The Community of Worland

Worland: Population, 5,000 (est.) County Seat of Washakie County

In 1903, a pioneer camp was established on the west bank of the Big Horn River, at its confluence with Fifteen-Mile Creek. The camp was on the Bridger Trail, a route established by mountain man Jim Bridger for miners in route to the gold fields of Montana. Charles H. (Dad) Worland selected this location as a halfway point between Basin City and Thermopolis for an overnight stop for stagecoaches and freighters. His building (a dugout) was also the bar, bank and post office. In fact, the bank was a cigar box that sat on the bar – townspeople would make transactions directly from the box themselves.

As the railroad made its way across the country in 1904, Worland found itself as a possible destination. Railroad officials, considering a line to Greybull with an extension through Worland to Thermopolis or into Otto. Sensing impending doom, CF Robertson, trailed the officials to Omaha and persuaded them that Worland was the viable destination. Without the railroad, Worland’s future would be difficult. While Worland had good people, climate, water and soil, the markets were far too either the north or south – the railroad was a necessity.

Disquieting news arrived in 1905, however. The railroad was coming, but it was not coming down the west side of the river as expected There was nothing to do but let Mother Nature, which had placed the Big Horn River between the town and the railroad, help out. The settlers waited until the dead of the winter when the river froze over, gathered all their belongings and moved Worland to the railroad side (east side) of the icebound river, Worland’s current location.

The agricultural products of the area were possible, in large part, to the Hanover Canal system, which Robertson had surveyed and was manager. The canal system is still in operation and irrigates about 35,000 acres of land with water from the Big Horn River. With the canal local agriculturalists were (and are) able to grow barley, corn, oats, sug ar beets, alfalfa and irrigated pasture. Seeing the profit in adding value to their products, Worland became home to the Wyoming Sugar plant, which was built in 1916.

Worland is also home to Fremont Beverages – Pepsi-Cola Bottling. Started by Newell Sargent in 1947, it began as a four-person bottling company: they made soda at 38 bottles/minute, then sold and delivered it across the region. Today it employs 1,100 people making bottles at 300/minute and cans at 1,000/minute, which it sells across seven western states. Additional manufacturing includes Crown Cork & Seal, manufacturing aluminum cans, NOCORA, a bag manufacturer, a number of metal fabricators and oil field service fabricators. Creating one of the most diverse and stable economies in Wyoming.

Wyoming’s Artesian Water City

The Artesian Fountain next to the Worland-Ten Sleep Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to the thirsty traveler from near and far. Husky Oil Company may have been disappointed when they failed to strike oil at the 4,330 foot level, but their discovery was just as precious when the well produced a record volume of Artesian Water.

Husky Oil, in the finest Western tradition, gave the well to Worland. The well is located some 23 miles northeast of Worland, on the western slope of the Big Horn Mountains. The flow is 14,000 gpm at 200 psi at temperature of 76 degrees. There is sufficient pressure to push the water in the transmission line from the wellhead for 23 miles to Worland.

A second Artesian Well has been added for backup if needed. The system storage capacity is 6 million gallons. Local industry welcomes this fine Artesian Water supply and looks forward with assurance to a prosperous and growing economic future for Worland and Washakie County.