Chugwater, Wyoming
| Chugwater, Wyoming | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
 Location in Platte County and the state of Wyoming. | |
| Coordinates: 41°45′21″N 104°49′32″W / 41.75583°N 104.82556°WCoordinates: 41°45′21″N 104°49′32″W / 41.75583°N 104.82556°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Wyoming |
| County | Platte |
| Area[1] | |
| • Total | 3.06 sq mi (7.93 km2) |
| • Land | 3.06 sq mi (7.93 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 5,295 ft (1,614 m) |
| Population (2010)[2] | |
| • Total | 212 |
| • Estimate (2012[3]) | 216 |
| • Density | 69.3/sq mi (26.8/km2) |
| Time zone | Mountain (MST) (UTC-7) |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
| ZIP code | 82210 |
| Area code(s) | 307 |
| FIPS code | 56-14165[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1609180[5] |
Chugwater is a town in Platte County, Wyoming, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 212.
History
In a 2005 promotion to attract new people to the town, building lots were offered for $100 provided the new owner built a house within a year and lived on the property for at least two years.[6] Four lots were sold.[7]
The former Speaker of the Wyoming House of Representatives, Harold Hellbaum, farmed and ranched in Chugwater. He served in the state legislature from 1963–1977, with his last term as Speaker.
As late as the 1940s, Chugwater was a railroad stop at which cattle were loaded for shipment east to the Union Stockyards in Omaha, Nebraska. Later State Representative Robert Mills Grant was among those who drove cattle into Chugwater.[8]
Clayton Danks, the model of the Wyoming Bucking Horse and Rider state symbol, worked on the 2-Bar Ranch near Chugwater early in the 20th century. The bucking horse that he rode at the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo in 1909 was Steamboat, who was foaled at Chugwater in 1896 and died in 1914.[9]
Etymology
Some historians hold that the name "Chugwater" is derived from a Mandan account of a bison hunt. According to this narrative, a chief was disabled during the hunt and his son took charge of the hunt or "buffalo jump". Under his direction, hunters drove the bison over nearby cliffs; when the animals reached the ground below, a sound of "chugging" was heard by the hunters. The story concludes with an etymology: since a stream was near the base of the cliffs, the site of the stampede has been called "the place" or "water at the place where the buffalo chug.".[10]
Geography and climate
Chugwater is located at 41°45′21″N 104°49′32″W / 41.75583°N 104.82556°W (41.755797, -104.825482).[11]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.06 square miles (7.93 km2), all of it land.[1]
Chugwater is located in a valley with steep claystone bluffs to the north and west. Chugwater Creek runs through the middle of the valley and is the town's namesake.
| Climate data for Chugwater, Wyoming (1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 40.6 (4.8) |
41.9 (5.5) |
49.5 (9.7) |
58.0 (14.4) |
67.5 (19.7) |
78.0 (25.6) |
86.4 (30.2) |
84.5 (29.2) |
75.1 (23.9) |
62.0 (16.7) |
48.4 (9.1) |
39.5 (4.2) |
60.9 (16.1) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 17.6 (−8) |
17.8 (−7.9) |
23.4 (−4.8) |
29.6 (−1.3) |
38.8 (3.8) |
47.1 (8.4) |
53.3 (11.8) |
51.9 (11.1) |
41.8 (5.4) |
31.0 (−0.6) |
23.5 (−4.7) |
16.3 (−8.7) |
32.7 (0.4) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.41 (10.4) |
0.57 (14.5) |
1.09 (27.7) |
1.84 (46.7) |
2.91 (73.9) |
2.32 (58.9) |
1.82 (46.2) |
1.62 (41.1) |
1.32 (33.5) |
1.17 (29.7) |
0.67 (17) |
0.66 (16.8) |
16.40 (416.6) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 8.2 (20.8) |
9.6 (24.4) |
11.9 (30.2) |
9.3 (23.6) |
2.4 (6.1) |
0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
1.2 (3) |
4.8 (12.2) |
9.9 (25.1) |
11.5 (29.2) |
68.9 (175) |
| Source: NOAA[12] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 212 people, 93 households, and 60 families residing in the town. The population density was 69.3 inhabitants per square mile (26.8/km2). There were 106 housing units at an average density of 34.6 per square mile (13.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.2% White, 0.5% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.5% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.7% of the population.
There were 93 households of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.5% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.90.
The median age in the town was 48.3 years. 25% of residents were under the age of 18; 3.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17% were from 25 to 44; 34% were from 45 to 64; and 20.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 51.9% male and 48.1% female.
2000 census
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 244 people, 94 households, and 64 families residing in the town. The population density was 80.0 people per square mile (30.9/km²). There were 120 housing units at an average density of 39.3 per square mile (15.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.90% White, 0.41% Native American, 0.82% from other races, and 2.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.92% of the population and not a single African American in the town.
There were 94 households out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the town the population was spread out with 29.9% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 21.7% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 110.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $23,750, and the median income for a family was $26,250. Males had a median income of $24,688 versus $17,917 for females. The per capita income for the town was $10,609. About 27.9% of families and 30.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.5% of those under the age of eighteen and 28.6% of those sixty five or over.
Education
Public education in the town of Chugwater is provided by Platte County School District #1. Chugwater School, a K-12 campus, serves the town.
Economy
Chugwater lost its only grocery and gas station when an SUV crashed into Horton's Corner on December 30, 2012, resulting in a fire that burned the convenience store.[7] The loss of the convenience store has forced residents to drive to Wheatland, Wyoming or Cheyenne to buy gas. The town also has erected electronic highway signs on Interstate 25 to inform motorists that gas can not be purchased in Chugwater, yet drivers still stop in the town to fill up based on inaccurate GPS information.[7]
Chugwater Chili, which employs 15 people, lost a major seller of its packets of chili mix with the closure of Horton's Corner.[7]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-12-14.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-12-14.
- ↑ "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-06-01.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ Wyoming Town Offers Cheap Land for New Blood NPR, 2005-02-14
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Gruver, Mead. Ripple effect after fire takes out Wyoming town store. Associated Press. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
- ↑ "For the Record: Robert Mills Grant, May 2, 2012". Platte County Record Times. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
- ↑ "Frontier Days: Clayton Danks". wyomingtalesandtrails.com. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
- ↑ The history of Chugwater - How the town got its name wheatlandwy.com. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
- ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ↑ "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
