Wheatland, Wyoming
| Wheatland, Wyoming | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
Wheatland city limits
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 Location in Platte County and the state of Wyoming. |
|
 Wheatland, Wyoming
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| Coordinates: 42°3′14″N 104°57′34″W / 42.05389°N 104.95944°WCoordinates: 42°3′14″N 104°57′34″W / 42.05389°N 104.95944°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Wyoming |
| County | Platte |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.10 sq mi (10.62 km2) |
| • Land | 4.10 sq mi (10.62 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 4,751 ft (1,448 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 3,627 |
| • Estimate (2012) | 3,641 |
| • Density | 884.6/sq mi (341.5/km2) |
| Time zone | Mountain (MST) (UTC-7) |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
| ZIP code | 82201 |
| Area code(s) | 307 |
| FIPS code | 56-83040 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1609173 |
Wheatland is a town in and the county seat of Platte County in southeastern Wyoming, United States. The population was 3,627 at the 2010 census.
Before the late 19th century, the area around the future site of Wheatland was a flat, arid landscape with desert-like vegetation. In 1883 local rancher and judge Joseph M. Carey, along with Horace Plunkett, John Hoyt, Morton Post, Francis E. Warren, William Irvine, and Andrew Gilchrist, established the Wyoming Development Company. The company hoped to irrigate in the Wheatland Flats and profit from new development.
By the fall of 1883 an irrigation system was constructed on the Wheatland flats including a 2,380 foot long tunnel to divert water for irrigation into Bluegrass Creek and the first two of the system's canals. The Cheyenne and Northern Railway line reached the Wheatland flats in July, 1887, eventually extending to the Wyoming Central Railway at Wendover. Lots in the town of Wheatland were auctioned in 1894. By 1915 many farms were established in the irrigation district and the population of the flats was 5,277.
In 1911 Platte County was created from a portion of Albany County, and Wheatland was selected as the county seat. The Platte County Courthouse was built in Wheatland in 1917.
The Wheatland Irrigation District is still the largest privately owned irrigation system in the country.
Wheatland is located at 42°3′14″N 104°57′34″W / 42.05389°N 104.95944°W (42.053917, -104.959460).
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Wikipedia