It is the home of Eastern Wyoming College, and is the surrounding region's center of commercial activity. Within this primarily agricultural community, there are several fertilizer plants, a sugar beet factory, and numerous tourist facilities and retail businesses that serve the local and nearby rural populations.[6]
History
Ruts made by early pioneer's wagons on the historic Oregon Trail in the late 19th Century in Eastern Wyoming (2007 photo)Vintage photo of early 20th Century resident of the West using horses to pull his "horseless carriage" while "fording" a river
Situated on the historic Mormon Trail and near the Oregon and California trails[7] along the banks of the North Platte River, Torrington was founded in 1900 by W. G. Curtis (1857–1913), and named by him for his home town of Torrington, Connecticut. Originally a watering and coaling station for the CB&Q Railroad, which began passenger service in 1900, the town was a gathering place for nearby farmers and ranchers. In 1905, the first bridge was constructed over the North Platte River.[8]
A post office called Torrington was established in 1889 on Curtis' farm three miles west of the future town, with Curtis serving as postmaster and later as mayor. In 1908, the town incorporated in Laramie County. It had a bank, three general stores, a pharmacy with a soda fountain, a land office, and two hotels (for one of which the building, although modified, still exists at 1841 Main Street.)[8] It soon became a central place of trade for Goshen County, and for surrounding areas in eastern Wyoming and western Nebraska.[8]
The town's site survey began in April 1900, by Ashland B. Smith of the Lincoln Land Company of Nebraska. The survey and plating was recorded in Cheyenne on June 22, 1900, and individual plots of the land sold to residents for one dollar each by Charles Henry Morrill, President of the Lincoln Land Company. The Torrington Telegram[9] (which was still published in 2015) was established in 1911.[8] The 1900 United States Census lists only 71 inhabitants in the Torrington Precinct and does not list it as a town. All residents were stock growers, ranch laborers, cowboys or at school, except for one listed as a hardware clerk.
Also in 1911, Goshen County was organized.[8] The County was created from a portion of the northern end of Laramie County. The towns of Torrington and nearby Lingle—some 10 miles (16km) away—competed for designation as the county seat. Torrington prevailed after Torrington residents raised sufficient funds for a courthouse. The cornerstone for the courthouse was set in 1913, in a ceremony where a band was conducted by Hi Yoder, from whose family the nearby town of Yoder, Wyoming, takes its name.[8]
Around that time, early motor cars started showing up in town, the Goshen County Fair Association was established, and in 1915 Torrington had a population of 443.[citation needed] In 1919, the Trail Hotel building, which still exists at 2001 Main Street, was constructed. In 1925, the Union Pacific Railroad based in Omaha constructed a spur line from Cheyenne to South Torrington, to serve the proposed Holly Sugar Corporation plant, which began operations in 1926.[8]
The Torrington Livestock Commission, established in 1934,[10] still held twice-weekly livestock auctions in 2015. It is the largest livestock auction operation and barn in Wyoming, and ranks as the third to fifth largest livestock auction in the United States. Drawing cattle from a nine-state region (Nebraska, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, South Dakota, Montana and the bulk of Wyoming) the Torrington livestock auction barn attracts buyers from all over the nation. And, as of 2011[update], Goshen County ranked number one in Wyoming for its cattle inventory.[11][12]
As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 6,501 people, 2,527 households, and 1,506 families living in the city. The population density was 1,407.1 inhabitants per square mile (543.3/km2). There were 2,717 housing units at an average density of 588.1 per square mile (227.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.2% White, 1.0% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 3.0% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.3% of the population.
There were 2,527 households, of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.4% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.83.
The median age in the city was 41.4 years. 19.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.2% were from 25 to 44; 26.8% were from 45 to 64; and 19.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 52.5% male and 47.5% female.
2000 census
At the census[3] of 2000, there were 5,776 people, 2,436 households, and 1,522 families living in the city. The population density was 1,617.4 people per square mile (624.7/km2). There were 2,644 housing units at an average density of 740.4 per square mile (286.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.49% White, 0.31% African American, 0.90% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 3.65% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.47% of the population.
There were 2,436 households, out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.86.
The age distribution was: 23.3% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,136, and the median income for a family was $40,750. Males had a median income of $31,058 versus $20,101 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,026. About 9.3% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.
The Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution (WMCI) is located in Torrington.[20][21][22] WMCI, a facility of the Wyoming Department of Corrections, serves as an intake center for male inmates not sentenced to death. It was opened on January 6, 2010, and the first 75 inmates to be housed there arrived on January 13, 2010. By 2015, it housed over 300 inmates.[23]
Public education in Torrington is provided by Goshen County School District#1. Zoned campuses include Lincoln Elementary School (grades K–2), Trail Elementary School (grades 3–5), Torrington Middle School (grades 6–8), and Torrington High School (grades 9–12).
Other towns and communities included in the consolidated Goshen County School District include Lingle, LaGrange, Huntley, and Yoder, among others.
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.
Platte County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 8,605. Its county seat is Wheatland.
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.
Laramie County is a county located at the southeast corner of the state of Wyoming. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 100,512 or 17.4% of the state's total 2020 population, making it the most populous county in Wyoming, but the least populous county in the United States to be the most populous in its state.
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.
Scotts Bluff County is a county on the western border of the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 36,084. Its county seat is Gering, and its largest city is Scottsbluff.
Goshen is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,150 at the 2020 census. The town is part of the Northwest Hills Planning Region.
Rawlins is a city in Carbon County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 8,221 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Carbon County. It was named for Union General John Aaron Rawlins, who camped in the locality in 1867.
Fort Laramie is a town in Goshen County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 206 at the 2020 census. The town is named after historic Fort Laramie, an important stop on the Oregon, California and Mormon trails, as well as a staging point for various military excursions and treaty signings. The old fort was located south of town across the North Platte River, at the mouth of the Laramie River.
Huntley is a census-designated place (CDP) in Goshen County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 30 according to the 2010 census.
LaGrange is a town in Goshen County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 372 at the time of the 2020 census.
Lingle is a town in Goshen County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 468 at the 2010 census.
Yoder is a town in Goshen County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 131 at the 2020 census.
Guernsey is a town in Platte County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 1,147 at the 2010 census.
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.
Wyoming Highway 92 (WYO 92) is a 16.47-mile-long (26.51 km) Wyoming state highway in the eastern Goshen County that travels from Torrington to the Nebraska state line. It is part of a continuous 886-mile (1,426 km) four-state "Highway 92" which begins in Wyoming, goes through Nebraska and Iowa, and ends in La Moille, Illinois.
Goshen County School District #1 is a public school district based in Torrington, Wyoming, United States.
Wyoming Highway 156 is a 14.29-mile-long (23.00 km) Wyoming State Road located in central Goshen County west of Torrington and south of Lingle.
Wyoming Highway 157 is a 7.99-mile-long (12.86 km) Wyoming State Road located in central Goshen County west of Lingle.
Wyoming Highway 159 (WYO 159) is a 12.78-mile-long (20.57 km) north-south Wyoming State Road located in east-central Goshen County and travels north of Torrington.
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