Green River, Wyoming
Encyclopedia
Green River is a city in and the county seat of Sweetwater County, Wyoming
, United States
, in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 11,808 at the 2000 census
.
The city is known as being one of the first in the United States to ban door-to-door solicitation; see Green River Ordinance
.
The Mayor of Green River is Henry Castillon, who was elected in November 2006 and won re-election in 2010.
. The city was the starting point from which John Wesley Powell
started his famous expeditions of the Green River
, the Colorado River
, and the Grand Canyon
in the late 1800s. Green River was originally supposed to be the site of a division point for the Union Pacific Railroad
, but when the railroad finally reached the point, officials were surprised to find that a city had already been established there. They moved the division point 12 miles (19.3 km) west to Bryan, Wyoming
.
At the time of its incorporation in 1868, Green River had about 2000 residents and permanent adobe buildings were being built. However, when the division point of the railroad was moved west, the city shrank to a mere 101 residents. Just when the city was on the verge of shriveling up, the Black's Fork dried up during a drought and the railroad was forced to move the division point back to Green River. The town was officially incorporated under the new laws of Wyoming on May 5, 1891.
ore. Soda ash mining from trona veins 900 and 1600 feet (487.7 m) deep is a major industrial activity in the area, employing over 2000 persons at five mines. The mining operation is less expensive for production of soda ash in the United States than the synthetic Solvay process
, which predominates in the rest of the world. The trona in Sweetwater County was created by an ancient body of water known as Lake Gosiute. Over time, the lake shrank. With the loss of outflows, highly alkaline water (salt brine) began to evaporate, depositing the beds of trona.
The four mines are run by these companies:
The Green River Basin also has large oil shale
and natural gas
reserves, which remain virtually untouched due to the high cost of extracting the oil from the hard shale formations. However, an increase in oil prices in 2008 and a national desire to become more energy independent led to an increase in well drilling and oil exploration. Expansion growth from Halliburton
and Exxon
, as well as other oil companies, created a mini-boom for Green River and its sister city, Rock Springs
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 14.0 square miles (36.3 km²), of which, 13.7 square miles (35.5 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²) of it (2.28%) is water.
Green River experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen
BSk) with long, cold, dry winters and hot, slightly wetter summers.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 11,808 people, 4,177 households, and 3,212 families residing in the city. The population density
was 861.5 people per square mile (332.5/km²). There were 4,426 housing units at an average density of 322.9 per square mile (124.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.13% White, 0.27% African American, 1.36% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 4.23% from other races
, and 1.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.21% of the population.
There were 4,177 households out of which 42.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were married couples
living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.1% were non-families. 19.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the city the population was spread out with 31.1% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 6.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 102.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $53,164, and the median income for a family was $59,100. Males had a median income of $51,418 versus $24,306 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $20,398. About 3.1% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.0% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
ban, which caused several residents to question the council's motives.
. Schools serving the city include: Harrison Elementary, Jackson Elementary, Truman Elementary, Washington Elementary, Monroe Intermediate School, Lincoln Middle School, and Green River High School. There is also one alternative high school campus - Expedition Academy.
, Tesla
, Everclear
, Head East
, Neal McCoy
, REO Speedwagon
, Josh Gracin
, Chris LeDoux
and Trick Pony
.
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 11,808 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
The city is known as being one of the first in the United States to ban door-to-door solicitation; see Green River Ordinance
Green River Ordinance
The name Green River Ordinance is given to a common United States city ordinance prohibiting door-to-door solicitation. Under such an ordinance, it is illegal for any business to sell their items door-to-door without express permission from the household beforehand...
.
The Mayor of Green River is Henry Castillon, who was elected in November 2006 and won re-election in 2010.
History
Green River was incorporated in 1868 in what was then the Dakota TerritoryDakota Territory
The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and South Dakota.The Dakota Territory consisted of...
. The city was the starting point from which John Wesley Powell
John Wesley Powell
John Wesley Powell was a U.S. soldier, geologist, explorer of the American West, and director of major scientific and cultural institutions...
started his famous expeditions of the Green River
Green River (Utah)
The Green River, located in the western United States, is the chief tributary of the Colorado River. The watershed of the river, known as the Green River Basin, covers parts of Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. The Green River is long, beginning in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming and flowing...
, the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
, and the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
in the late 1800s. Green River was originally supposed to be the site of a division point for the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
, but when the railroad finally reached the point, officials were surprised to find that a city had already been established there. They moved the division point 12 miles (19.3 km) west to Bryan, Wyoming
Bryan, Wyoming
Bryan is a ghost town in Sweetwater County in the U.S. state of Wyoming. Bryan is located about west of Green River along the Blacks Fork River, and for a short time was the local headquarters and division point of the Union Pacific Railroad...
.
At the time of its incorporation in 1868, Green River had about 2000 residents and permanent adobe buildings were being built. However, when the division point of the railroad was moved west, the city shrank to a mere 101 residents. Just when the city was on the verge of shriveling up, the Black's Fork dried up during a drought and the railroad was forced to move the division point back to Green River. The town was officially incorporated under the new laws of Wyoming on May 5, 1891.
Industry
The Green River Basin contains the world's largest known deposit of tronaTrona
Trona ; Na3•2H2O is an evaporite mineral. It is mined as the primary source of sodium carbonate in the United States, where it has replaced the Solvay process used in most of the rest of the world for sodium carbonate production.- Etymology :The word "trona" comes to English by way of either...
ore. Soda ash mining from trona veins 900 and 1600 feet (487.7 m) deep is a major industrial activity in the area, employing over 2000 persons at five mines. The mining operation is less expensive for production of soda ash in the United States than the synthetic Solvay process
Solvay process
The Solvay process, also referred to as the ammonia-soda process, is the major industrial process for the production of soda ash . The ammonia-soda process was developed into its modern form by Ernest Solvay during the 1860s...
, which predominates in the rest of the world. The trona in Sweetwater County was created by an ancient body of water known as Lake Gosiute. Over time, the lake shrank. With the loss of outflows, highly alkaline water (salt brine) began to evaporate, depositing the beds of trona.
The four mines are run by these companies:
- FMC Corporation
- OCI Wyoming LP
- Tata ChemicalsTata ChemicalsTata Chemicals Ltd is a Tata Group Company based in Mumbai. The company is one of the largest chemical companies in India with significant operations in India and Africa.-Plant locations:*Mithapur *Babrala *Nanded...
Ltd. - SolvaySolvaySolvay may refer to* Solvay , an international chemicals and plastics company* the Solvay process* Ernest Solvay, its inventor* Solvay Conference* the Solvay Business School* Solvay, New York* Solvay Hut, on the Matterhorn...
Minerals Inc.
The Green River Basin also has large oil shale
Oil shale
Oil shale, an organic-rich fine-grained sedimentary rock, contains significant amounts of kerogen from which liquid hydrocarbons called shale oil can be produced...
and natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
reserves, which remain virtually untouched due to the high cost of extracting the oil from the hard shale formations. However, an increase in oil prices in 2008 and a national desire to become more energy independent led to an increase in well drilling and oil exploration. Expansion growth from Halliburton
Halliburton
Halliburton is the world's second largest oilfield services corporation with operations in more than 70 countries. It has hundreds of subsidiaries, affiliates, branches, brands and divisions worldwide and employs over 50,000 people....
and Exxon
Exxon
Exxon is a chain of gas stations as well as a brand of motor fuel and related products by ExxonMobil. From 1972 to 1999, Exxon was the corporate name of the company previously known as Standard Oil Company of New Jersey or Jersey Standard....
, as well as other oil companies, created a mini-boom for Green River and its sister city, Rock Springs
Rock Springs, Wyoming
Rock Springs is a city in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 18,708 at the 2000 census. Rock Springs is the principal city of the Rock Springs micropolitan statistical area, which has a population of 37,975....
.
Geography
Green River is located at 41°30′51"N 109°27′54"W (41.514189, -109.464926). The elevation is 6100 feet (1859 m) above sea level.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 14.0 square miles (36.3 km²), of which, 13.7 square miles (35.5 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²) of it (2.28%) is water.
Green River experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
BSk) with long, cold, dry winters and hot, slightly wetter summers.
Demographics
As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 11,808 people, 4,177 households, and 3,212 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 861.5 people per square mile (332.5/km²). There were 4,426 housing units at an average density of 322.9 per square mile (124.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.13% White, 0.27% African American, 1.36% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 4.23% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.21% of the population.
There were 4,177 households out of which 42.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.1% were non-families. 19.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the city the population was spread out with 31.1% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 6.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 102.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $53,164, and the median income for a family was $59,100. Males had a median income of $51,418 versus $24,306 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $20,398. About 3.1% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.0% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Green River's government consists of a six member city council who are elected from one of three wards. Each ward elects two members. The mayor is elected in a citywide vote. The city council was recently criticized for its handling of a smokingSmoking
Smoking is a practice in which a substance, most commonly tobacco or cannabis, is burned and the smoke is tasted or inhaled. This is primarily practised as a route of administration for recreational drug use, as combustion releases the active substances in drugs such as nicotine and makes them...
ban, which caused several residents to question the council's motives.
Education
Public education in the city of Green River is provided by Sweetwater County School District #2Sweetwater County School District Number 2
Sweetwater County School District #2 is a public school district based in Green River, Wyoming, United States.-Geography:Sweetwater County School District #2 serves the southwestern portion of Sweetwater County, including the following communities:...
. Schools serving the city include: Harrison Elementary, Jackson Elementary, Truman Elementary, Washington Elementary, Monroe Intermediate School, Lincoln Middle School, and Green River High School. There is also one alternative high school campus - Expedition Academy.
Flaming Gorge Days
Every year Green River hosts Flaming Gorge Days. The festival features concerts, 3 on 3 basketball, Red Desert Road Runner 5K race, Festival in the Park, among other activities. Past musical performances at the festival have included PoisonPoison (band)
Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...
, Tesla
Tesla (band)
Tesla is an American hard rock band formed in Sacramento, California in 1984. They have sold 14 million albums in the United States.-Formation and Mechanical Resonance :...
, Everclear
Everclear (band)
Everclear is a rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1992 best known for their radio hits spanning more than a decade. For most of its existence, Everclear has consisted of Art Alexakis , Craig Montoya , and Greg Eklund . Eklund replaced original drummer Scott Cuthbert in 1994...
, Head East
Head East
Head East is an American hard rock band originally from South Central Illinois. The band was formed by vocalist John Schlitt, guitarist Mike Somerville, keyboardist Roger Boyd, bassist Dan Birney, and drummer Steve Huston. They met and formed the band while studying at the University of Illinois,...
, Neal McCoy
Neal McCoy
Hubert Neal McGaughey, Jr. is an American country music singer of mixed Irish and Filipino descent. Known professionally as Neal McCoy, he has released ten studio albums on various labels, and has released 34 singles to country radio...
, REO Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon is an American rock band. Formed in 1967, the band grew in popularity during the 1970s and peaked in the early 1980s. Hi Infidelity is the group's most commercially successful album, selling over ten million copies and charting four Top 40 hits in the US...
, Josh Gracin
Josh Gracin
Joshua Mario "Josh" Gracin is a country music singer. A former member of the United States Marine Corps, he first gained public attention as the fourth-place finalist on the second season of the Fox Networks talent competition American Idol.After his elimination from the show, Gracin completed his...
, Chris LeDoux
Chris LeDoux
Chris Ledoux was an American country music singer-songwriter, bronze sculptor and rodeo champion.During his career LeDoux recorded 36 albums which have sold more than six million units in the United States as of January 2007...
and Trick Pony
Trick Pony
Trick Pony was an American country music group. It was formed in 1996 by Keith Burns , Ira Dean , and Heidi Newfield . The group recorded three studio albums: Trick Pony, On a Mission and R.I.D.E., released in 2001, 2002 and 2005, respectively...
.
Notable residents
- Heather MoodyHeather MoodyHeather Moody is an American water polo player, who won a silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics. She was team captain of the US Women's National Team that captured the bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, and the only member of the team not from California...
, Olympic water polo silver and bronze medalist. - Curt GowdyCurt GowdyCurtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,...
, a famous sports announcer, was born in Green River.