Wyoming atlas misprint names ranch 'Shemale Bros.'

A typo in a printed map has turned a private ranch in Albany County into a subject of local amusement. The error lists the property as the "Shemale Brothers Ranch" instead of the Schmale Brothers Ranch. Vince Meyer of Cheyenne identified the mistake while planning a trip to the Shirley Basin.

Meyer uses full-sized atlases to study remote areas of the state before he travels. He found the misnamed spot in the 2009 6th Edition of the DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer of Wyoming. The location appears in an obscure section of private land northeast of Laramie. Meyer noted that the error likely originated from a simple typographical mistake or a bored cartographer.

The misprint persisted in later editions of the same guide. A 2011 copy held at the main branch of the Laramie County Public Library in Cheyenne also displays the incorrect name. Meyer said he assumed the error was a simple oversight rather than an intentional change.

The property has a documented history in the region. The Schmale Brothers Ranch is part of a network of ranches established in Albany County during the late 19th century. According to the Q Creek Ranch website, the Schmale property was eventually incorporated into the larger Q Creek Ranch. That larger operation was founded in the 1880s.

University records support the existence of the Schmale family in the area. The University of Wyoming lists an "Amanda S. And Oscar W. Schmale Scholarship" under its WyoScholarships program. The university states that Oscar and Amanda Schmale, along with Oscar’s brother Emil, owned ranch property in the Bosler area. That location is near where the map lists the misnamed site.

The Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments has not received formal complaints about the error. The Maps and Records Division said it had no record of an Albany County property being mislabeled. State mapmakers cross-check their work, but the division acknowledged that mistakes are rare but possible. A request for comment from the DeLorme company was not answered by publication time.

Meyer said he wants to visit the site but is unsure if public roads provide access. The property remains in the middle of a large private tract. Detailed maps do not clarify if existing roads are public thoroughfares or gated off. Meyer said he will have to wait for an opportunity to see the spot in person.