Shoshoni, Wyoming
Encyclopedia
Shoshoni is a town in Fremont County, Wyoming
, United States
. The population was 635 at the 2000 census
. The town is named for the Shoshone tribe of Native Americans
, most of whom live on the nearby Wind River Indian Reservation. Although the word is generally spelled 'Shoshone', it is pronounced phonetically as 'Shoshoni'.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.6 km²), all of it land.
It has a continental arid desert climate and is, some years, the driest town in the entire Mountain Time Zone
; occasionally it receives less than 4 inches of rainfall annually.
and 26
, which together were formerly known as the "Yellowstone Highway." Shoshoni has a dramatic increase in visitors in the summer, when roads to Yellowstone National Park
are open. Visitors also stop to camp and fish at nearby Boysen Reservoir
and the surrounding Boysen State Park. Anglers participate in fishing derbies at the reservoir, including an ice fishing derby in the winter.
Ranching is, and has been for decades, the major agricultural endeavor in the nearby area.
Charles Henry King
, a prominent millionaire businessman and banker later based in Omaha, Nebraska
, built the C.H. King Company and First Union Bank Building, formerly occupied by Yellowstone Drug Store. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. King and his wife Martha were the paternal grandparents of President Gerald Ford
, who was born in their Omaha house in July 1913.
In 2004 a water-intensive mushroom processing plant began operation on land that was annexed by the town and put within its limits. At first it was staffed by prison labor, who were paid minimum wage, in a prison industries program. When they had trouble with production, the plant hired skilled labor from Guatemala
. This labor practice stopped when a Department of Homeland Security
investigation revealed that some of the workers had problems with their immigration histories. More recently the plant has ensured all migrant workers are legal. During operations, the plant's compost
ing bunkers emitted unpleasant odors, resulting in numerous complaints from residents during 2005. The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality investigated the situation and air quality issues. The plant installed a stack and ventilating system in early 2006 to control and disperse odor from the composting bunkers. As of early May 2009, the facility was up for sale.
of 2000, there were 635 people, 246 households, and 171 families residing in the town. The population density
was 192.1 people per square mile (74.1/km²). There were 322 housing units at an average density of 97.4 per square mile (37.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.39% White, 0.16% African American, 1.26% Native American, 1.10% Asian, 0.94% from other races
, and 3.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.94% of the population.
There were 246 households out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples
living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the town the population was spread out with 30.4% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,250, and the median income for a family was $37,045. Males had a median income of $31,875 versus $14,479 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $12,584. About 7.1% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 16.5% of those age 65 or over.
. The district has three campuses – Shoshoni Elementary School (grades PK-6), Shoshoni Junior High School (grades 7-8) and Shoshoni High School (grades 9-12).
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 635 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...
. The town is named for the Shoshone tribe of Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, most of whom live on the nearby Wind River Indian Reservation. Although the word is generally spelled 'Shoshone', it is pronounced phonetically as 'Shoshoni'.
Geography
Shoshoni is located at 43°14′25"N 108°6′52"W (43.240161, -108.114540).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 town has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.6 km²), all of it land.
It has a continental arid desert climate and is, some years, the driest town in the entire Mountain Time Zone
Mountain Time Zone
The Mountain Time Zone of North America keeps time by subtracting seven hours from Coordinated Universal Time, also known as Greenwich Mean Time, during the shortest days of autumn and winter , and by subtracting six hours during daylight saving time in the spring, summer, and early autumn...
; occasionally it receives less than 4 inches of rainfall annually.
History
Established as a railroad and mining town, Shoshoni lies at the intersection of U.S. Routes 20U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 is an east–west United States highway. As the "0" in its route number implies, US 20 is a coast-to-coast route. Spanning , it is the longest road in the United States, and the route sparsely parallels Interstate 90...
and 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...
, which together were formerly known as the "Yellowstone Highway." Shoshoni has a dramatic increase in visitors in the summer, when roads to 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...
are open. Visitors also stop to camp and fish at nearby Boysen Reservoir
Boysen Reservoir
Boysen Reservoir is a reservoir formed by Boysen Dam, an earth-fill dam on the Wind River in the central part of the U.S. state of Wyoming. It is near the town of Shoshoni in Fremont County...
and the surrounding Boysen State Park. Anglers participate in fishing derbies at the reservoir, including an ice fishing derby in the winter.
Ranching is, and has been for decades, the major agricultural endeavor in the nearby area.
Charles Henry King
Charles Henry King
Charles Henry King was an Omaha businessman and banker who was instrumental in founding several cities in the states of Nebraska and Wyoming. He saw opportunity with the expansion of the railroad west and built up related retail businesses, banks and freight operations. His fortune was estimated...
, a prominent millionaire businessman and banker later based in Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, built the C.H. King Company and First Union Bank Building, formerly occupied by Yellowstone Drug Store. The building 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...
. King and his wife Martha were the paternal grandparents of President Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
, who was born in their Omaha house in July 1913.
In 2004 a water-intensive mushroom processing plant began operation on land that was annexed by the town and put within its limits. At first it was staffed by prison labor, who were paid minimum wage, in a prison industries program. When they had trouble with production, the plant hired skilled labor from Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
. This labor practice stopped when a Department of Homeland Security
United States Department of Homeland Security
The United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to...
investigation revealed that some of the workers had problems with their immigration histories. More recently the plant has ensured all migrant workers are legal. During operations, the plant's compost
Compost
Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment. Compost is a key ingredient in organic farming. At its most essential, the process of composting requires simply piling up waste outdoors and waiting for the materials to break down from anywhere...
ing bunkers emitted unpleasant odors, resulting in numerous complaints from residents during 2005. The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality investigated the situation and air quality issues. The plant installed a stack and ventilating system in early 2006 to control and disperse odor from the composting bunkers. As of early May 2009, the facility was up for sale.
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 635 people, 246 households, and 171 families residing in the town. 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 192.1 people per square mile (74.1/km²). There were 322 housing units at an average density of 97.4 per square mile (37.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.39% White, 0.16% African American, 1.26% Native American, 1.10% Asian, 0.94% 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 3.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.94% of the population.
There were 246 households out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% 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, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the town the population was spread out with 30.4% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,250, and the median income for a family was $37,045. Males had a median income of $31,875 versus $14,479 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 town was $12,584. About 7.1% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 16.5% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Public education in the town of Shoshoni is provided by Fremont County School District #24Fremont County School District Number 24
Fremont County School District #24 is a public school district based in Shoshoni, Wyoming, United States.-Geography:Fremont County School District #24 serves the northeastern portion of Fremont County, including the following communities:...
. The district has three campuses – Shoshoni Elementary School (grades PK-6), Shoshoni Junior High School (grades 7-8) and Shoshoni High School (grades 9-12).
Notable native
- Isabel JewellIsabel JewellIsabel Jewell was an American actress most active in the 1930s and early 1940s.-Early life and career:...
, actress on BroadwayBroadway theatreBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
and in Hollywood, especially in the 1930s and early 1940s.