Kaycee, Wyoming facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kaycee, Wyoming
Town
Location of Kaycee in Johnson County, Wyoming.
Country	United States
State	Wyoming
County	Johnson
Area
• Total	0.45 sq mi (1.16 km2)
• Land	0.44 sq mi (1.14 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Elevation	4,646 ft (1,416 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	247
• Estimate  (2019)	278
• Density	549/sq mi (212.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code	82639
Area code(s)	307
FIPS code	56-41353
GNIS feature ID	1590292
Website	http://www.kayceewyoming.org/

Looking North over Kaycee, Wy. Interstate Highway 25 in the distance.

Kaycee is a small town in Johnson County, Wyoming, United States. In 2020, 247 people lived there. Kaycee is known for its museum, which teaches about the area's history of cattle ranching. It also shares stories from the famous Johnson County War.

Kaycee became a town in 1906. Before that, it was just a small post office and a general store. The town got its name from the "KC" brand used by John Nolan, one of the first settlers. The government asked for the name to be spelled out, so it became "Kaycee." Today, the town has three churches, two bars, two restaurants, one store, one museum, and one school for all grades (K-12). There are no stoplights in Kaycee!

Some famous people have lived near Kaycee. Western music star and rodeo champion Chris LeDoux lived on a ranch here. He was born in Biloxi, Mississippi. Dakotah Winsor, a former college track and field athlete, also calls Kaycee home. Noah Elm, another former college track and field athlete, was born and grew up in Kaycee. Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon also grew up on a ranch near Kaycee. He still has ties to ranches in the area.

Discover Kaycee: History and Geography

Where is Kaycee?

Kaycee is located in Wyoming at coordinates 43.709797 degrees North and -106.638705 degrees West.

The town covers about 0.41 square miles (1.1 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

A Look Back: Kaycee's Past

The Portuguese Fort

In 1834, a group of trappers and traders built a trading post east of Kaycee. It was led by Antonio Montero from Portugal. This place became known as the "Portuguese Fort." Today, you can see items from this fort at the Hoofprints of the Past Museum. These items include a sword, beads, and clay pipes.

The Bozeman Trail

In the 1860s, many people became interested in northeast Wyoming. Gold was found in Montana, and miners needed a path to get there. Jim Bridger, a famous mountain man, warned against a trail through Native American hunting grounds. But the Powder River Basin route was the most direct. In 1863, John Bozeman created the Bozeman Trail. He followed old Native American paths.

The Bozeman Trail passed very close to Kaycee. It connected the Oregon Trail to the gold rush areas in Montana. This trail was most important from 1863 to 1868. It also led to conflicts with Native American tribes. The Hoofprints of the Past Museum has many items from this time.

Fort Reno and Cantonment Reno

During the conflicts of the late 1800s, two military forts were built near the Bozeman Trail. They were Fort Reno (in the 1860s) and Cantonment Reno (in the 1870s). You can find historical markers at these spots today.

The Hoofprints of the Past Museum displays items from the Fort Reno site. There's also a detailed model of the fort made by Robert Wilson, an expert on local military forts.

Moreton Frewen: An English Rancher

The Frewen Ranch was located east of Kaycee. Moreton Frewen was an English adventurer who came to Wyoming in the 1870s. He married Clarita "Clara" Jerome, whose sister was married to Lord Randolph Churchill. Moreton and Clara settled on a huge ranch called the Prince of Wales Ranch. He built a large log lodge there, which later burned down.

Hole In the Wall: Outlaw Hideout

Hole-in-the-Wall is in the foothills of the Big Horn Mountains. In the late 1800s, it was a secret hideout for the Hole in the Wall Gang. This group included famous outlaws like Kid Curry, Black Jack Ketchum, and Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch. Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, and other outlaws met at a log cabin in this area. This cabin, built in 1883, is now preserved at the Old Trail Town museum in Cody, Wyoming.

The Johnson County Cattle War

In the early days of Wyoming, much of the land was open for everyone to use. Large ranches let their cattle roam freely. In the spring, a roundup was held to separate the cattle and brand the calves. Sometimes, calves were secretly branded by smaller ranchers. This practice was called "rustling." Large ranches were very concerned about this. They tried to stop their workers from owning cattle.

Tensions grew between the large ranches and smaller settlers. The large ranches, organized as the Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA), felt their cattle were being stolen. In April 1892, the WSGA hired men from Texas. About 50 men traveled to Johnson County. They wanted to stop the alleged rustling and take control. They even cut the telegraph lines to Buffalo to prevent warnings.

Nathan D. Champion's Stand

The first target of the WSGA was Nate Champion at the "KC Ranch." Champion was a small rancher who worked to organize other small ranchers. He was besieged in his cabin by the WSGA group. Two other men were captured, and one, Nick Ray, was wounded and died. Nate Champion fought alone for many hours. He wrote notes in his journal during the siege. One entry said, "Boys, I feel pretty lonesome just now. I wish there was someone here with me so we could watch all sides at once." His last entry read: Well, they have just got through shelling the house like hail. I heard them splitting wood. I guess they are going to fire the house tonight. I think I will make a break when night comes, if alive. Shooting again. It's not night yet. The house is all fired. Goodbye, boys, if I never see you again.

When the cabin was set on fire, Nate Champion ran out. He was shot and killed. The attackers left a note on his chest that said, "Cattle Thieves Beware."

Jack Flagg, who had escaped the attackers, rode to Buffalo. He told Sheriff William "Red" Angus about Champion's situation. Sheriff Angus then gathered about 200 men to help.

The Hoofprints of the Past Museum has many items from the Johnson County War. This includes things related to the KC Fight and Nate Champion.

People of Kaycee: Demographics

Kaycee's Population in 2020

In 2020, Kaycee had 247 people living in 107 households. About 82 of these were families. The town had about 617.5 people per square mile. Most residents (92.3%) were White. About 6.5% were from two or more races. About 2.8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 24.3% of households had children under 18. Most households (58.9%) were married couples. The average household had 2.50 people, and the average family had 2.91 people.

The average age in Kaycee was 53.9 years. About 22.5% of residents were under 18. About 33.3% were 65 or older. The population was almost evenly split between males (50.6%) and females (49.4%).

The average income for a household was $56,875. For families, it was $56,250. About 7.1% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 18.3% of those under 18.

Kaycee's Population in 2010

In 2010, Kaycee had 263 people living in 115 households. About 76 of these were families. The town had about 657.5 people per square mile. Most residents (98.9%) were White. About 1.1% were from two or more races. About 5.3% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 26.1% of households had children under 18. Most households (52.2%) were married couples. The average household had 2.29 people, and the average family had 2.83 people.

The average age in Kaycee was 42.3 years. About 21.3% of residents were under 18. About 19% were 65 or older. The population was almost evenly split between males (50.6%) and females (49.4%).

Education in Kaycee

Public schools in Kaycee are part of Johnson County School District #1. Kaycee School [1] is a single campus that teaches students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Kaycee's Climate

Kaycee has a semi-arid climate. This means it has cold, dry winters. Summers are hot and a bit wetter.

See also

In Spanish: Kaycee (Wyoming) para niños