Kemmerer, Wyoming
Encyclopedia
Kemmerer is both the largest city and the county seat of Lincoln County, Wyoming
, United States
. The population was 2,651 at the 2000 census
. It dubs itself the "The Fossil Fish Capital of the World" and the "Gateway to the West." As the county seat
of Lincoln County, Kemmerer is the location of the Lincoln County Courthouse
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 7.4 square miles (19.1 km²), of which, 7.4 square miles (19.1 km²) of it is land and 0.14% is water.
Surrounded by high desert and the Rocky Mountains, Kemmerer experiences a continental climate
(Köppen
Dfb) with long, cold winters, short, warm summers and low precipitation year-round.
discovered coal in the area during his second expedition in 1843. The Union Pacific Coal Company
opened the first underground mine in 1881 after construction of the Oregon Short Line Railroad from Granger to Oregon.
Patrick J. Quealy (1857–1930) founded Kemmerer as an "independent town" in 1897 when he was vice-president of the Kemmerer Coal Company, located 6 miles (9.7 km) south of the original townsite. He named the company and town after his financial backer, Pennsylvania coal magnate Mahlon S. Kemmerer (1843–1925). In 1950, the operation converted to strip mining and became the world's largest open pit coal mine. In 1980 the Kemmerer Coal Co. was sold to the Pittsburg & Midway Coal Company, now a subsidiary of the Chevron Corporation
. The pit remains in operation today with an annual output of about 5 million tons.
Quealy sold lots in the townsite rather than lease them, which permitted the establishment of independent businesses. The company's subsidiary, Frontier Supply Company, provided electricity by utilizing a used $1,150.00 generator acquired in Utah.
Quealy was originally from Ireland. In Wyoming, he and his wife became active in Democratic Party politics and in St. Patrick's Church, for which the company donated land.
Quealy was the founding president of the First National Bank, established in 1900. Kemmerer Savings Bank was founded in 1909. It's president Asbury D. Hoskins was manager of the Blyth-Fargo-Hoskins Company, and was later elected Wyoming state treasurer in 1919.
of 2000, there were 2,651 people, 1,034 households, and 695 families residing in the city. The population density
was 359.7 people per square mile (138.9/km²). There were 1,208 housing units at an average density of 163.9 per square mile (63.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.72% White, 0.11% African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.17% from other races
, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.36% of the population.
There were 1,034 households out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% were married couples
living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.4% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 103.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $47,353, and the median income for a family was $55,529. Males had a median income of $45,921 versus $23,382 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $21,478. About 5.1% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under the age of 18 and 5.7% of those 65 and older.
Kemmerer is the location of the J. C. Penney
mother store. The Fossil Butte National Monument
is located 15 miles west of Kemmerer, Wyoming on U.S. Highway 30.
.
.
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...
. The population was 2,651 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...
. It dubs itself the "The Fossil Fish Capital of the World" and the "Gateway to the West." As the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Lincoln County, Kemmerer is the location of the Lincoln County Courthouse
Lincoln County Courthouse (Wyoming)
The Lincoln County Courthouse is a historic courthouse in Kemmerer, the county seat of Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The courthouse's architecture is an unusual mixture of the Beaux-Arts and Classical Revival styles. Built in 1925, it was designed by the Salt Lake City architectural...
.
Geography and climate
Kemmerer is located at 41°47′22"N 110°32′47"W (41.789391, -110.546299).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 7.4 square miles (19.1 km²), of which, 7.4 square miles (19.1 km²) of it is land and 0.14% is water.
Surrounded by high desert and the Rocky Mountains, Kemmerer experiences a continental climate
Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
(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...
Dfb) with long, cold winters, short, warm summers and low precipitation year-round.
History
Explorer John C. FrémontJohn C. Frémont
John Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. During the 1840s, that era's penny press accorded Frémont the sobriquet The Pathfinder...
discovered coal in the area during his second expedition in 1843. The Union Pacific Coal Company
Union Pacific Coal Company
The Union Pacific Coal Company was formed in 1874 as the Union Pacific Coal Department by the Union Pacific Railway. The company was formed because Union Pacific's former coal supplier, Wyoming Coal and Mining Company was selling coal at highly inflated costs to the railroad.-Founding:Before 1874...
opened the first underground mine in 1881 after construction of the Oregon Short Line Railroad from Granger to Oregon.
Patrick J. Quealy (1857–1930) founded Kemmerer as an "independent town" in 1897 when he was vice-president of the Kemmerer Coal Company, located 6 miles (9.7 km) south of the original townsite. He named the company and town after his financial backer, Pennsylvania coal magnate Mahlon S. Kemmerer (1843–1925). In 1950, the operation converted to strip mining and became the world's largest open pit coal mine. In 1980 the Kemmerer Coal Co. was sold to the Pittsburg & Midway Coal Company, now a subsidiary of the Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining,...
. The pit remains in operation today with an annual output of about 5 million tons.
Quealy sold lots in the townsite rather than lease them, which permitted the establishment of independent businesses. The company's subsidiary, Frontier Supply Company, provided electricity by utilizing a used $1,150.00 generator acquired in Utah.
Quealy was originally from Ireland. In Wyoming, he and his wife became active in Democratic Party politics and in St. Patrick's Church, for which the company donated land.
Quealy was the founding president of the First National Bank, established in 1900. Kemmerer Savings Bank was founded in 1909. It's president Asbury D. Hoskins was manager of the Blyth-Fargo-Hoskins Company, and was later elected Wyoming state treasurer in 1919.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
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 2,651 people, 1,034 households, and 695 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 359.7 people per square mile (138.9/km²). There were 1,208 housing units at an average density of 163.9 per square mile (63.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.72% White, 0.11% African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.17% 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 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.36% of the population.
There were 1,034 households out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% 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, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.4% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 103.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $47,353, and the median income for a family was $55,529. Males had a median income of $45,921 versus $23,382 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 $21,478. About 5.1% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under the age of 18 and 5.7% of those 65 and older.
Attractions
J. C. Penney
-External links:*...
mother store. The Fossil Butte National Monument
Fossil Butte National Monument
Fossil Butte National Monument is a unit of the National Park Service located 15 miles west of Kemmerer, Wyoming; the national monument was established on October 23, 1972. The site preserves the best paleontological record of Tertiary aquatic communities in North America and possibly the world,...
is located 15 miles west of Kemmerer, Wyoming on U.S. Highway 30.
Education
Kemmerer is located within Lincoln County School District Number 1, which includes Kemmerer High SchoolKemmerer High School
Kemmerer High School is a high school in rural Kemmerer, Lincoln County, Wyoming. It is called "Home of the Rangers". The Principal is Orlen Zempel. The school's office and mailing address are in Diamondville, Wyoming. It is...
.
Notable natives and residents
- John Buck, catcher for the Florida MarlinsFlorida MarlinsThe Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
- Jerry BussJerry BussGerald Hatten "Jerry" Buss Ph.D., M.S. is an American businessman, real estate investor, and a former chemist. He is the majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers professional basketball team along with other professional sports franchises in Southern California...
, owner of the Los Angeles LakersLos Angeles LakersThe Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
(raised near Kemmerer) - James Cash Penney, founder of the J.C. Penney chain of stores
Pop Culture References
Kemmerer, referred to as "Old Town," serves as the setting for Philip K. Dick's 1959 sci-fi novel Time Out of JointTime out of Joint
Time Out of Joint is a novel by Philip K. Dick, first published in novel form in the United States in 1959. An abridged version was also serialised in the British science fiction magazine New Worlds Science Fiction in several installments from December 1959 to February 1960, under the title...
.