Life In Casper

You can live in a town all or most of your life, and somehow never really know all about it or its history. I knew where Casper, Wyoming got its name…I think most people do. A local hero, named Caspar Collins who was killed near Fort Casper in 1865. By Special Order 49 dated November 21, 1865, Major General John Pope changed the name of Platte Bridge Station to Fort Casper, misspelling the fallen lieutenant’s name. Pope chose the lieutenant’s first name because there already was a Fort Collins in Colorado named for his father. The misspelling of Fort Casper was corrected to Fort Caspar in 1936, when the fort was reconstructed. The reconstruction project, funded by the Works Progress Administration, corrected the spelling, and also creating the discrepancy in the names that exists to this day.

Casper is located at 5,150 feet above sea level, on the banks of the North Platte River on Wyoming’s high plains, and it is the seat of Natrona County. While the fort existed for many years prior, the town actually began when the tracks of the Fremont, Elkhorn, and Missouri Valley Railroad arrived in June 1888. The town was named after the fort, which was still carrying the misspelled name, and so became Casper. The fort itself had deteriorated to ruins by then and wouldn’t be rebuilt until 1936.

The railroad brought with it a need to have a town in that location. So, soon after the railroad arrived the area became an important shipping point for cattle and wool. Casper’s earliest buildings stood at about the present-day intersection of what are now A Street and McKinley Street. As soon as the railroad’s land company started plotting residential and commercial sites, the inhabitants of the fledgling town relocated approximately a mile west. By the autumn of 1888, the town’s center had shifted to the intersection of Center Street and Second Street, where it continues to be located today.

On April 9, 1889, residents petitioned the officials of Carbon County for permission to incorporate the town of Casper. The following year, Natrona County separated from Carbon County. The petition was granted, and on July 8, 1889, voters elected George Mitchell as mayor along with Robert White, Peter Demorest, Alexander McKinney, and John Adams as councilmen. Casper is home to three courthouses. The first, on David Street, was a wood-framed structure covered with seam iron, constructed in 1895 at a cost of $477. The second courthouse, built in 1908 was situated in the middle of North Center Street at A Street. The current county building, completed 1940, stands on Center Street between A Street and B Street. In its early years, Casper was a bustling and unruly town. The west side of Center Street featured numerous saloons, fostering a wild and boisterous culture. Early law enforcement faced the challenge of maintaining order amidst rowdy cowboys, jubilant sheepherders, and the constant presence of prostitutes.

The town leaders immediately set about making changes to guarantee a more stable and permanent city. While the population could not really be changed, they knew that a proper town needed things like water, streets, schools, a fire department, a library, and other amenities, if it was going to survive. On July 7, 1890, the town government established its first headquarters in a two-story brick structure on Center Street, featuring a spacious central hall and bell tower. By the 20th century, they had expanded the town hall due to community growth and increasing municipal affairs. A new building was constructed and completed on May 29, 1919. It is located at the northwest corner of Center Street and Eighth Street. This two-story brick building featured a section dedicated to the fire department. For many years, the fire department operated as all-volunteer. The first paid firefighter was employed in 1912 with a monthly salary of $100 a month. In 1920, the city constructed a new station on the west side of David Street, north of Midwest Avenue. During this period, law enforcement also underwent changes with police officers gradually replacing the town marshal.

Water was and still is a constant problem. Between draughts and the need for bigger lines, the city is always removing and replacing the lines. At first, centrally located wells provided water to residents living close to downtown. Those living further out had to dig their own wells. Alkali and bacteria often made the water unpalatable or unsafe. That continues to be a problem to this day as well. Waterborne diseases took their toll on residents, especially children. Thankfully, that problem has been solved over the years. Nevertheless, at that time, the epidemics caused the town physician and marshal to force people to clean up their properties, improving sanitation and thus improving the water supply. Like any “Old West” town, Casper has evolved over the years, and it has become great place to live. While crime does exist, we have a much lower crime rate than many big cities. We are big enough to have many of the amenities people want and need, but enough of a small town feel to make the atmosphere relaxed and comfortable. While we are a mid-sized city, the feel is more like a small town, and most of Casper’s 58,823 residents, especially the long-term residents, like it that way.