:Torrington, Wyoming

File:Trail ruts State Hist site Wyoming.jpg on the historic Oregon Trail in the late 19th Century in Eastern Wyoming (2007 photo)]]

File:Theb0771 - Flickr - NOAA Photo Library.jpg using horses to pull his "horseless carriage" while "fording" a river]]

Situated on the historic Mormon Trail and near the Oregon and California trailsGoshen County Township map along the banks of the North Platte River, Torrington was founded in 1900 by W. G. Curtis (1857–1913), and named by him for his home town of Torrington, Connecticut. Originally a watering and coaling station for the CB&Q Railroad, which began passenger service in 1900, the town was a gathering place for nearby farmers and ranchers. In 1905, the first bridge was constructed over the North Platte River.{{cite web|url=http://www.wyomingtalesandtrails.com/torrington.html|title=Torrington--Wyoming Tales and Trails|website=Wyomingtalesandtrails.com|access-date=January 9, 2018}}

A post office called Torrington was established in 1889 on Curtis' farm three miles west of the future town, with Curtis serving as postmaster and later as mayor. In 1908, the town incorporated in Laramie County. It had a bank, three general stores, a pharmacy with a soda fountain, a land office, and two hotels (for one of which the building, although modified, still exists at 1841 Main Street.) It soon became a central place of trade for Goshen County, and for surrounding areas in eastern Wyoming and western Nebraska.

The town's site survey began in April 1900, by Ashland B. Smith of the Lincoln Land Company of Nebraska. The survey and plating was recorded in Cheyenne on June 22, 1900, and individual plots of the land sold to residents for one dollar each by Charles Henry Morrill, President of the Lincoln Land Company. The Torrington Telegram[https://web.archive.org/web/20150621211428/http://www.torringtontelegram.com/v2_main_page.php The Torrington Telegram]. Archived June 21, 2015. Retrieved June 14, 2024. (which was still published in 2015) was established in 1911. The 1900 United States Census lists only 71 inhabitants in the Torrington Precinct and does not list it as a town. All residents were stock growers, ranch laborers, cowboys or at school, except for one listed as a hardware clerk.

Also in 1911, Goshen County was organized. The County was created from a portion of the northern end of Laramie County. The towns of Torrington and nearby Lingle—some {{convert|10|miles}} away—competed for designation as the county seat. Torrington prevailed after Torrington residents raised sufficient funds for a courthouse. The cornerstone for the courthouse was set in 1913, in a ceremony where a band was conducted by Hi Yoder, from whose family the nearby town of Yoder, Wyoming, takes its name.

Around that time, early motor cars started showing up in town, the Goshen County Fair Association was established, and in 1915 Torrington had a population of 443.{{cn|date=June 2024}} In 1919, the Trail Hotel building, which still exists at 2001 Main Street, was constructed. In 1925, the Union Pacific Railroad based in Omaha constructed a spur line from Cheyenne to South Torrington, to serve the proposed Holly Sugar Corporation plant, which began operations in 1926.

File:Alfred Jacob Miller - Fort Laramie - Walters 37194049.jpg as it looked prior to 1840. Painting by Alfred Jacob Miller]]

The Holly Sugar factory, later Western Sugar Cooperative, processed sugar beets since 1923 and closed in early 2019. It was once a major employer for the Torrington area.[https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/from_the_wire/western-sugar-closure-leaves-torrington-wondering/article_a9430d06-fb88-11e8-b71e-471bd9c39b6d.html Wyoming Tribune Eagle] The preserved historic Union Pacific Depot building now houses the [https://web.archive.org/web/20150626121204/http://www.city-of-torrington.org/departments/museum Goshen County Homesteaders Museum].

The Torrington Livestock Commission, established in 1934,{{cite web|url=http://www.torringtonlivestock.com/company_info_history.asp|title=Torrington Livestock Markets|website=Torringtonlivestock.com|access-date=January 9, 2018}} still held twice-weekly livestock auctions in 2015. It is the largest livestock auction operation and barn in Wyoming, and ranks as the third to fifth largest livestock auction in the United States. Drawing cattle from a nine-state region (Nebraska, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, South Dakota, Montana and the bulk of Wyoming) the Torrington livestock auction barn attracts buyers from all over the nation. And, {{As of|2011|lc=y}}, Goshen County ranked number one in Wyoming for its cattle inventory.{{cite web|author=Zimmer, Vickie|title="Goshen County, Wyoming"|publisher=Wyoming State Historical Society.|url=http://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/goshen-county-wyoming|access-date=June 30, 2015}}[http://www.torringtonlivestock.com/company_info_history.asp Torrington Livestock Commission] Retrieved June 30, 2015

Today, when traveling between Torrington and Guernsey, Wyoming, motorists will be following the path of the historic Oregon and Mormon Trail as they make their way along the banks of the North Platte River past the site of the 1854 Grattan Massacre near Lingle, and past the historic western 19th-Century U.S. Army Cavalry outpost, Fort Laramie National Historic Site.

Torrington is located at {{Coord|42|4|0|N|104|10|57|W|type:city}} (42.066542, −104.182471).{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}} According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|4.62|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, all land.{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=December 14, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|archive-date=January 25, 2012}} Its elevation is {{convert|4104|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}}.

Torrington, situated on the North Platte River, has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk).

{{Weather box|width=auto

|location = Torrington, Wyoming

|single line = Y

|Jan record high F = 70

|Feb record high F = 75

|Mar record high F = 85

|Apr record high F = 91

|May record high F = 100

|Jun record high F = 105

|Jul record high F = 111

|Aug record high F = 105

|Sep record high F = 101

|Oct record high F = 92

|Nov record high F = 83

|Dec record high F = 77

|year record high F= 111

|Jan high F = 39.5

|Feb high F = 45.0

|Mar high F = 52.0

|Apr high F = 61.2

|May high F = 71.0

|Jun high F = 82.4

|Jul high F = 89.1

|Aug high F = 87.3

|Sep high F = 77.7

|Oct high F = 65.4

|Nov high F = 49.2

|Dec high F = 41.0

|Jan mean F = 24.9

|Feb mean F = 30.0

|Mar mean F = 37.5

|Apr mean F = 46.0

|May mean F = 56.2

|Jun mean F = 66.3

|Jul mean F = 72.3

|Aug mean F = 70.2

|Sep mean F = 59.8

|Oct mean F = 47.6

|Nov mean F = 34.0

|Dec mean F = 26.2

|Jan low F = 10.3

|Feb low F = 14.9

|Mar low F = 23.0

|Apr low F = 30.7

|May low F = 41.3

|Jun low F = 50.2

|Jul low F = 55.5

|Aug low F = 53.1

|Sep low F = 41.9

|Oct low F = 29.7

|Nov low F = 18.8

|Dec low F = 11.3

|Jan record low F = −39

|Feb record low F = −33

|Mar record low F = −26

|Apr record low F = −17

|May record low F = 11

|Jun record low F = 29

|Jul record low F = 39

|Aug record low F = 32

|Sep record low F = 14

|Oct record low F = −9

|Nov record low F = −23

|Dec record low F = −43

|year record low F= −43

|Jan precipitation inch = 0.31

|Feb precipitation inch = 0.40

|Mar precipitation inch = 0.70

|Apr precipitation inch = 1.68

|May precipitation inch = 2.54

|Jun precipitation inch = 2.09

|Jul precipitation inch = 1.78

|Aug precipitation inch = 1.19

|Sep precipitation inch = 1.27

|Oct precipitation inch = 0.95

|Nov precipitation inch = 0.57

|Dec precipitation inch = 0.36

|source 1= NOAA (normals, 1971–2000){{cite web |url=http://cdo.ncdc.noaa.gov/climatenormals/clim81/WYnorm.pdf |title=Climatography of the United States NO.81 |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date=January 13, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713145434/http://cdo.ncdc.noaa.gov/climatenormals/clim81/WYnorm.pdf |archive-date=July 13, 2014 }}

|source 2= The Weather Channel (Records){{cite web |url=http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businessdrugy/wxclimatology/monthly/USWY0168 |title=Monthly Averages for Torrington, WY |publisher=The Weather Channel |access-date=January 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024222038/http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businessdrugy/wxclimatology/monthly/USWY0168 |archive-date=October 24, 2012 |url-status=dead }} NOAA NNDC Climate Data{{cite web |url=http://www7.ncdc.noaa.gov/CDO/cdoextremesdateselect.cmd?exdsid=31&stnlist=48899599999 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121212133735/http://www7.ncdc.noaa.gov/CDO/cdoextremesdateselect.cmd?exdsid=31&stnlist=48899599999 |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 12, 2012 |title=Climate Data Online Extremes Products |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date=June 3, 2012 }}

|date=April 2011}}

{{US Census population

| align =

| 1910 = 155

| 1920 = 1301

| 1930 = 1811

| 1940 = 2344

| 1950 = 3247

| 1960 = 4188

| 1970 = 4237

| 1980 = 5441

| 1990 = 5651

| 2000 = 5776

| 2010 = 6501

| 2020 = 6119

| estyear = 2023

| estimate = 6212

| estref = {{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2019.html|date=May 24, 2020|title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 27, 2020}}

| align-fn = center

| footnote = [https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html U.S. Decennial Census]

}}

File:Bozeman01.png, Mormon, Oregon & Bozeman Trails headed to Fort Laramie and further on into the American West, all passed through Torrington along the banks of the North Platte River]]

As of the census{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=December 14, 2012}} of 2010, there were 6,501 people, 2,527 households, and 1,506 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|1407.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 2,717 housing units at an average density of {{convert|588.1|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 93.2% White, 1.0% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 3.0% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.3% of the population.

There were 2,527 households, of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.4% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.83.

File:Pheasant.jpg are home to a large population of Ring-necked Pheasants]]

The median age in the city was 41.4 years. 19.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.2% were from 25 to 44; 26.8% were from 45 to 64; and 19.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 52.5% male and 47.5% female.

At the census of 2000, there were 5,776 people, 2,436 households, and 1,522 families living in the city. The population density was 1,617.4 people per square mile (624.7/km²). There were 2,644 housing units at an average density of 740.4 per square mile (286.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.49% White, 0.31% African American, 0.90% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 3.65% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.47% of the population.

There were 2,436 households, out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.86.

The age distribution was: 23.3% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,136, and the median income for a family was $40,750. Males had a median income of $31,058 versus $20,101 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,026. About 9.3% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.

The United States Postal Service operates the Torrington Post Office."[http://usps.whitepages.com/service/post_office/torrington-2145-main-st-torrington-wy-1384853 Post Office Location – TORRINGTON] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120617192804/http://usps.whitepages.com/service/post_office/torrington-2145-main-st-torrington-wy-1384853 |date=2012-06-17 }}." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on December 12, 2010.

The Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution (WMCI) is located in Torrington."[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/MapItDrawServlet?geo_id=16000US5677530&_bucket_id=50&tree_id=420&context=saff&_lang=en&_sse=on Torrington city, Wyoming]{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on December 12, 2010."[http://goshencounty.org/file.asp?id=9 Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution (WMCI)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725230906/http://goshencounty.org/file.asp?id=9 |date=2011-07-25 }}." Goshen County GIS Department. 2009. Retrieved on December 12, 2010."[http://doc.state.wy.us/doc/contactinstitutions.html Contact Institutions]." Wyoming Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 22, 2010. "7076 Road 55F Torrington, WY 82240" WMCI, a facility of the Wyoming Department of Corrections, serves as an intake center for male inmates not sentenced to death. It was opened on January 6, 2010, and the first 75 inmates to be housed there arrived on January 13, 2010. By 2015, it housed over 300 inmates."[http://doc.state.wy.us/institutions/wmci/index.html Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution]." Wyoming Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 22, 2010.

File:RAS judging the Border Leicesters.jpg lined up for judging at a County Fair]]

Public education in Torrington is provided by Goshen County School District#1. Zoned campuses include Lincoln Elementary School (grades K–2), Trail Elementary School (grades 3–5), Torrington Middle School (grades 6–8), and Torrington High School (grades 9–12).

Other towns and communities included in the consolidated Goshen County School District include Lingle, LaGrange, Huntley, and Yoder, among others.

Eastern Wyoming College, located in Torrington, is a two-year community college serving the area, with outreach centers serving Platte, Niobrara, Converse, Weston and Crook counties.{{cite web|url=http://ewc.wy.edu/outreach/index.cfm|title=Outreach|website=Ewc.wy.edu|access-date=January 9, 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720122425/http://www.ewc.wy.edu/outreach/index.cfm|archive-date=July 20, 2011}}

Torrington has a public library, the Goshen County Library.{{cite web | url=https://publiclibraries.com/state/wyoming/ | title=Wyoming Public Libraries | publisher=PublicLibraries.com | access-date=June 13, 2019}}

• 20px U.S. Highway 26 East (Scottsbluff Road)
• 20px U.S. Highway 26 West (Yellowstone Road)
• 20px U.S. Highway 85 North (Lingle/Jay Em Road)
• 20px U.S. Highway 85 South (Cheyenne Road)

• {{jct|state=WY|WY|92|name1=Huntley Highway}}
• {{jct|state=WY|WY|154|name1=Veteran Road}}
• {{jct|state=WY|WY|156|name1=Sugar Factory Road}}
• {{jct|state=WY|WY|159|name1=Van Tassell Road}}

Torrington Municipal Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) east of the central business district of Torrington.{{FAA-airport|ID=TOR|use=PU|own=PU|site=27900.1*A}}. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective November 15, 2012.

Goshen County Senior Friendship Center provides paratransit services in Torrington on weekdays.{{cite web |title=Services |url=https://www.goshencountysfc.com/services |website=Goshen County Senior Friendship Center |access-date=September 19, 2020}}

• Edward Buchanan (born 1967), former state legislator and Torrington lawyer; Speaker of the Wyoming House of Representatives from 2011 to 2012
• Stephanie Burns (born 1955), Organosilicon chemist, businesswoman
• William Curtis, founded Torrington in 1889
• Stanley Hathaway (1924–2005), 27th Governor of Wyoming, 1967–1975; 40th U.S. Secretary of the Interior, 1975
• Jerry Hill (born 1939), former University of Wyoming and NFL football player (Baltimore Colts 1961–1970; Super Bowls III and V)
• Michael Punke (born 1964), Author of The Revenant

{{Reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20100302203347/http://www.city-of-torrington.org/ City of Torrington], official website
• [http://www.wyomingtalesandtrails.com/torrington.html Torrington History, Wyoming Tales and Trails]
• [https://volleyballkick.com/best-volleyball-shoes/ Torrington, Wyoming is a small town]

{{Goshen County, Wyoming}}

{{Wyoming county seats}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Cities in Goshen County, Wyoming

Category:Cities in Wyoming

Category:County seats in Wyoming

Category:Populated places established in 1889

Category:1889 establishments in Wyoming Territory