Moran, Wyoming
Encyclopedia
Moran is an unincorporated community
in south central Teton County
, Wyoming
, United States
, which serves as one of the principal fee collection entrances to Grand Teton National Park
. It lies in Grand Teton National Park
northeast of the city of Jackson
, the county seat
of Teton County, at the intersection of U.S. Routes 26
, 89
, 191
, and 287
. Its elevation is 6,749 feet (2,057 m). As the community has had two different names, the Board on Geographic Names
officially ruled in favor of "Moran" in 1970. Although Moran is unincorporated, it has a post office
, with the ZIP code
of 83013.
Moran is part of the Jackson, WY–ID
Micropolitan Statistical Area
and it is known as the state's coldest continually inhabited place, with a record low of -66°F (-54°C) registered in the winter of 1933. The high altitude at which the village is located, as well as the effects of radiational cooling, cause particularly severe conditions in the winter.
. Schools serving the community include Moran Elementary School (grades K-5), Jackson Hole Middle School (grades 6-8), and Jackson Hole High School (grades 9-12).
to the north, or to Idaho on the Marysville Road. The Smiths built a two story log hotel. Their neighbors, the Allens, built the Elkhorn Hotel, which housed the post office and a store. The Smith hotel burned around November of 1900.
Moran began to grow after 1903, when Ben D. Sheffield bought two homesteads on the Snake River
and built up an outfitting business at the location, called the Teton Lodge Resort. A toll bridge over the Snake, possibly operated by Sheffield, was a major link in the local transportation network. Sheffield also operated the Moran post office from 1907 to 1919. His brother Edward ran the Flagg Ranch
farther north, just outside of Yellowstone National Park
. The Sheffield ranch's lodge, which housed the post office, burned in 1916. A replacement lodge was built around 1922. The Sheffield complex of cabins comprised the bulk of the town. In 1928, Sheffield sold out to the Snake River Land Company
, which renovated and expanded the facility, in part to head off new development in the area. The SRLC established the Teton Lodge Company to operate the ranch, which expanded to a capacity of 200 guests. The main lodge was destroyed by fire in 1935. The remaining cabins, and thus most of the community, were moved to Jackson Lake Lodge
in 1955.
The construction of Jackson Lake Dam
from 1910 to 1916 temporarily made Moran a much larger town, with a construction encampment built by the Reclamation Service to the north of the Sheffield ranch.
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 south central Teton County
Teton County, Wyoming
Teton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of 2010, the population was 21,294. Its county seat is Jackson. Teton County contains the affluent Jackson Hole skiing area...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, which serves as one of the principal fee collection entrances to Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park located in northwestern Wyoming, U.S. The Park consists of approximately and includes the major peaks of the long Teton Range as well as most of the northern sections of the valley known as Jackson Hole. Only south of Yellowstone...
. It lies in Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park located in northwestern Wyoming, U.S. The Park consists of approximately and includes the major peaks of the long Teton Range as well as most of the northern sections of the valley known as Jackson Hole. Only south of Yellowstone...
northeast of the city of Jackson
Jackson, Wyoming
Jackson is a town located in the Jackson Hole valley of Teton County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 8,647 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Teton 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 Teton County, at the intersection of U.S. Routes 26
U.S. Route 26
U.S. Route 26 is an east–west United States highway. It started in Ogallala, Nebraska, and gradually grew to reach the West Coast in Oregon. When the U.S. highway system was first defined, it was limited to Nebraska and Wyoming; by the 1950s, it continued into Idaho and Oregon. The...
, 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...
, 191
U.S. Route 191
U.S. Route 191 is a spur of U.S. Route 91 that has two branches. The southern branch runs for 1,465 miles from Douglas, Arizona on the Mexican border to the southern part of Yellowstone National Park. The northern branch runs for 440 miles from the northern part of Yellowstone National Park to...
, and 287
U.S. Route 287
U.S. Route 287 is a north–south United States highway. It is long. It serves as the major truck route between the Texas cities of Fort Worth and Amarillo...
. Its elevation is 6,749 feet (2,057 m). As the community has had two different names, the Board on Geographic Names
United States Board on Geographic Names
The United States Board on Geographic Names is a United States federal body whose purpose is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the U.S. government.-Overview:...
officially ruled in favor of "Moran" in 1970. Although Moran is unincorporated, it 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 83013.
Moran is part of the Jackson, WY–ID
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....
Micropolitan Statistical Area
Jackson micropolitan area
The Jackson Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties, one in Wyoming and one in Idaho, anchored by the town of Jackson....
and it is known as the state's coldest continually inhabited place, with a record low of -66°F (-54°C) registered in the winter of 1933. The high altitude at which the village is located, as well as the effects of radiational cooling, cause particularly severe conditions in the winter.
Education
Public education in the community of Moran is provided by Teton County School District #1Teton County School District Number 1
Teton County School District #1 is a public school district based in Jackson, Wyoming, United States.-Geography:Teton County School District #1 serves all of Teton County , including the following communities:*Incorporated places**Town of Jackson*Census-designated places Teton County School...
. Schools serving the community include Moran Elementary School (grades K-5), Jackson Hole Middle School (grades 6-8), and Jackson Hole High School (grades 9-12).
History
Ed "Cap" and Clara Smith established a homestead at Moranin the 1890s, but found themselves catering to travelers on the road to Yellowstone National ParkYellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
to the north, or to Idaho on the Marysville Road. The Smiths built a two story log hotel. Their neighbors, the Allens, built the Elkhorn Hotel, which housed the post office and a store. The Smith hotel burned around November of 1900.
Moran began to grow after 1903, when Ben D. Sheffield bought two homesteads on the Snake River
Snake River
The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
and built up an outfitting business at the location, called the Teton Lodge Resort. A toll bridge over the Snake, possibly operated by Sheffield, was a major link in the local transportation network. Sheffield also operated the Moran post office from 1907 to 1919. His brother Edward ran the Flagg Ranch
Flagg Ranch
Flagg Ranch is a privately operated resort located in the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway corridor between Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park in northwestern Wyoming. The location was initially occupied in the 1890s by the Snake River Military Station, part of a...
farther north, just outside of Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
. The Sheffield ranch's lodge, which housed the post office, burned in 1916. A replacement lodge was built around 1922. The Sheffield complex of cabins comprised the bulk of the town. In 1928, Sheffield sold out to the Snake River Land Company
Snake River Land Company
The Snake River Land Company was a land purchasing company established in 1927 by philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr.. The company acted as a front so Rockefeller could buy land in the Jackson Hole valley in Wyoming without people knowing of his involvement or his intentions for the property,...
, which renovated and expanded the facility, in part to head off new development in the area. The SRLC established the Teton Lodge Company to operate the ranch, which expanded to a capacity of 200 guests. The main lodge was destroyed by fire in 1935. The remaining cabins, and thus most of the community, were moved to Jackson Lake Lodge
Jackson Lake Lodge
Jackson Lake Lodge is located in Grand Teton National Park, in the U. S. state of Wyoming. The lodge has 385 rooms, a restaurant, conference rooms, and offers numerous recreational opportunities. The lodge is managed by the Grand Teton Lodge Company, and is not affiliated with the National Park...
in 1955.
The construction of Jackson Lake Dam
Jackson Lake Dam
Jackson Lake Dam is a concrete and earth-fill dam at the outlet of Jackson Lake in northwestern Wyoming, USA. The lake and dam are situated within Grand Teton National Park in Teton County. The Snake River emerges from the dam and flows about through Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington to its...
from 1910 to 1916 temporarily made Moran a much larger town, with a construction encampment built by the Reclamation Service to the north of the Sheffield ranch.