Episode Details

Wendy Corr:

Well, hey there, folks! Welcome to The Roundup. We are a Cowboy State Daily podcast, and we feature really interesting people here in the Cowboy State.

And we have been so blessed - for over a year now we've been able to bring you conversations with people who have made a difference in their communities, in the state, who are out there representing Wyoming in just the best ways.

And so today, we get a chance to talk to one of the most influential legislators here in Wyoming. Spent 28 years in the Wyoming Legislature, legislature in both the House and the Senate, which is phenomenal, but he's got a great Wyoming origin story, and I love that.

So most people who follow Cowboy State Daily have heard the name Eli Bebout, and here we are, the man himself in person. Eli Bebout, Eli, we're so glad you were able to join us today on the roundup. How are you?

Eli Bebout:

Good afternoon! It's really great to be here with you, Wendy. Look forward to our conversation and, of course, Cowboy Daily has been a real success for our state, and what they bring to the viewers and the unique way they do it in the business and what they do, so it's good to be part of it. I'm just looking forward to our conversation.

Wendy Corr:

This is going to be a fun conversation, and thank you so much. We are so proud of the model that we have built with Cowboy State Daily, because not only does it bring real news that actually affects people in - and the small town things as well - but those real issues that are important to people.

But those conversations with people like you, Eli, who have made such an impact here in the state - Eli, you are a Wyoming native. I mean, how great is it that you've been able to spend your entire life here? Tell me about growing up. Folks, he grew up in Bairoil. There's not a lot of people that can say they grew up in Bairoil.

Eli Bebout:

Growing up is a stretch. I was, my mom and dad were, after the war, Dad took a job in Bairoil, working for Sinclair oil refinery company, and so I was, I happened to be born in Rawlins. It was an interesting place to live, Bairoil. Accommodations were not exactly what you would expect to be good for a young mother like my mom, raising not only me but my sister Ruby, who was coming along.

And so it was, in fact, it came to the point where mom said, Pa, you know, I'm going to go to Fremont County. If you want to stay here, you do, but we're going to move to Fremont County. So actually, I was only in Bairoil for a little bit, and we decided to move.

And my dad was smart,and he made the right choice. He said, I'm going with you, Ma. And so we moved to Shoshoni. And so I was really raised in Shoshoni with my brother Nick and my sister Ruby Dee.

Wendy Corr:

And so Shoshoni, you graduated from Shoshoni High School. But Shoshoni was probably even smaller then than it is now. I'm guessing.

Eli Bebout

Well, back then, it was a lot different in rural America. You know what we had in Shoshoni was - and it was that way all around our country - we had a grocery store, we had a movie theater, we had a Golden Rule drug store, Gambles, we had all of that.

And, you know, rural America, one of the things that I don't like about what's going on in our country is that we're losing that, that part of what we do. And so Shoshoni today is much different than back then. And all we have today are couple of Pit Stops, which are really neat for the local community and all that, but know that that small town flavor is gone.

But it was great being raised there, and it was a lot of fun. Participated in sports in Fremont County - Shosh