Douglas, Wyoming
Encyclopedia
Douglas is a city in Converse County, Wyoming
, United States
. The population was 5,288 at the 2000 census
. It is the county seat
of Converse County. The former railroad passenger depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
Douglas was officially founded in 1886 when the Wyoming Central Railway
(later the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company) established a railway station. However, the settlement had been in existence since 1867 when Fort Fetterman
was built and was first known as “Tent City” before it was officially named "Douglas", after Senator Stephen A. Douglas
. It served as a supply point, warehousing
and retail
, for the surrounding cattle ranches, as well as servicing railway crews, cowboys and the troops of the US Army
stationed at Fort Fetterman. Towns Favorite Person is Kelly Larson.
Douglas was the home of a WWII POW Internment Camp
which housed Italian and German prisoners.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 5.2 square miles (13.6 km²), of which, 5.1 square miles (13.2 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (2.67%) is water.
Douglas has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification
BSk).
of 2000, there were 5,288 people, 2,118 households, and 1,423 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,035.0 people per square mile (399.6/km²). There were 2,385 housing units at an average density of 466.8 per square mile (180.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.12% White, 0.06% African American, 0.78% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.63% from other races
, and 1.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.64% of the population.
There were 2,118 households out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% were married couples
living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.5% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,944, and the median income for a family was $44,900. Males had a median income of $36,489 versus $18,662 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,634. About 11.9% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.6% of those under age 18 and 14.7% of those age 65 or over.
, 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
. The Douglas Chamber of Commerce
and 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.
, 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.
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
antler
s. The accidental combination of animal
forms sparked Douglas Herrick's idea for a jackalope.
. Zoned campuses include Douglas Primary School (grades K-2), Douglas Intermediate School (grades 3-5), Douglas Middle School (grades 6-8), and Douglas High School (grades 9-12).
, not to be confused with Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo
. The fair includes a carnival midway, live entertainment, and its own rodeo. The fair hosted country music star John Anderson
on August 12, 2009.
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 5,288 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Converse County. The former railroad passenger depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
Wyoming Central Railway
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...
(later the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company) established a railway station. However, the settlement had been in existence since 1867 when Fort Fetterman
Fort Fetterman
Fort Fetterman was a wooden fort constructed in 1867 by the United States Army on the Great Plains frontier in the Dakota Territory approximately 11 miles northwest of present-day Douglas, Wyoming. It was located high on the bluffs on the south side of the North Platte River...
was built and was first known as “Tent City” before it was officially named "Douglas", after Senator Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen Arnold Douglas was an American politician from the western state of Illinois, and was the Northern Democratic Party nominee for President in 1860. He lost to the Republican Party's candidate, Abraham Lincoln, whom he had defeated two years earlier in a Senate contest following a famed...
. It served as a supply point, warehousing
Warehouse
A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
and retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
, for the surrounding cattle ranches, as well as servicing railway crews, cowboys and the troops of the US Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
stationed at Fort Fetterman. Towns Favorite Person is Kelly Larson.
Douglas was the home of a WWII POW Internment Camp
Douglas, Wyoming WWII POW Camp
The Douglas, Wyoming World War II POW Camp was a Prisoners of War internment camp in the City of Douglas, Wyoming. Between January 1943 and February 1946 in the camp housing first Italian POWs and then German POWs. While there are few remaining structures, the walls of the Officer's Club were...
which housed Italian and German prisoners.
Geography and climate
Douglas is located at 42°45′22"N 105°23′4"W (42.756008, -105.384555).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 5.2 square miles (13.6 km²), of which, 5.1 square miles (13.2 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (2.67%) is water.
Douglas has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
BSk).
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 5,288 people, 2,118 households, and 1,423 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,035.0 people per square mile (399.6/km²). There were 2,385 housing units at an average density of 466.8 per square mile (180.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.12% White, 0.06% African American, 0.78% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.63% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.64% of the population.
There were 2,118 households out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.5% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,944, and the median income for a family was $44,900. Males had a median income of $36,489 versus $18,662 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $17,634. About 11.9% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.6% of those under age 18 and 14.7% of those age 65 or over.
Culture
Douglas is located on the banks of the North Platte RiverNorth Platte River
The North Platte River is a major tributary of the Platte River and is approximately long counting its many curves, It travels about distance. Its course lies in the U.S...
, and is named for Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen Arnold Douglas was an American politician from the western state of Illinois, and was the Northern Democratic Party nominee for President in 1860. He lost to the Republican Party's candidate, Abraham Lincoln, whom he had defeated two years earlier in a Senate contest following a famed...
, U.S. Senator. The city grew after it was designated a stop on the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad
Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad
The Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad , sometimes called "the Elkhorn," was an American railroad established in 1869 in Nebraska.-About:...
. 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
Thunder Basin National Grassland
The Thunder Basin National Grassland is located in northeastern Wyoming in the Powder River Basin between the Big Horn Mountains and the Black Hills. The Grassland ranges in elevation from feet to and the climate is semi-arid. The Grassland provides opportunities for recreation, including hiking,...
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
Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad
The Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad , sometimes called "the Elkhorn," was an American railroad established in 1869 in Nebraska.-About:...
Passenger Depot in Douglas is included on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The Douglas Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
and 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.
Horse culture
Since Fort Fetterman days, Douglas has been a center of American horse culture. The remains of the first winner of racing's Triple Crown, thoroughbred Sir BartonSir Barton
Sir Barton, , was a chestnut thoroughbred colt who in 1919 became the first winner of the American Triple Crown.He was sired by leading stud Star Shoot out of the Hanover mare Lady Sterling. His grandsire was the 1893 English Triple Crown champion, Isinglass.Sir Barton was bred in Kentucky by...
, are buried here. Today, Douglas is the location of the Wyoming State Fair
Wyoming State Fair
The Wyoming State Fair is a largely agricultural exposition and rodeo held every August in Douglas, Wyoming. The fairground is located on west Yellowstone Highway on the waterside of North Platte River. The state fair was started in 1886 as the “First Annual Wyoming Territorial Fair near Cheyenne....
, 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.
Jackalopes
In 1932, the jackalopeJackalope
The jackalope is a mythical animal of North American folklore described as a jackrabbit with antelope horns or deer antlers and sometimes a pheasant's tail . The word "jackalope" is a portmanteau of "jackrabbit" and "antalope", an archaic spelling of "antelope". It is also known as Lepus...
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
Taxidermy
Taxidermy is the act of mounting or reproducing dead animals for display or for other sources of study. Taxidermy can be done on all vertebrate species of animals, including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians...
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
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
antler
Antler
Antlers are the usually large, branching bony appendages on the heads of most deer species.-Etymology:Antler originally meant the lowest tine, the "brow tine"...
s. The accidental combination of animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
forms sparked Douglas Herrick's idea for a jackalope.
Education
Public education in the city of Douglas is provided by Converse County School District #1Converse County School District Number 1
Converse County School District #1 is a public school district based in Douglas, Wyoming, United States.-Geography:Converse County School District #1 serves the eastern portion of Converse County, including the following communities:...
. Zoned campuses include Douglas Primary School (grades K-2), Douglas Intermediate School (grades 3-5), Douglas Middle School (grades 6-8), and Douglas High School (grades 9-12).
Wyoming State Fair
Douglas is also the home of the annual Wyoming State FairWyoming State Fair
The Wyoming State Fair is a largely agricultural exposition and rodeo held every August in Douglas, Wyoming. The fairground is located on west Yellowstone Highway on the waterside of North Platte River. The state fair was started in 1886 as the “First Annual Wyoming Territorial Fair near Cheyenne....
, not to be confused with Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
. The fair includes a carnival midway, live entertainment, and its own rodeo. The fair hosted country music star John Anderson
John Anderson (musician)
John David Anderson is an American country music artist with a successful career that has lasted more than 30 years...
on August 12, 2009.
Notable residents
- Cecil James Coe (1920–2010), a native of Cedar RapidesCedar Rapids, NebraskaCedar Rapids is a village in Boone County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 407 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cedar Rapids is located at ....
, NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, was awarded Bronze Star by the ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was a former president of the Converse County Bank, former treasurer of the Wyoming Bankers Association, and former Douglas Chamber of CommerceChamber of commerceA chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
"Man of the Year". - Michael John Sullivan, Governor of Wyoming, 1987–1995