Lusk, Wyoming
| Lusk, Wyoming | |
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| Town | |
Downtown. Intersection of US Highways 18, 20, and 85.
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| Motto: "The Little Town With Big Possibilities" | |
 Location in Niobrara County and the state of Wyoming. |
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 Lusk, Wyoming
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| Coordinates: 42°45′38″N 104°27′10″W / 42.76056°N 104.45278°WCoordinates: 42°45′38″N 104°27′10″W / 42.76056°N 104.45278°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Wyoming |
| County | Niobrara |
| Incorporated | 1886 |
| Government | |
| • Type | City Council |
| • Mayor | Patricia Smith |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.07 sq mi (5.36 km2) |
| • Land | 2.07 sq mi (5.36 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 5,020 ft (1,530 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,567 |
| • Estimate (2014) | 1,578 |
| • Density | 757.0/sq mi (292.3/km2) |
| Time zone | Mountain (MST) (UTC-7) |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
| ZIP code | 82225 |
| Area code(s) | 307 |
| FIPS code | 56-48530 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1591129 |
| Website | Town of Lusk, Wyoming |
Lusk is a high-plains town in the eastern part of the state of Wyoming. The town is the seat of Niobrara County. The town was founded in July 1886, by Frank S. Lusk, a renowned Wyoming rancher, partner in the Western Live Stock Company, and stockholder in the Wyoming Central Railway. Cattle ranching remains the primary industry in the town of Lusk.
The population was 1,567 at the 2010 census. The town of Lusk is known for being the county seat of the least populated county in the least populated state in the US. In comparison, the county is approximately twice the size of the state of Rhode Island, with only 1/500 of the population.
The Black Hills Gold Rush brought fortune seekers to the Wyoming Territory. Within two years, the stage coach route between Cheyenne, Wyoming and Deadwood, South Dakota delivered freight, including salt pork and whiskey. The boom also brought armored stage coaches and gold bricks, along with Indians and thieves. The Cheyenne–Deadwood route operated from 1876 to 1887, when it was replaced by the Wyoming Central Railway.
Frank S. Lusk (1857–1930) was a renowned Wyoming rancher and stockholder in the Wyoming Central Railway. Initially residing in Cleveland, Ohio, he moved to Denver, Colorado in 1876 and built the Western Live Stock Company under a partnership agreement and established a ranch east of Greeley. In 1877, Lusk traveled to the Wyoming Territory for the first time on personal business and left highly impressed with the people and the area. In 1879, eastern Colorado had grown to the point that Lusk, along with his partners began exploring options outside of the area. His thoughts were recorded in the 1923 Annals of Wyoming: Quarterly Bulletin:
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