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ThePowder River Country is thePowder River Basin area of theGreat Plains in northeasternWyoming,United States. The area is loosely defined as that between theBighorn Mountains and theBlack Hills, in the upper drainage areas of thePowder,Tongue, andLittle Bighorn rivers.
During the late 1860s, the area was the scene ofRed Cloud's War, fought between theLakota peoples and the United States. The Lakota victory in the war resulted in the continuation of their control of the area for the next decade.
After control of the area fell to the U.S. government in the 1870s following the end of theGreat Sioux War of 1876–77, the area was opened to white settlement forhomesteading. From 1889 to 1893, the area was the scene of theJohnson County War.
In the early 20th century, the discovery ofoil in the area led to the development of the area's oil fields.Coal is also mined. In 2019, 43% of the nation's coal was mined in the Power River basin.[1]
