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Wheatland
Pop. 3,548 Elev. 4,733
Pop. 3,548 Elev. 4,733
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Wheatland
Pop. 3,548 Elev. 4,733 |
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| Once called Gilchrist, for a local rancher, this town got the name Wheatland when an irrigation project brought farming to the area. Francis E. Warren and Joseph M. Carey spearheaded the building of a dam on the Big Laramie River to create canals for homesteaders. Bill Bodley is thought to have been the first settler to break the sod to plant wheat. A flourmill and a sugar beet factory created a stable economy for a time, but both closed. Oil, gas, and a power plant created prosperity in the 1970s, but the 80s were less productive. Wheatland has returned to its agricultural roots, and is home to one of the state’s largest hog farms. |
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