Casper, Wyoming
| City of Casper, Wyoming | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
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| Nickname(s): The Oil City | |
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Wyoming |
| County | Natrona |
| Government | |
| - City Manager | Thomas O. Forslund |
| Area | |
| - City | 24.3 sq mi (62.8 km2) |
| - Land | 24.0 sq mi (62.0 km2) |
| - Water | 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2) |
| - Metro | 5,376 sq mi sq mi (13,923 km² km2) |
| Elevation | 5,150 ft (1,560 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| - City | 53,569 |
| - Density | 2,073.3/sq mi (800.5/km2) |
| - Metro | 74,508 |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
| - Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
| ZIP codes | 82601, 82602, 82604, 82605, 82609, 82615, 82630, 82638, 82646 |
| Area code(s) | 307 |
| FIPS code | 56-13150[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1586424[2] |
| Website | www.casperwy.gov |
Casper is the only city in and the county seat of Natrona County, Wyoming, United States.[3]. Casper is the second-largest city in Wyoming, according to the 2010 census. With a population of 53,569.Casper is nicknamed "The Oil City" and has a long history of oil boomtown and cowboy culture, dating back to development of the nearby Salt Creek Oil Field.
Casper is located in east-central Wyoming at the foot of Casper Mountain, the north end of the Laramie Mountain Range, along the North Platte River. Interstate 25 approaches Casper from the North and East and is the main avenue of transportation to and from the city. The towns immediately adjacent to Casper are Mills, Evansville, Bar Nunn, and Mountain View. Unincorporated areas include Allendale, Dempsey Acres, Red Buttes, Indian Springs, and several others.
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History
The city was established east of the former site of Fort Caspar, which was built during the mid-19th century mass migration of land seekers along the Oregon, California and Mormon trails. [4]. The area was the location of several ferries that offered passage across the North Platte River in the early 1840s. In 1859, Louis Guinard built a bridge and trading post near the original ferry locations[5].
The government soon posted a military garrison nearby to protect telegraph and mail service. It was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel William O. Collins[4]. American Indian attacks increased after the Sand Creek Massacre in Colorado in 1864, bringing more troops to the post, which was by now called Platte Bridge Station. In July 1865, Lieutenant Caspar Collins (the son of Colonel Collins) was killed near the post by a group of Indian warriors. Three months later the garrison was renamed Fort Caspar after Lieutenant Collins.[4] In 1867, the troops were ordered to abandon Fort Caspar in favor of Fort Fetterman downstream on the North Platte along the Bozeman Trail.
The town of Casper itself was founded well after the fort had been closed. The city was founded by developers as an anticipated stopping point during the expansion of the Wyoming Central Railway; it was an early commercial rival to Bessemer and Douglas, Wyoming. The lack of a railhead doomed Bessemer in favor of Casper. Douglas, also a railhead, survives to the present day. The presence of a railhead made Casper the starting off point for the "invaders" in the Johnson County War. The special chartered train carrying the men up from Texas stopped at Casper.
Geography and climate
Casper is located at (42.834665, -106.325062)[6]. It sits at an average elevation of about 5100 to 5200 ft (just slightly lower than Denver).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 24.3 square miles (62.8 km²), of which, 24.0 square miles (62.0 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²) of it (1.32%) is water.
Casper, as with most of the rest of Wyoming, has a semi-arid climate (Koppen climate classification BSk), with long, cold, but dry winters, hot but generally dry summers, mild springs, and short and crisp autumns. Highs range from 32 °F (0 °C) in January to 88 °F (31.1 °C) in July and August. Temperatures typically plummet during summer nights, with an average diurnal temperature range approaching 35 °F (19.4 °C). Snow can fall heavily during the winter months, being the greatest in April, and usually falls in May and October, but rarely September. Precipitation is greatest in spring and early summer, but even then it is not high. Highs reach 90 °F (32.2 °C) on 31 days per year and fail to surpass freezing on 46. Lows drop to 0 °F (−17.8 °C) on 18 nights per winter.
| Climate data for Casper, Wyoming | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 60 (15.6) |
68 (20) |
75 (23.9) |
84 (28.9) |
95 (35) |
102 (38.9) |
104 (40) |
102 (38.9) |
97 (36.1) |
87 (30.6) |
72 (22.2) |
63 (17.2) |
104 (40) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 32.3 (0.17) |
37.0 (2.78) |
46.9 (8.28) |
56.1 (13.39) |
66.4 (19.11) |
78.8 (26) |
86.8 (30.44) |
85.3 (29.61) |
73.4 (23) |
59.5 (15.28) |
42.6 (5.89) |
33.6 (0.89) |
58.2 (14.56) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 12.2 (-11) |
16.4 (-8.67) |
23.1 (-4.94) |
29.3 (-1.5) |
37.9 (3.28) |
46.6 (8.11) |
53.2 (11.78) |
51.8 (11) |
41.7 (5.39) |
31.8 (-0.11) |
21.3 (-5.94) |
14.0 (-10) |
31.6 (-0.22) |
| Record low °F (°C) | -40 (-40) |
-32 (-35.6) |
-21 (-29.4) |
-6 (-21.1) |
16 (-8.9) |
28 (-2.2) |
30 (-1.1) |
33 (0.6) |
16 (-8.9) |
-3 (-19.4) |
-21 (-29.4) |
-41 (-40.6) |
-41 (-40.6) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 0.58 (14.7) |
0.64 (16.3) |
0.90 (22.9) |
1.52 (38.6) |
2.38 (60.5) |
1.43 (36.3) |
1.29 (32.8) |
0.73 (18.5) |
0.98 (24.9) |
1.14 (29) |
0.82 (20.8) |
0.62 (15.7) |
13.03 (331) |
| Snowfall inches (cm) | 11.2 (28.4) |
10.3 (26.2) |
12.3 (31.2) |
13.3 (33.8) |
4.9 (12.4) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
2.0 (5.1) |
7.1 (18) |
11.9 (30.2) |
11.7 (29.7) |
84.7 (215.1) |
| Avg. precipitation days | 7.6 | 7.5 | 9.4 | 10.4 | 11.4 | 8.9 | 8.1 | 6.0 | 6.8 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 7.7 | 98.3 |
| Avg. snowy days | 8.0 | 7.4 | 8.7 | 7.1 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 | 3.8 | 6.9 | 8.2 | 53 |
| Source: [7] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 40 |
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| 1890 | 544 | 1,260.0% | |
| 1900 | 883 | 62.3% | |
| 1910 | 2,639 | 198.9% | |
| 1920 | 11,447 | 333.8% | |
| 1930 | 16,619 | 45.2% | |
| 1940 | 17,964 | 8.1% | |
| 1950 | 23,673 | 31.8% | |
| 1960 | 38,930 | 64.4% | |
| 1970 | 39,361 | 1.1% | |
| 1980 | 51,016 | 29.6% | |
| 1990 | 46,742 | −8.4% | |
| 2000 | 49,644 | 6.2% | |
| Est. 2009 | 54,874 | 10.5% | |
| source:[8][9][10] | |||
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 49,644 people, 20,343 households, and 13,141 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,073.2 people per square mile (800.3/km²). There were 21,872 housing units at an average density of 913.4/sq mi (352.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.03% White, 0.86% Black, 1.00% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.04% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. 5.35% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 20,343 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,567, and the median income for a family was $46,267. Males had a median income of $34,905 versus $21,810 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,409. About 8.5% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.4% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Although relatively small by national standards, Casper is a regional center of banking and commerce.
Since the discovery of crude oil in the region during the 1890s, Casper became the regional petroleum industry center. Oil has figured prominently in its history from nearly the onset. Oil was first discovered in the famous Salt Creek Oil Field in 1889, approximately 40 miles (64 km) north of Casper; the first refinery in Casper was built in 1895. The city has featured a refinery ever since, although various refineries have been built and closed over the years. As recently as the early 1980s, the city was near or home to three refineries. The surviving one, operated by Sinclair Oil Corporation, is located nearby in Evansville, Wyoming. Development of Wyoming coal and uranium fields in recent decades has helped Casper continue its role as a center in the energy industry.
Casper was once significant in the Western sheep industry, although perhaps not to the same extent as some other regional cities. A meat packing plant was established in neighboring Evansville in the 1930s and was closed due to industrywide restructuring in the 1970s.
Education
Casper is home to Casper College, a community college that offers bachelors degrees in sixteen areas of study from the University of Wyoming through their UW/CC Center.[11]
Public education in the city of Casper is provided by Natrona County School District #1. The district operates sixteen elementary schools, five middle schools, and three high schools in Casper. The high schools include Kelly Walsh, Natrona, and Roosevelt High Schools.
Media
Casper and the rest of Wyoming are served by the Casper Star-Tribune, a newspaper with statewide circulation; the Casper Journal is a community newspaper published weekly.
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Sports
Casper hosted the AIFA Championship Bowl III at the Casper Events Center on July 26, 2009.[12][13]
- Wyoming Cavalry a minor league indoor football team in the American Indoor Football Association.
- Casper Ghosts a minor league baseball team affiliated with the Colorado Rockies.
- Casper Storm a semi pro football team in the North American Football League.
Culture
Museums and historical sites
Casper is home to a number of museums and historical sites:
- Fort Caspar Museum and Historic Site.[14]
- National Historic Trails Interpretive Center, a federally funded and operated museum[15]
- Nicolaysen Art Museum[16]
- Tate Geological Museum at Casper College[17]
- Werner Wildlife Museum[18]
Performing arts and music
Casper has three locations offering theatre: The Gertrude Krampert Theatre at Casper College, Stage III Community Theatre, and the Casper Events Center[19] where an annual series of touring Broadway shows, Broadway in Casper, can be seen.
Casper is home to the Troopers[20], a drum and bugle corps in Drum Corps International, and the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra[21]. During the summer months, Casper's City Band performs free concerts Thursday evenings at Washington Park, weather permitting[19].
Transportation
Highways
I-25
- North-South Interstate running from New Mexico to Wyoming.
US 20
- East-West route through Casper that runs concurrent with I-25 through Casper. At exit 189 the highway continues west out of Casper, and no longer runs concurrent with the interstate.
- The Business Route of US 20 follows N. Beverly St. and Yellowstone Hwy. going East-West from I-25/US 87 (Exit 186) to U.S. 20-26 west of Casper in Mills.
US 26
- East-West route through Casper that runs concurrent with I-25 through Casper. At exit 189 the highway continues west out of Casper, and no longer runs concurrent with the interstate.
- The Business Route of US 26 follows N. McKinley St. and Yellowstone Hwy. going East-West from I-25/US 87 (Exit 187) to U.S. 20-26 west of Casper in Mills.
US 87
- North-South through Casper that runs concurrent with I-25 through Casper.
Wyoming State Highways:
WYO 220 (N. Poplar St., CY Avenue)
- East-West route from I-25/US 87 (Exit 188B) west out of Casper towards Alcova.
WYO 251 (Wolcott St., Casper Mountain Rd.)
- North-South route that continues south out of Casper and up Casper Mountain, eventually ending at WYO 487.
WYO 252 (S. Poplar St.)
- North-South route from the intersection of Poplar Street and CY avenue to Casper Mountain Road.
WYO 254 (Salt Creek Hwy.)
- North-South route from I-25/US 87 south to US 20-26 (Yellowstone Hwy.) in Mills.
WYO 255 (Center St., 9th St., CY Avenue)
- North-South route from I-25 exit 188A to the intersection of S. Poplar and CY Avenue, where CY Avenue continues as WY 220.
WYO 258 (Wyoming Blvd.)
- East-West loop route from I-25/US 87 to US 20-26 west of Casper in Mills; the majority of the highway runs along the southern borders of Casper.
Airports
The city has scheduled air service at Casper/Natrona County International Airport, a former army air base built during World War II. The current airport, having been built for bombers, has large runways and replaced a prior regional airport north of Casper which later became Bar Nunn. The airport is located west of the city just off of US highway 20/26. In July 2004, the airport facilities were renovated[22]. Passenger service at the airport is offered by United Express (SkyWest Airlines), The Delta Connection (SkyWest Airlines), and Allegiant Airlines.
Public transit
Public transit in the Casper area is provided by the Casper Area Transportation Coalition.[23]. They offer fixed route service called The Bus and on request service.
Scheduled bus service
Scheduled bus service once offered by Power River Bus Lines is now offered by Black Hills Stage Lines [24].
Notable natives and residents
- John Barrasso, Republican U.S. Senator from Wyoming
- Tom Browning, former major league pitcher, threw perfect game and while with the Cincinnati Reds, won a World Series.
- Dick Cheney, Vice President of United States under George W. Bush, Secretary of Defense under George H.W. Bush, former CEO of Haliburton Company. Cheney grew up in Casper, having moved there from his birthplace in Nebraska.
- Lynne Cheney, wife of former Vice President Dick Cheney under President George W. Bush
- Tom Coburn, U.S. senator from Oklahoma
- Mike Devereaux, professional baseball player with World Series rings with Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves
- Jean Henry-Mead, photojournalist, author of books about Wyoming, including the centennial history of Casper (Casper Country: Wyoming's Heartland)
- Mike Lansing, former major league second baseman
- Chris LeDoux, country music artist, died in Casper in 2005
- Warren A. Morton (1924–2002), former Speaker of the Wyoming House of Representatives; Casper oilman and engineer
- Guy Padgett, politician, first openly gay elected official in Wyoming
- James Reeb, civil rights activist, murdered in Selma, Alabama, 1965.
- Mike Sullivan, Governor of Wyoming from 1987–1995; former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland during the Clinton administration.
- Pete Williams, NBC News correspondent, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
- Matthew Shepard, gay male murder victim for whom the Matthew Shepard Hate Crime Act is named
- Thomas E. Trowbridge, former member of both houses of the Wyoming State Legislature
- Tom Walsh, former mayor of Casper and three-term member of the Wyoming House of Representatives
- Corporal Jason J. Corbett, United States Army, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment. Killed during military operations in Iraq on January 15, 2007.[25]
- Vic Marker, Midwest Golden Gloves Champion from 1937-39.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Fifer, Barbera. Wyoming's Historic Forts. Farcountry Press. pp. 59–68.
- ↑ "Platte River Fords". Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office. http://wyoshpo.state.wy.us/trailsdemo/platteriverfords.htm.
- ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ "Average Weather for Casper, WY — Temperature and Precipitation". Weather.com. http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/82604?from=36hr_bottomnav_undeclared. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
- ↑ "Historical Decennial Census Population for Wyoming Counties, Cities, and Towns". Wyoming Department of State / U.S. Census Bureau. http://eadiv.state.wy.us/demog_data/cntycity_hist.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
- ↑ Moffatt, Riley. Population History of Western U.S. Cities & Towns, 1850-1990. Lanham: Scarecrow, 1996, 338.
- ↑ "Subcounty population estimates: Wyoming 2000-2007" (CSV). United States Census Bureau, Population Division. 2009-03-18. http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/files/SUB-EST2007-56.csv. Retrieved 2009-05-10.
- ↑ "UW: Bachelors Degree and Certificate Programs". University of Wyoming. http://www.uwyo.edu/uwcc/info.asp?p=1234. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
- ↑ "Casper Events Center". City of Casper. http://www.casperwy.gov/Play/ArtsEntertainment/CasperEventsCenter/tabid/402/Default.aspx. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
- ↑ "Wyoming Cavalry News & Events". Wyoming Cavalry. http://www.wyomingcavalry.com/NewsEvents/. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
- ↑ "Fort Caspar Museum". City of Casper. http://www.casperwy.gov/ParksRecreationandEntertainment/ConcertsCulturalPastimes/FortCasparMuseum/tabid/188/Default.aspx. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
- ↑ "Trails Center". U.S. Bureau of Land Management. http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/NHTIC.html. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
- ↑ "Nicolaysen Art Museum & Discovery Center". Nicolaysen Art Museum & Discovery Center. http://www.thenic.org/. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
- ↑ "Casper College". Casper College. http://www.caspercollege.edu/tate/. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
- ↑ "Werner Wildlife Museum Review: Casper Best Attractions and Activities Reviews by 10Best". 10Best Inc.. http://www.10best.com/Casper,WY/Attractions_&_Activities/Best_Attractions_&_Activities/71003/Werner_Wildlife_Museum_Casper_WY/. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Arts and Culture". Casper Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. http://www.casperwyoming.info/arts.php. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
- ↑ "Troopers — The Original 'America's Corps'". Troopers Drum & Bugle Corps. http://www.troopersdrumcorps.org/about/. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
- ↑ "Tickets". Wyoming Symphony Orchestra. http://wso.ramshorn.us/wso0809/Tickets.aspx. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
- ↑ "Airport renovations to start in July". Casper Star-Tribune. 2004-06-24. http://www.trib.com/articles/2004/06/25/news/casper/df2cf5905afb1d8b87256ebd00816ba0.txt. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
- ↑ "CATC — Casper Area Transportation Coalition". Casper Area Transportation Coalition, Inc.. http://www.casperareatransportation.com/thebus.html. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
- ↑ "Black Hills Stage LInes". Black Hills Stae Lines.. http://www.blackhillsstagelines.com/stations.asp?state=WY. Retrieved 2010-02-187.
- ↑ "Corp Jason Jarrard Corbett". FindAGrave.com. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=17619853. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
External links
- City website
- Casper Star-Tribune
- Casper Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Casper Area Chamber of Commerce
- Casper Events Center
- Casper Recreation
- City-Data website
- Vintage Life Magazine Photos of Casper
- Casper Newspapers in the Wyoming Newspaper Project
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