Freedom, Idaho and Wyoming
Encyclopedia
Freedom is an unincorporated community
in both northeastern Caribou County
, Idaho
, and northwestern Lincoln County, Wyoming
in the United States
. Located on U.S. Route 89
and Idaho State Highway 34, it sits on the Idaho/Wyoming state line. It lies northeast of the city of Soda Springs
, the county seat
of Caribou County, and north of Kemmerer
, the county seat of Lincoln County; the nearest significant community is Afton, Wyoming
, approximately 20 miles (30 km) to the south, along U.S. Route 89
. Its elevation is 5,777 feet (1,761 m), and it is located at 42°58′58"N 111°2′38"W (42.9826991, -111.0438243). Although Freedom is unincorporated, its Wyoming side has a post office
, with the ZIP code
of 83120.
Freedom was established in 1879, and today it remains the oldest settlement in the Star Valley
. Similar to Colorado City, Arizona
and Hildale, Utah
, the community was settled as a border town
by Mormon polygamists
in order to escape arrest for polygamy: they could be free from Idaho police simply by walking into Wyoming. The community was named for the freedom it gave these early settlers.
At one time, Freedom was the largest settlement in Star Valley. There was a general store, a gas station, billiard hall, and other establishments. Today some of the old buildings still stand, but very few are still in use. The Post Office and Baseball Park are still used, along with the LDS Church, which was built in 1889. Freedom is also the home of Freedom Arms
, a gun factory and maker of the .454 Casull
handgun.
The population of the ZCTA
for ZIP Code 83120 was 471 at the 2000 census
, with a racial makeup of 98.5% White, and 1.5% some other race.
Randall Luthi
, the former Speaker
of the Wyoming House of Representatives
resides in Freedom.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in both northeastern Caribou County
Caribou County, Idaho
Caribou County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 Census the county had a population of 6,963. The county seat and largest city is Soda Springs, followed by Grace and Bancroft.- History :...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, and northwestern Lincoln County, Wyoming
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...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located on U.S. Route 89
U.S. Route 89
U.S. Route 89 is a north–south United States Highway with two sections, and one former section. The southern section runs for 848 miles from Flagstaff, Arizona, to the southern entrance of Yellowstone National Park...
and Idaho State Highway 34, it sits on the Idaho/Wyoming state line. It lies northeast of the city of Soda Springs
Soda Springs, Idaho
Soda Springs is a city in Caribou County, Idaho, United States. The population was 3,381 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Caribou County....
, 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 Caribou County, and north of Kemmerer
Kemmerer, Wyoming
Kemmerer is both the largest city and the county seat of Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 2,651 at the 2000 census. It dubs itself the "The Fossil Fish Capital of the World" and the "Gateway to the West." As the county seat of Lincoln County, Kemmerer is the location of...
, the county seat of Lincoln County; the nearest significant community is Afton, Wyoming
Afton, Wyoming
Afton is a town in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 1,818 at the 2000 census.Afton is home to the world's largest elk horn arch...
, approximately 20 miles (30 km) to the south, along U.S. Route 89
U.S. Route 89
U.S. Route 89 is a north–south United States Highway with two sections, and one former section. The southern section runs for 848 miles from Flagstaff, Arizona, to the southern entrance of Yellowstone National Park...
. Its elevation is 5,777 feet (1,761 m), and it is located at 42°58′58"N 111°2′38"W (42.9826991, -111.0438243). Although Freedom is unincorporated, its Wyoming side has a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, with the ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
of 83120.
Freedom was established in 1879, and today it remains the oldest settlement in the Star Valley
Star Valley
Star Valley is located in the United States between the Salt River Range in western Wyoming and the Webster Range of eastern Idaho. The altitude of the valley ranges from to . Three major Wyoming rivers, the Salt River, the Greys River and the Snake River meet near Alpine Junction at Palisades...
. Similar to Colorado City, Arizona
Colorado City, Arizona
Colorado City is a town in Mohave County, Arizona, United States, and is located in a region known as the Arizona Strip. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town was 4,607...
and Hildale, Utah
Hildale, Utah
Hildale is a city in Washington County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,726 at the 2010 census.Hildale is a twin city to the more well-known Colorado City, Arizona, both of which straddle the border between Utah and Arizona. Hildale is the headquarters of the Fundamentalist Church of...
, the community was settled as a border town
Border town
A border town is a town or city close to the boundary between two countries, states or regions. Usually the term implies that it is one of the things the town is most famous for. Border towns can have highly cosmopolitan communities, a feature they share with port cities...
by Mormon polygamists
Plural marriage
Polygamy was taught by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than half of the 19th century, and practiced publicly from 1852 to 1890.The Church's practice of polygamy has been highly controversial, both within...
in order to escape arrest for polygamy: they could be free from Idaho police simply by walking into Wyoming. The community was named for the freedom it gave these early settlers.
At one time, Freedom was the largest settlement in Star Valley. There was a general store, a gas station, billiard hall, and other establishments. Today some of the old buildings still stand, but very few are still in use. The Post Office and Baseball Park are still used, along with the LDS Church, which was built in 1889. Freedom is also the home of Freedom Arms
Freedom Arms
Freedom Arms is a Freedom, Wyoming-based firearm manufacturing company, known for producing powerful single-action revolvers. The company was founded in 1978 by Wayne Baker and Dick Casull to produce the Mini revolver then later a revolver chambered in Casull's powerful .454 Casull chambering. ...
, a gun factory and maker of the .454 Casull
.454 Casull
The .454 Casull is a firearm cartridge, developed in 1957 by Dick Casull and Jack Fulmer. It was first announced in November 1959 by Guns & Ammo magazine. The basic design was a lengthened and structurally improved .45 Colt case...
handgun.
The population of the ZCTA
ZIP Code Tabulation Area
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are statistical entities developed by the United States Census Bureau for tabulating summary statistics from Census 2000. This new entity was developed to overcome the difficulties in precisely defining the land area covered by each ZIP code...
for ZIP Code 83120 was 471 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...
, with a racial makeup of 98.5% White, and 1.5% some other race.
Randall Luthi
Randall Luthi
Randall B. Luthi is an attorney and rancher from Freedom, in northwestern Lincoln County in western Wyoming, who served as a Republican in the Wyoming House of Representatives from 1995—2007. He was the Speaker for his last two-year term, 2005—2007. Prior to 2005, he had been the House...
, the former Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the Wyoming House of Representatives
Wyoming House of Representatives
The Wyoming House of Representatives is the lower house of the Wyoming State Legislature. There are 60 Representatives in the House, representing an equal amount of single-member constituent districts across the state, each with a population of at least 9,000. The House convenes at the Wyoming...
resides in Freedom.