Buford, Wyoming facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Buford, Wyoming
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Town
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Town sign for Buford as of April 2020
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 Buford, Wyoming
Location in Wyoming
Buford, Wyoming
Location in the United States
Buford, Wyoming
Location in North America
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| Country | United States |
| State | Wyoming |
| County | Albany |
| Founded | 1866 |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 0 |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP codes |
82052
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| GNIS feature ID | 1586078 |
Buford is a very small, unincorporated community in Albany County, Wyoming, United States. It is located between the cities of Laramie and Cheyenne on Interstate 80. The last person living there, who had been the only resident for almost 20 years, moved away in 2012. As of the 2020 US Census, no one lives in Buford.
Contents
Where is Buford, Wyoming?
Buford is found in the Laramie Mountains. It sits between the cities of Laramie and Cheyenne. The community is located along the eastern path to Sherman Hill Summit. This summit is the highest point on Interstate 80, the Lincoln Highway, and the Overland Route. Buford also provides access to the Ames Monument. This monument marks the highest point along the original path of the First transcontinental railroad.
A Brief History of Buford
Buford was first established in 1866. It began as a military camp during the building of the Transcontinental Railroad. However, the town became smaller when the fort moved to Laramie. At one time, Buford had a population of 2,001 people.
Buford's Post Office and School
The Buford post office opened in August 1900. It was first part of Laramie County. Then, in 1901, it became part of Albany County. The post office stopped its service on February 1, 1999. The post office itself was officially closed on July 24, 2004. Mail service for the area was then handled by the post office in Cheyenne. There was also a school in Buford that operated from 1905 to 1962. The railroad sold the Buford site to a private owner in 1970.
The Last Resident and the Auction
Don Sammons moved to Buford from California in 1980. He came with his wife and son. In 1992, he bought the land that made up Buford. This included the Buford Trading Post and its gas station. Sammons was in charge of the post office starting in 1993. He became the postmaster in April 1994 until it closed. Around 1995, Sammons' wife passed away. Around 2008, his son moved away. When Sammons decided to move closer to his adult son, he put the site up for auction in April 2012.
The town was put up for auction on April 5, 2012. The winning bid was $900,000. It was made by two men from Vietnam. Later, it was shared that one of them was Pham Dinh Nguyen. The new owners started selling "PhinDeli" brand coffee. This coffee was imported from Vietnam and sold in the convenience store. In 2013, the new Vietnamese owner renamed the site "PhinDeli Town Buford". In September 2017, the manager left, and the store was closed up. However, some online information suggests the PhinDeli gas station and mini-market has been running since at least August 2021.
