SOUTHERN WYOMING - Montana and Wyoming - page 676

A mixture of railroad and natural resources also led to the establishment of Casper. Ori-
ginally it was set up as a station for the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad,
with its first residents creating a town site in 1888. After a relatively common and lawless
beginning, Casper prospered with the discovery of oil. When the first oil well was drilled
in 1887, an onslaught of land speculators and other investors arrived, looking to get rich.
When the Salt Creek Oil Field was established 40 miles north of Casper, the town respon-
ded by building a refinery and went on to become a booming town. Casper's wealth peaked
in the 1920s and crashed heavily with the rest of the country in 1929. Like cities all across
the West, Casper seemed destined to repeat this boom-and-bust cycle through the rest of the
20th century. The 21st century has brought another natural resource boom in the form of
rehabbed rivers and hungry trout that appeal to avid anglers and lovers of the outdoors.
Coal, oil, and natural gas are still important sources of income for Wyoming. But Casper,
like many of Wyoming's towns, has realized the need to diversify in order to protect its eco-
nomy. The tourism industry has grown in this part of the state, and if you can take the time
to veer off I-80, which runs parallel to the Union Pacific transcontinental route, you will
find yourself crossing century-old trails, exploring abandoned trading posts, and experien-
cing traditions that bring southern Wyoming's unique history to life.
PLANNING YOUR TIME
Cheyenne, Casper, and Laramie are all sizable cities for Wyoming and could occupy visitors
for at least a full day each. In Cheyenne, there are a number of museums worth seeing, in-
cluding the Wyoming State Museum and the Frontier Days Old West Museum, among
others. In this part of the state, summer is the most popular time to travel thanks to sunny,
warm days and easy road conditions. Bear in mind, however, that Cheyenne's population
explodes during Frontier Days, the second half of July, and accommodations can be tough
to find.
In Laramie, there are more museums including the outstanding Wyoming Territorial
Prison, plenty of opportunities to get out and experience some of Wyoming's most beau-
tiful landscapes, and a fascinating university culture that brings with it abundant entertain-
ment and a lively downtown with some darn good eateries. Laramie can be a bit windy and
bleak, even frigid, in winter, but the university culture keeps things lively with concerts, lec-
tures, sporting events, and other happenings. In Casper, the state's second-largest city after
Cheyenne, there is a growing interest in the region's fishing on the North Platte River and
plenty of year-round recreational opportunities in the nearby Laramie Mountains, Medi-
cine Bow National Forest, and Casper Mountain.