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| Star Valley | |
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 Star Valley south of Etna, Wyoming | |
  Star Valley |
"Star Valley," the colloquial name of the valley that is the home of the Salt River (Wyoming), is in Lincoln County, Wyoming, in the United States.
The altitude of the valley ranges from 5,600 feet (1,700 m) to 7,000 feet (2,100 m). The valley itself is 56 miles long and between 5 and 15 miles wide in different areas. [1]
Three major Wyoming rivers - the Salt River, the Greys River, and the Snake River - converge near Alpine (also called the "Alpine Junction") at the Palisades Reservoir. The Salt River meanders through the length of the valley and runs North parallel to Wyoming Highway 89. About halfway through the valley, the Salt River passes through a two-ridge divide, called "the Narrows," that splits it into two main portions - the "Upper Valley" and the "Lower Valley."
There are multiple theories as to where the name "Star Valley" came from. One theory is the name came from a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS Church) proclaiming it "the Star of All Valleys" for its natural beauty, and this name was later shortened to "Star Valley." Another, less supported, theory suggests that the name came from the word "starvation," (or "to starve") - a name that the area gained during the bitter winters of the 1880s.
Originally, Star Valley was inhabited by peoples from both the Shoshone Tribe and the Northern Arapaho Tribe when European settlers first came to the valley. They were drawn to the valley for its abundant game and pure salt deposits found in the "Lower Valley" both near the present town of Auburn and to the south of present-day Afton.
American explorers are known to have traveled through the area as early as 1812, seeking new routes to the West Coast. Canadian and American trappers followed, frequenting the area through the 1840s. The 1850s and 1860s saw many emigrants passing through the upper Star Valley area via the Lander Road on the Oregon Trail. White settlement of the area did not begin in earnest, though, until the late 1870s when LDS Apostles Moses Thatcher and Brigham Young, Jr. chose the valley for colonization. Star Valley was settled in the late 1870s by Mormon pioneers. Archibald Gardner and members of his extended family arrived in 1889, building and operating five mills of various types in the valley.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS; "Mormons")
On October 1, 2011, Thomas S. Monson, president of the LDS Church, announced in General Conference that the Star Valley Wyoming Temple would be built in the valley. The location was announced on May 25, 2012, to be just east of U.S. Highway 89 on the Haderlie Farm property just south of Afton. [2] The temple was completed and dedicated on October 30, 2016, by LDS Apostle David A. Bednar, the 154th dedicated temple in operation. [3]
Populations for the tables below were taken from the U.S. 2020 Census.
Numerous towns are located in the valley, including Afton, Thayne, Bedford, Etna, Smoot, Fairview, Osmond, Freedom, Grover, Auburn, Alpine, Nordic, Turnerville and Star Valley Ranch.
| Name | Elevation | Year Settled | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine | 1907 | 1,220 | |
| Bedford | |||
| Etna | |||
| Freedom | |||
| Nordic | |||
| Star Valley Ranch | |||
| Thayne | |||
| Turnerville |
| Name | Elevation | Year Settled | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afton | |||
| Auburn | |||
| Fairview | |||
| Grover | |||
| Osmond | |||
| Smoot |