Centennial, Wyoming facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Centennial, Wyoming
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The old Union Pacific depot in Centennial, now a museum.
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Location in Albany County and the state of Wyoming.
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 Centennial, Wyoming
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Wyoming |
| County |  Albany |
| Area | |
| • Total | 16.3 sq mi (42 km2) |
| • Land | 16.3 sq mi (42 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 8,074 ft (2,461 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 270 |
| • Density | 16.6/sq mi (6.40/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
82055
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| Area code(s) | 307 |
| FIPS code | 56-13440 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1586522 |
Centennial is a small mountain town in Albany County, Wyoming, United States. It is located on a gently sloping hillside. A highway runs through the area. Centennial is part of a larger area called a census-designated place (CDP). This means it is a group of people living together that the government counts as one area. Because of this, we don't have exact numbers just for the town itself.
Contents
History of Centennial
Early Beginnings
The Union Pacific Railroad was building the First transcontinental railroad. This railroad would connect the east and west coasts of the United States. To do this, they needed lots of wood for railroad ties. So, they sent logging crews to the Snowy Range.
These crews built a work camp where Centennial is today. They cut down many Lodgepole Pine trees. After most of their work was done, the crews left the area. Later, the land was opened for homesteaders. These were people who could claim and settle on land. A few ranchers then moved into the area.
Gold Discovery and Town Naming
In 1875, gold was found on Centennial Ridge. This discovery was made by men working for I. P. Lambing and Colonel Stephen W. Downey. Miners and prospectors soon came to the area. They wanted to work in the Centennial Mine.
In 1876, they rebuilt a community on the old work camp site. They named the town Centennial. This name honored the 100th birthday of the Declaration of Independence. Most of the gold was gone by 1877. But the town was now established. Merchants who came to serve the miners stayed to serve the nearby ranchers.
Later Discoveries and Growth
In 1896, copper was found on the west side of Centennial Ridge. People came looking for gold again in 1902 and 1923-1924. However, no large amounts were ever found.
Loggers returned in 1905. They cut timber for a coal mine in Colorado. A company called Acme Consolidated Gold & Mining Company bought land around the town. They also bought the townsite itself. This company opened a sawmill and a lumber yard. They even started a newspaper called the Centennial Post.
The partners in this company also started the Laramie, Hahns Peak and Pacific Railway. This railroad was built to move coal to eastern markets. The railroad reached Centennial on June 17, 1907. It finally reached Coalmont, Colorado, in 1911. A bank was also started in Centennial that same year.
In 1923, a platinum claim was found southwest of Centennial. This mine was called the Platinum Queen. Most mining activity stopped after the Stock Market Crash of 1929. This crash led to the Great Depression.
Geography of Centennial
Centennial and its surrounding area are located at 41°17′53″N 106°8′15″W / 41.29806°N 106.13750°W. This is its exact position on a map.
The total area of the Centennial CDP is about 16.3 square miles (42.2 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Centennial's Climate
Centennial has a mountain climate. This means it can have cold winters and mild summers. The weather can change quickly.
| Climate data for Centennial, Wyoming, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1899–2010 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 59 (15) |
57 (14) |
66 (19) |
74 (23) |
83 (28) |
91 (33) |
95 (35) |
90 (32) |
89 (32) |
77 (25) |
72 (22) |
63 (17) |
95 (35) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 34.0 (1.1) |
35.3 (1.8) |
42.7 (5.9) |
50.2 (10.1) |
60.5 (15.8) |
71.2 (21.8) |
76.5 (24.7) |
74.6 (23.7) |
67.5 (19.7) |
55.5 (13.1) |
42.6 (5.9) |
33.7 (0.9) |
53.7 (12.0) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 23.2 (−4.9) |
23.9 (−4.5) |
30.6 (−0.8) |
36.9 (2.7) |
46.1 (7.8) |
56.1 (13.4) |
62.4 (16.9) |
60.3 (15.7) |
53.2 (11.8) |
41.6 (5.3) |
30.3 (−0.9) |
23.2 (−4.9) |
40.7 (4.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 12.4 (−10.9) |
12.5 (−10.8) |
18.4 (−7.6) |
23.5 (−4.7) |
31.6 (−0.2) |
41.0 (5.0) |
48.2 (9.0) |
45.9 (7.7) |
38.8 (3.8) |
27.7 (−2.4) |
17.9 (−7.8) |
12.7 (−10.7) |
27.6 (−2.5) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −45 (−43) |
−34 (−37) |
−23 (−31) |
−15 (−26) |
2 (−17) |
19 (−7) |
26 (−3) |
26 (−3) |
6 (−14) |
−6 (−21) |
−23 (−31) |
−40 (−40) |
−45 (−43) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.94 (24) |
0.81 (21) |
1.08 (27) |
1.37 (35) |
1.53 (39) |
1.33 (34) |
1.67 (42) |
1.10 (28) |
1.25 (32) |
0.87 (22) |
1.02 (26) |
0.99 (25) |
13.96 (355) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 10.9 (28) |
14.7 (37) |
15.8 (40) |
15.0 (38) |
7.3 (19) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
2.8 (7.1) |
7.2 (18) |
19.1 (49) |
15.2 (39) |
108.4 (276.1) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 7.2 | 7.0 | 8.4 | 8.4 | 9.8 | 7.7 | 8.9 | 9.0 | 6.9 | 5.5 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 93.4 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 7.2 | 7.1 | 7.4 | 6.6 | 2.9 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 2.9 | 6.7 | 7.1 | 49.0 |
| Source 1: NOAA (precip/precip days, snow/snow days 1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: XMACIS2 | |||||||||||||
People of Centennial
The United States Census Bureau collects information about people. Since 1980, Centennial has been part of a larger "census-designated place" (CDP). This means the numbers for the town are mixed with the numbers for the surrounding area. So, the information below is for the whole CDP, not just the town of Centennial.
In 2010, the population of the CDP was 270 people.
In 2000, there were 191 people living in the CDP. There were 97 households, which are groups of people living in one home. Most people were White. A small number were Native American or Asian. Some people were of Hispanic or Latino background.
About half of the households were married couples living together. The average household had about two people. The average family had about two to three people.
The population included people of all ages. About 13% were under 18 years old. The median age was 48 years. This means half the people were younger than 48 and half were older.
Education in Centennial
Public schools in Centennial are part of the Albany County School District #1.
Centennial also has a public library. It is a branch of the Albany County Public Library.
See also
In Spanish: Centennial (Wyoming) para niños
