July 10, 1890: Wyoming Is Admitted As the 44th State

July 10, 1890: Wyoming is admitted to the Union as the 44th State. It is known as the Equality State, because it was the 1st State, and before that the 1st Territory, in the Union to grant women the right to vote.

This concluded a run that started on November 2, 1889, where, in 8 months, 6 new States were added to the Union.

Wyoming is in the Rocky Mountains. It had been acquired as part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. It has become known for cattle ranches, mining, and Yellowstone National Park, the nation's 1st National Park.

Politically, Idaho has been Western conservative, with a libertarian bent: Pro-gun, pro-landowner. Its highest-ranking politician is Dick Cheney, who served as White House Chief of Staff under President Gerald Ford, Wyoming's only Congressman from 1979 to 1989, as Secretary of State under George Bush the father, and as Vice President to George Bush the son.

Among the 50 States, Wyoming is last in alphabetical order, and last in population, with 576,851 people according to the 2020 Census. The State is huge and sparsely-populated: While Cheyenne, the State Capitol and the largest city, with 65,000 people, is only 100 miles from the major league city of Denver, and Laramie, seat of the University of Wyoming, the only major sports-playing college in the State, is just 130 miles away, Yellowstone, at the opposite corner of the State, is over 530 miles away, and nearly 800 miles from Seattle.

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July 10, 1890 was a Thursday. Baseball was the only professional team sport in America, and it was the year of the Players' League, so there were 3 major leagues.

In the National League:

* The New York Giants beat the Pittsburgh Alleghenys, 14-3 at Manhattan Field in Upper Manhattan. The NL Giants built that, while the Players' League team that stole the name built the 1890-1911 version of the Polo Grounds next-door. After the PL folded, the Giants moved into that Polo Grounds.

* The Brooklyn Bridegrooms beat the Cincinnati Reds, 5-3 at the original Washington Park in Brooklyn.

* The Boston Beaneaters beat the Chicago Colts, 5-3 at the 1888-94 version of the South End Grounds in Boston. The Beaneaters eventually became the Braves, and the Colts became the Cubs.

* The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Cleveland Spiders, 14-9 at the Philadelphia Base Ball Grounds. It burned down in 1894, and the ballpark that became Baker Bowl was built on the site. The Spiders went out of business after the 1899 season.

In the American Association:

* The Brooklyn Gladiators beat the Toledo Maumees, 9-6 at Speranza Park in Toledo, Ohio. The Gladiators finished a distant last in the AA, and folded after the season. The Maumees folded with the AA after the 1891 season.

* The Rochester Broncos beat the Columbus Solons, 11-9 at Recreation Park in Columbus, Ohio. This would be the only season in MLB for Rochester. The Solons finished 2nd in the AA, albeit 10 games behind the Colonels, but still lost money, and folded with the league after the 1891 season.

* The Louisville Colonels beat the Philadelphia Athletics, 12-3 at Eclipse Park in Louisville, Kentucky. This version of the A's folded with the AA after the 1891 season. At that point, the Colonels joined the NL.

* The Syracuse Stars beat the St. Louis Browns, 5-3 at the 1881-98 version of Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. The Stars were among the losers in the "Players' League War," and folded after the season. Syracuse previously had a team called the Stars in the NL in 1879. These are, to date, the only 2 seasons in MLB for the city. The Browns joined the NL in 1892, and became the Cardinals.

In the Players' League:

* The PL's version of the New York Giants beat the PL's version of the Chicago White Stockings, 9-5 at the 1890-1911 version of the Polo Grounds.

* The Brooklyn Ward's Wonders beat the Buffalo Bisons, 8-5 at Eastern Park in Brooklyn. The Brooklyn team was named after their star shortstop, the PL's founder, John Montgomery Ward. Although the Buffalo Bisons name would be applied to later teams in multiple sports, this team died with the PL.

* The Boston Reds beat the Pittsburgh Burghers, 12-6 at the Congress Street Grounds in Boston.

* And the Philadelphia Athletics beat the Cleveland Infants, 17-11 at Forepaugh Park in Philadelphia.