Uinta County History: Wyoming’s southwest corner is steeped in rich history
Tucked into the southwest corner of the state at the base of the Uinta Mountain Range – from which it was named – the story of Uinta County is one spun with a rich and remarkable history.
As one of the original five counties of the Wyoming Territory formed in 1869, Uinta County initially stretched the entire length of the state until it was reduced to its present size in 1911.
Through the passage of time, several forces, including the robust fur trade, westward expansion, the Union Pacific (UP) Railroad, profitable livestock ranches and the extraction of rich natural resources, ultimately shaped Uinta County into what it is today.
The fur trade
In the beginning, the area served as a seasonal home for nomadic Native Americans, including the Eastern Shoshone, Ute and Bannock Tribes.
The first white settlers ventured into present-day Uinta County at the beginning of the 19th century during the fur trade era, which is an essential pillar in the area’s history.
A majority of the fur trade success in southwest Wyoming can be attributed to the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, established by General William Henry Ashley and Major Andrew Henry.
Unique to the time period, Ashley and Henry didn’t rely on trading furs and pelts with Native Americans. Instead, they trained their own men to do the trapping independently.
Then, once a year, the company would host a “rendezvous” to gather its men in various locations for a chance to unload, unwind and visit with fellow mountain men.
The first Rocky Mountain Fur Trade Rendezvous was held in June 1825 on the bank of the Henry’s Fork – named after the company’s founder – in the far southeast corner of the county.
Over the years, the company hired more mountain men, including notable historical figures Jim Bridger, Joe Meek, Kit Carson and Robert Newell.
Fort Bridger
Through the mid-1800s, westward expansion left a web of trails etched across the soil, and Uinta County became a crossroads for settlers traveling west on the Oregon, California and Mormon trails.
Traffic through the county picked up significantly after Bridger and Louis Vasquez established a trading post on the Black’s Fork in 1843, originally known as Bridger’s Fort, where settlers were able to stop and rest, trade out tired animals and obtain supplies before continuing on their way.
In 1855, the fort changed hands to the Mormons who operated Fort Supply a few miles south, although conflicting stories exist for why this change occurred. In 1857, during the Utah War, Mormon militia burned both forts to the ground to prevent their capture by the U.S. Army, led by Bridger who had become an Army scout and guide.
The following year, the post was rebuilt and designated as an Army depot under a new name – Fort Bridger. It stayed in military ownership for several decades before it was abandoned in 1890.
Today, the Fort Bridger Historical Site works to preserve the area’s rich history, where 27 original structures still stand, including the infantry barracks and milk barn which now serve as a museum housing exhibits that interpret the five occupational eras of Fort Bridger – mountain men, Mormons, military, the milk barn and motel and a modern museum. The 37-acre site also houses four replica structures and six modern structures.
The historic site is open to the public daily from May 1 to Sept. 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To close out the season, the fort holds the popular Fort Bridger Mountain Man Rendezvous every Labor Day Weekend, drawing thousands of visitors from across the country as one of the largest mountain man gatherings in the nation.
UP Railroad and local towns
The UP Railroad made its way into Uinta County in 1868, leaving a string of ghost towns in its wake.
The most notorious was Bear River City, also known as Beartown, which was the site of a violent vigilante riot that ultimately left the city in ashes.
Piedmont, another end-of-tracks town, was the site of a labor strike in early May 1869, in which rail workers held up a train carrying UP Vice President Thomas Durant who was traveling to the golden spike ceremony, marking the completion of the transcontinental railroad in Utah Territory.
Carter was arguably the busiest of today’s Uinta County ghost towns, as it served as a major shipping destination for sheep and cattle until fairly recently in history. In fact, many livestock producers in the area recall trailing cattle and hauling sheep as children to load on train cars in Carter.
The town was established around the time the UP Railroad entered Uinta County and was named after Judge William A. Carter, a cattle baron, merchant, postmaster, probate judge, Army contractor, politician and Wyoming’s first self-made millionaire.
In November 1868, the town of Evanston was erected and named after UP Railroad Surveyor James Evans.
Today, Evanston is home to the largest population in the county and serves as the county seat. A brick roundhouse, built in 1912 to replace the original 1871 stone structure, still stands and is used as a public venue for weddings, meetings and other community gatherings.
Agriculture and natural resources
Agriculture and natural resources have been two of the greatest driving forces in the establishment of Uinta County.
The first ranch was founded in the Bear River drainage in 1858 by John Meyers, who boasts the first water right in the Wyoming Territory.
The completion of the railroad initiated the creation of many sheep and cattle operations in the area, and the county’s early use of irrigation systems sparked some hay and grain crop production. In the 1890s, extensive irrigation canals and ditches were built to aid these efforts.
During the late years of the 19th century, the population grew exponentially. The first post office was built in 1891, and in 1899 the town of Lyman was founded.
By 1900, the number of ag operations grew to 940, with the census reporting 13,600 horses; 125,000 cattle and 914,000 sheep.
In 1915, the University of Wyoming established a 200-acre experimental farm in Lyman. The present-day Heritage Barn, which now serves as a community center, used to house dairy cows, equipment, seed, hay and grain for the university.
Additionally, during the late 1860s, small communities sprang up around the many coal mines in the area, one of which was the town of Almy. Riddled by a series of disastrous mine explosions in the late 1800s that killed dozens of white and Chinese workers, the Almy mines were permanently closed by 1900 and are now nothing more than a roadside landmark.
As the Almy mine closed its doors, a new coal mine started up near Evanston in Spring Valley. While searching for water in 1904, drillers hit oil, resulting in the short-lived Spring Valley oil boom.
The boom nearly doubled the population of Uinta County and generated millions of dollars which was used to build public facilities such as schools and hospitals.
Today, natural resources continue to propel the small county’s economy, with many residents working in nearby trona mines. A large wind turbine farm was also erected on local landmark Bridger Butte to utilize the area’s plentiful wind energy.
Information in this article was compiled from the Wyoming Historical Society, Legends of America and Wyo Parks.
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
