Evanston Wyoming History & Facts

Evanston is a city in and the county seat of Uinta County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 12,359 at the 2010 census. It is located near the border with Utah.

Evanston was named after James A. Evans, a civil engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad. Another source maintains it is named for John Evans, second Governor of the Territory of Colorado. The town was founded during the construction of the First Transcontinental Railroad. The railroad arrived in the area in November 1868, and Harvey Booth opened a saloon/restaurant in a tent near what is now Front Street. By December the rails had reached Evanston and the first train arrived December 16. However, orders were later handed down by the railroad managers to move the end of the line 12 miles west, to Wasatch. Within three days, most all of Evanston had moved to Wasatch, it appeared that Evanston would become another "end of the tracks" town. Luckily, in June 1869 headquarters returned to Evanston and it continued to grow. Later in 1871, a machine shop and roundhouse were constructed, giving Evanston a longevity not shared by many other railroad towns.

Abundant timber and water along the Bear River made Evanston a refueling station for cross-country locomotives. Coal was mined in Almy, a few miles north of Evanston. Similar to other railroad towns in Wyoming, early Evanston had a large population of Chinese railroad workers – in Evanston they lived on the north side of the railroad tracks in a small "China town." Over time, the Chinese population dwindled; the last two members of the first generation of immigrants died in the 1930s.

Evanston was a major stop on the Lincoln Highway. The highway ran east to west from East Service Rd to Bear River Dr, on Front St to Harrison Dr, to Wasatch Rd southwest to Echo Canyon in Utah. It can still be seen along Interstate 80, which follows the railroad tracks in this area.

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Evanston underwent massive growth and change during an oil boom in the 1980s. Recent drilling for natural gas has also revitalized the economy of the area. Union Tank Car works on railroad tank cars near the Union Pacific Railroad Complex, locally referred to as the old roundhouse. and there are restored railroad buildings, including a roundhouse in the downtown area. One of the more recent restorations include 1011 Front Street where Michael's Bar & Grill currently stands. This restaurant is the oldest Bar & Grill in Evanston and once served as a store house for one of the first JCPenney stores in the country. This building, located in historic downtown Evanston, is across the street from the museum in Depot Square.

Evanston is located at 41°15′48″N 110°57′53″W (41.263302, −110.964616). The elevation is 6749 feet (2057 m) above sea level.

Interstate 80/US-189 and State Routes 89 and 150 serve the city.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.32 square miles (26.73 km2), of which 10.27 square miles (26.60 km2) is land and 0.05 square miles (0.13 km2) is water.

Evanston has a continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb) with long, cold, dry winters and short, warm, slightly more humid summers.

Famous Peoples From Evanston Wyoming

John McCormack

Papal Count John Francis McCormack, KSG, KSS, KHS (14 June 1884 – 16 September 1945), was an Irish tenor celebrated for his performances of the operatic and popular song repertoires, and renowned for his diction and breath control. He was also a Papal Count. He became a naturalised American citizen before returning to live in Ireland.

John Francis McCormack was born on 14 June 1884 in Athlone, County Westmeath, Ireland, the second son and fifth of the 11 children (five of whom died in infancy or childhood) of Andrew McCormack and his wife Hannah Watson. His parents were both from Galashiels, Scotland and worked at the Athlone Woollen Mills, where his father was a foreman. He was baptised in St Mary's Church, Athlone, on 23 June 1884.

McCormack received his early education from the Marist Brothers in Athlone and later attended Summerhill College, Sligo. He sang in the choir of the old St Peters church in Athlone under his choirmaster Michael Kilkelly. When the family moved to Dublin, he sang in the choir of St Mary's Pro-Cathedral where he was discovered by Vincent O'Brien. In 1903 he won the coveted gold medal of the Dublin Feis Ceoil. He married Lily Foley in 1906 and they had two children, Cyril and Gwen.

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