laramie, Medicine Bow Peak has an altitude of 11,939 feet. On the summit which forms one flank on the peak stands the primary fire lookout tower of the Medicine Bow National Forest. To this location the Indians came great distances to obtain the unusually straight timber of that part of the region from which to fashion their bows and arrows. It was considered "good medicine" to use that timber for the making of their weapons - "good medicine bows". (WPA) |
