Douglas, Wyoming | |
---|---|
![]() Center Street (city center), view to the west | |
Motto: "Home of the Jackalope" | |
![]() Location of Douglas in Converse County, Wyoming. | |
Coordinates: 42°45′22″N105°23′4″W / 42.75611°N 105.38444°W | |
Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
County | Converse |
Government | |
• Mayor | Kim Pexton |
Area | |
• Total | 6.66 sq mi (17.25 km2) |
• Land | 6.50 sq mi (16.84 km2) |
• Water | 0.16 sq mi (0.41 km2) |
Elevation | 4,836 ft (1,474 m) |
Population | |
• Total | 6,386 |
• Estimate (2023) | 6,449 |
• Density | 978.63/sq mi (377.87/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain (MST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
ZIP code | 82633 |
Area code | 307 |
FIPS code | 56-21125 [3] |
GNIS feature ID | 1587750 [4] |
Website | City of Douglas Wyoming |
Douglas is a city in Converse County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 6,386 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Converse County [5] and the home of the Wyoming State Fair.
Douglas was platted in 1886 [6] when the Wyoming Central Railway (later the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company) established a railway station; the settlement had been in existence since 1867 when Fort Fetterman was built and was first known as "Tent City" [7] before it was officially named "Douglas", after Senator Stephen A. Douglas. [8] It served as a supply point, warehousing and retail, for surrounding cattle ranches, as well as servicing railway crews, cowboys and the troops of the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Fetterman.
Douglas was the home of a World War II prisoner of war camp.
Its former railroad passenger depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Douglas is located at 42°45′22″N105°23′4″W / 42.75611°N 105.38444°W (42.756008, -105.384555). [9]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.76 square miles (12.33 km2), of which 4.58 square miles (11.86 km2) is land and 0.18 square miles (0.47 km2) is water. [10]
Douglas has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk ).
Climate data for Douglas, Wyoming (Converse County Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1999–present | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 71 (22) | 68 (20) | 81 (27) | 87 (31) | 97 (36) | 102 (39) | 105 (41) | 103 (39) | 101 (38) | 89 (32) | 76 (24) | 71 (22) | 105 (41) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 57.1 (13.9) | 58.2 (14.6) | 70.9 (21.6) | 79.3 (26.3) | 86.5 (30.3) | 95.6 (35.3) | 99.9 (37.7) | 98.6 (37.0) | 93.9 (34.4) | 82.3 (27.9) | 70.9 (21.6) | 59.0 (15.0) | 100.5 (38.1) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 39.0 (3.9) | 40.0 (4.4) | 50.1 (10.1) | 57.7 (14.3) | 67.6 (19.8) | 79.6 (26.4) | 87.9 (31.1) | 86.3 (30.2) | 75.7 (24.3) | 60.5 (15.8) | 48.7 (9.3) | 38.7 (3.7) | 61.0 (16.1) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 25.7 (−3.5) | 26.4 (−3.1) | 36.6 (2.6) | 43.6 (6.4) | 53.2 (11.8) | 64.1 (17.8) | 71.6 (22.0) | 69.5 (20.8) | 59.1 (15.1) | 45.4 (7.4) | 34.8 (1.6) | 25.7 (−3.5) | 46.3 (8.0) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 12.4 (−10.9) | 12.8 (−10.7) | 23.2 (−4.9) | 30.0 (−1.1) | 38.9 (3.8) | 48.6 (9.2) | 55.3 (12.9) | 52.6 (11.4) | 42.6 (5.9) | 30.4 (−0.9) | 21.0 (−6.1) | 12.6 (−10.8) | 31.7 (−0.2) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | −13.3 (−25.2) | −13.1 (−25.1) | 3.5 (−15.8) | 14.1 (−9.9) | 24.9 (−3.9) | 35.6 (2.0) | 45.3 (7.4) | 41.7 (5.4) | 29.6 (−1.3) | 10.7 (−11.8) | −1.3 (−18.5) | −14.1 (−25.6) | −22.3 (−30.2) |
Record low °F (°C) | −33 (−36) | −33 (−36) | −20 (−29) | −7 (−22) | 16 (−9) | 29 (−2) | 40 (4) | 31 (−1) | 14 (−10) | −15 (−26) | −25 (−32) | −29 (−34) | −33 (−36) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.56 (14) | 0.74 (19) | 1.06 (27) | 1.88 (48) | 2.69 (68) | 1.70 (43) | 1.30 (33) | 0.97 (25) | 1.20 (30) | 1.39 (35) | 0.56 (14) | 0.46 (12) | 14.51 (368) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 7.6 (19) | 10.8 (27) | 10.8 (27) | 7.7 (20) | 1.6 (4.1) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 1.5 (3.8) | 4.0 (10) | 5.8 (15) | 9.2 (23) | 59.0 (150) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 5.9 | 5.7 | 6.5 | 9.7 | 10.6 | 8.4 | 6.6 | 6.3 | 7.3 | 6.3 | 4.3 | 6.0 | 83.6 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 5.1 | 5.4 | 4.9 | 3.6 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 5.7 | 30.6 |
Source 1: NOAA [11] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: National Weather Service (mean maxima/minima 2006–2020) [12] |
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | 6,120 | — | |
2020 | 6,386 | 4.3% | |
2023 (est.) | 6,449 | 1.0% |
As of the 2020 census, there were 6,386 people, and 2,673 households in the city. [13] The population density was 977.3 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 95.5% White (5,577 people), 0.5% African American (30), 1.0% Native American (52), 0.6% Asian (37), 0.0% Pacific Islander (3), and 2.3% from two or more races (429). Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 14.7% (658) of the population. [13]
The ancestry of Douglas in 2021 was 27.3% German, 10.6% Irish, 10.6% English, 5.1% Norwegian, 1.6% Italian, 1.2% French, 1.2% Polish, and 0.8% Scottish. [13]
26.4% were under 18, and 8.1% were under 5. People over 65 made up 15.4% of the population, with 10.4% from 65 to 74, 2.8% from 75 to 84, and 2.2% older than 85. The gender makeup was 48.1% female and 51.9% male. [13]
The median household income was $71,155, families had $95,123, married couples had $101,618, and non-families had $36,346. The per capita income was $37,955. 11.4% of the people were in poverty, with 23.5% of people under 18 being in poverty, 8.5% from 18 to 64, and 3.0% of people over 65 in poverty. [13]
Public education in the city of Douglas is provided by Converse County School District #1. Zoned campuses include Douglas Primary School (grades k-1), Douglas Intermediate School (grades 2-3), Douglas Upper Elementary School (grades 4-5), Douglas Middle School (grades 6-8), Douglas High school (grades 9-12). Douglas is also home to the branch campus of Eastern Wyoming College, one of the state's seven community colleges.
Douglas has a public library, a branch of the Converse County Library [14]
Douglas is located on the banks of the North Platte River, and is named for Stephen A. Douglas, U.S. Senator. The city grew after it was designated a stop on the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad. Railroads brought settlers and pioneers west; some stayed and others continued on. Douglas' location affords excellent access to nearby sights. Medicine Bow National Forest is located nearby, as is Thunder Basin National Grassland and Ayres Natural Bridge. In 1996 Douglas was listed by Norman Crampton as one of The 100 Best Small Towns in America.
The former Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad Passenger Depot in Douglas is included on the National Register of Historic Places. [15] The Douglas Chamber of Commerce, part of the Douglas Railroad Interpretive Center is located in the depot. The free of charge exhibition outside contains eight railroad vehicles, one steam locomotive with tender and seven cars. [16]
Since Fort Fetterman days, Douglas has been a center of American horse culture. The remains of the first winner of American racing's Triple Crown, thoroughbred Sir Barton, are buried here. Today, Douglas is the location of the Wyoming State Fair, held every summer and known for its rodeo and animal competitions. Also on the fairgrounds is the Wyoming Pioneer Memorial Museum, a collection of pioneer and Native American relics pertaining to the history of Converse County.
In 1932, the jackalope legend in the United States was attributed by The New York Times to Douglas Herrick (1920−2003) of Douglas, and thus the city was named the "Home of the Jackalope" by the state of Wyoming in 1985. Douglas has issued Jackalope Hunting licenses to tourists. The tags are good for hunting during official Jackalope season, which occurs for only one day, June 31.
According to the Douglas Chamber of Commerce, a 1930s hunting trip for jackrabbits led to the idea of a Jackalope. Herrick and his brother had studied taxidermy by mail order as teenagers. When the brothers returned from a hunting trip, Herrick tossed a jackrabbit carcass into the taxidermy shop, which rested beside a pair of deer antlers. The accidental combination of animal forms sparked Douglas Herrick's idea for a jackalope. [17]
Each August Douglas hosts the Wyoming State Fair, not to be confused with Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo held in late July. The fair includes a carnival midway, live entertainment, and its own rodeo. On August 12, 2009, the fair hosted country music star John Anderson. The centennial fair in 2012 attracted sixty thousand persons, large by Wyoming standards; the Dierks Bentley concert was the first ever sold-out show in the fair. [18]
The 101st fair opened in Douglas on August 10, 2013; it corresponds with the centennial of the Wyoming State 4-H Club, an active group in the annual fair. Fair performers will include country musicians Hunter Hayes and Brantley Gilbert. [18]
Intercity bus service to the city is provided by Express Arrow. [21]
Air service is available 58 miles west of Douglas at Casper/Natrona County International Airport. The airport is located west of Casper, just off of US Highway 26. Passenger flights are offered by United Express (SkyWest Airlines), Delta Connection (SkyWest Airlines), and Allegiant Airlines.
Casper is a city in, and the county seat of, Natrona County, Wyoming, United States. Casper is the second-most populous city in the state after Cheyenne, with the population at 59,038 as of the 2020 census. Casper is nicknamed "The Oil City" and has a long history of oil boomtown and cowboy culture, dating back to the development of the nearby Salt Creek Oil Field.
Niobrara County is a county in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 2,467, making it the least populous county in Wyoming. Its county seat is Lusk. Its eastern boundary abuts the west lines of the states of Nebraska and South Dakota.
Goshen County is a county in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 12,498. Its county seat is Torrington. The eastern boundary of the County borders the Nebraska state line.
Susquehanna County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 38,434 Its county seat is Montrose. The county was created on February 21, 1810, from part of Luzerne County and later organized in 1812. It is named for the Susquehanna River. The county is part of the Northeast Pennsylvania region of the state.
Crawford is a city in Dawes County, Nebraska, United States, in the Great Plains region. The population was 997 at the 2010 census. It was incorporated in 1886 and was named for the late Captain Emmet Crawford, who had been stationed at nearby Fort Robinson.
Elkhorn is a western neighborhood of the city of Omaha, Nebraska, United States. The population was 6,062 at the 2000 census and was estimated by the Census Bureau at 8,192 in 2005 before it was annexed into Omaha in 2007. It was named after the Elkhorn River.
Hitchcock is a city in Galveston County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,301 at the 2020 census.
Glenrock is a town in Converse County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 2,420 at the 2020 census.
Lost Springs is a town in Converse County, Wyoming, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6, making it the least populated municipality in Wyoming.
Torrington is a city in, and the county seat of, Goshen County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 6,119 at the 2020 census, down from 6,501 at the 2010 census.
Cokeville is a town in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 502 at the 2020 census. The town is known for the Cokeville Elementary School hostage crisis.
Wheatland is a town in and the county seat of Platte County in southeastern Wyoming, United States. The population was 3,588 at the 2020 census.
Story is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sheridan County, Wyoming, United States. As of the 2020 census, the CDP population was 903.
Rock Springs is a city in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 23,526 at the 2020 census, making it the fifth most populous city in the state of Wyoming, and the most populous city in Sweetwater County. Rock Springs is the principal city of the Rock Springs micropolitan statistical area, which has a population of 37,975. Rock Springs is known as the Home of 56 Nationalities because of the influx of immigrants from all over the world who came to work in the coal mines that supplied the fuel to power the steam engines of the Union Pacific Railroad. The city's rich cultural heritage is celebrated each summer on International Day, a festival where the foods, costumes, and traditions of residents' ancestors are recreated and enjoyed at Bunning Park in downtown Rock Springs.
Evanston is a city in and the county seat of Uinta County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 11,747 at the 2020 census. It is located near the border with Utah.
The Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad (FE&MV), sometimes called "the Elkhorn," was a railroad established in 1869 in the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States.
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming, as well as the county seat of Laramie County, with 65,132 residents, per the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne metropolitan statistical area which encompasses all of Laramie County and had 100,512 residents as of the 2020 census. Local residents named the town for the Cheyenne Native American people in 1867 when it was founded in the Dakota Territory. Along with Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Topeka, Kansas, Cheyenne is one of three state capitals with an indigenous name in a state with an indigenous name.
Wyoming Highway 59 is a 171.72-mile-long (276.36 km) north–south state highway that runs from Douglas to the Montana–Wyoming state line, where the roadway continues as Montana Highway 59 (MT 59).
Wyoming Central Railway was a railroad in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The railroad was incorporated in October 1885 and built a line from Chadron, Nebraska through Douglas to Casper. The line was initially leased to the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad and the two railroads consolidated in 1891. The FE&MV was merged into Chicago and North Western Transportation Company in 1903 and the line was extended to Lander.
The Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad Passenger Depot, also known as the Chicago and North Western Railway Passenger Depot and presently as the Douglas Railroad Interpretive Center, was built in 1886 in Douglas, Wyoming to accommodate traffic on the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad's (FE&MV) terminus at the newly built town. The depot was built as a fairly small, cautious investment in a possibly ephemeral frontier town. Immediately following the completion of the depot Douglas saw an epidemic of typhoid fever and the worst winter in a generation, and the railroad decided to push on to Casper for its terminus. The town's population declined from 1600 in 1886 to 900 in 1888. By 1891 Owen Wister reported that Douglas had a population of about 350. However, by 1910 Douglas had 2246 residents and hosted the Wyoming State Fair. The presence of the fair stimulated rail traffic, while the FE&MV merged with the Cheyenne and Northern Railway in 1903. In 1905 oil development started. In the 1950s coal mining began for the Dave Johnson Power Plant and the railway expanded its Douglas facilities to accommodate the traffic, closing the original depot and building a larger facility. The depot was acquired from the railroad's successor, the Chicago and North Western Railway, by the city in 1990.