Jeffrey City, Wyoming facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jeffrey City, Wyoming
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Location of Jeffrey City, Wyoming
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 Jeffrey City, Wyoming
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Wyoming |
| County | Fremont |
| Area | |
| • Total | 28.5 sq mi (73.8 km2) |
| • Land | 28.3 sq mi (73.4 km2) |
| • Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km2) |
| Elevation | 6,335 ft (1,931 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 58 |
| • Density | 2.035/sq mi (0.786/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
82310
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| Area code(s) | 307 |
| FIPS code | 56-40555 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1590071 |
Jeffrey City is a small place in Fremont County, Wyoming, in the central United States. It used to be a busy mining town. People call towns like this "boomtowns" because they grow very fast. Jeffrey City was famous for mining uranium.
But then, the mine closed in 1982. Most people left the town very quickly. This is why it's also known as a "bust" town. In 2010, only 58 people lived there. This is much less than the thousands who lived there before. The U.S. Census Bureau calls Jeffrey City a census-designated place. This means it's a special area for counting people.
Contents
History
How Jeffrey City Started
Jeffrey City began in 1931. It was first called "Home on the Range". A couple from Nebraska, the Petersons, started it. Mr. Peterson was sick after World War I. They bought a large piece of land, about 640 acres.
Mrs. Beulah Peterson (later Walker) opened two gas pumps. This happened when the main highway, U.S. Route 287, came through. She also started cooking for travelers. In 1943, the post office nearby closed. So, Mrs. Peterson began handling mail for local ranchers. She used a special stamp that said "Home on the Range". In 1957, the area officially became Jeffrey City. Her family is now working to fix up the old post office.
The Uranium Boom
"Home on the Range" changed its name to Jeffrey City in 1957. This happened because people came to mine uranium. They wanted to honor Dr. C. W. Jeffrey. He was a rich doctor from Rawlins, Wyoming. Dr. Jeffrey helped pay for a mining company to start. This company, Western Nuclear Corporation, opened a uranium mine. This was during the Cold War, when uranium was very important.
Thousands of people moved to Jeffrey City. They were looking for good mining jobs. Western Nuclear built a whole town for its workers. It was a "company town". At its busiest, the town had a new high school. It also had an Olympic-sized swimming pool. There was even a third gym built.
The Bust and Today
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the uranium market crashed. This meant the mine had to close. Jeffrey City depended only on the mine. So, when it closed, most people left. By 1986, 95% of the residents were gone.
Jeffrey City became almost a ghost town. It used to have shops, schools, a library, and churches. Now, only a few places remain. These include the First (Southern) Baptist Church. There's also the Split Rock Café, a restaurant and bar. Monk King Bird Pottery is a pottery studio. The Green Mountain Motel is one of the only places to stay nearby.
Geography and Climate
Location of Jeffrey City
Jeffrey City is in the southeastern part of Fremont County. It is located along U.S. Route 287. The town is about 67 miles northwest of Rawlins. It is also about 58 miles southeast of Lander. Lander is the main town in Fremont County.
The area of Jeffrey City is about 73.8 square kilometers. Most of this is land, and a small part is water. The town is in the valley of the Sweetwater River. This river flows east and joins the North Platte River.
Weather in Jeffrey City
Jeffrey City has a climate with warm summers and cold winters. The temperatures can change a lot. It also gets some snow, especially in the colder months.
| Climate data for Jeffrey City, Wyoming, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1964–present: 6319ft (1926m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 57 (14) |
60 (16) |
73 (23) |
80 (27) |
92 (33) |
99 (37) |
98 (37) |
97 (36) |
94 (34) |
87 (31) |
69 (21) |
62 (17) |
99 (37) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 44.4 (6.9) |
48.7 (9.3) |
62.2 (16.8) |
73.3 (22.9) |
80.8 (27.1) |
88.9 (31.6) |
93.9 (34.4) |
91.8 (33.2) |
87.0 (30.6) |
75.8 (24.3) |
60.5 (15.8) |
47.0 (8.3) |
94.3 (34.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 31.0 (−0.6) |
33.8 (1.0) |
44.5 (6.9) |
54.0 (12.2) |
64.2 (17.9) |
76.4 (24.7) |
85.2 (29.6) |
83.4 (28.6) |
72.9 (22.7) |
57.9 (14.4) |
42.3 (5.7) |
31.0 (−0.6) |
56.4 (13.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 20.0 (−6.7) |
22.3 (−5.4) |
32.1 (0.1) |
40.2 (4.6) |
49.6 (9.8) |
59.8 (15.4) |
67.6 (19.8) |
65.8 (18.8) |
56.0 (13.3) |
43.3 (6.3) |
30.1 (−1.1) |
20.3 (−6.5) |
42.3 (5.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 9.0 (−12.8) |
10.9 (−11.7) |
19.8 (−6.8) |
26.3 (−3.2) |
35.0 (1.7) |
43.2 (6.2) |
50.0 (10.0) |
48.3 (9.1) |
39.1 (3.9) |
28.7 (−1.8) |
17.9 (−7.8) |
9.5 (−12.5) |
28.1 (−2.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −18.6 (−28.1) |
−15.3 (−26.3) |
−2.4 (−19.1) |
10.6 (−11.9) |
21.0 (−6.1) |
32.2 (0.1) |
40.3 (4.6) |
37.0 (2.8) |
25.4 (−3.7) |
9.3 (−12.6) |
−7.5 (−21.9) |
−17.2 (−27.3) |
−26.4 (−32.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −49 (−45) |
−39 (−39) |
−33 (−36) |
−18 (−28) |
11 (−12) |
27 (−3) |
32 (0) |
28 (−2) |
1 (−17) |
−27 (−33) |
−31 (−35) |
−46 (−43) |
−49 (−45) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.35 (8.9) |
0.50 (13) |
0.79 (20) |
1.40 (36) |
1.97 (50) |
0.97 (25) |
0.66 (17) |
0.54 (14) |
0.82 (21) |
0.91 (23) |
0.51 (13) |
0.46 (12) |
9.88 (252.9) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 5.00 (12.7) |
7.00 (17.8) |
8.80 (22.4) |
12.10 (30.7) |
5.60 (14.2) |
0.40 (1.0) |
0.00 (0.00) |
0.00 (0.00) |
1.30 (3.3) |
7.40 (18.8) |
6.30 (16.0) |
6.30 (16.0) |
60.2 (152.9) |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: XMACIS2 (records & monthly max/mins) | |||||||||||||
Education
Public schools in Jeffrey City are part of Fremont County School District #1. In 2013, the school taught students from kindergarten to 4th grade. At that time, it had only two students. Before 1997, Jeffrey City had its own school district.
See also
In Spanish: Jeffrey City (Wyoming) para niños
