Casper travel guide

Casper is the only city in Natrona County, Wyoming, United States, although the county is home to a number of small towns and Casper suburbs. With a population of 49,644, Casper is the second largest city in Wyoming, after the capital city of Cheyenne with 53,011 inhabitants, according to the 2000 census. The city is located in east-central Wyoming off Interstate 25, and is the county seat of Natrona County The towns immediately adjacent to Casper are Mills, Wyoming Evansville, Wyoming, Bar Nunn, Wyoming and Mountain View. Unincorporated areas include Allendale, Dempsey Acres, Red Buttes, Indian Springs, and several other unincorporated areas of a similar nature. The city is located at the foot of Casper Mountain, the north end of the Laramie Mountain Range, along the North Platte River. The city was established east of the former site of Fort Caspar, which was built during the mid-19th century mass migration of land seekers along the Oregon, California and Mormon trails. Emigrant tracks are still visible along the North Platte River north of town. The town itself was founded well after Ft. Casper had been closed by the U.S. Army and destroyed by Indian tribes subsequent to its abandonment. Casper itself was founded as an anticipated stopping point during railroad expansion, and was an early rival to Bessemer, Wyoming and Douglas, Wyoming in commerce. The lack of a railhead doomed Bessemer in favor of Casper, although Douglas, which also had a railhead, survives to the present day. The presence of a railhead caused Casper to figure as the starting off point for the "Invaders" in the Johnson County War, as the special chartered train carrying them up from Texas stopped at that point. (...) more....