Lain Prior

Hi, I’m Lain Prior. I grew up in Cody, Wyoming, and I’m currently studying Philosophy, Religious Studies, and History at the University of Wyoming. I’ve been published in Wyoming Rural Electric News (WREN), I have a blog, and I hope to post many future articles to Wyohistory.org. I’m always starting new creative projects and when I’m not writing, I’m usually researching, building fantasy worlds, or playing Dungeons & Dragons with my friends.

Although James Julian is likely not a household name for many, his invention intertwines with some of the biggest names in Wild West legend. Julian’s invention of the hydraulic gallows impacted the way capital punishment was meted out in Wyoming for more than five decades. Read more about this gruesome invention.