Fort Bridger is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP) in eastern Uinta County,

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

, United States. The population was 354 at the 2020 census. The community takes its name from the eponymous Fort Bridger, established in 1842, which is located within the boundaries of the CDP.

History

Fort Bridger was established in 1843 by Jim Bridger and Louis Vasquez. It served as a trading post for those who were traveling westward along the

Oregon Trail The Oregon Trail was a east–west, large-wheeled wagon route and Westward Expansion Trails, emigrant trail in North America that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon Territory. The eastern part of the Oregon Trail crossed what ...

, as well as LDS Pioneers, the Pony Express, the Lincoln Highway, and the

transcontinental railroad A transcontinental railroad or transcontinental railway is contiguous rail transport, railroad trackage that crosses a continent, continental land mass and has terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks may be via the Ra ...

. The fort was also commonly used to trade with the local Native Americans. The fort was not very glamorous, it was even a disappointment to most travelers. It was simply two log cabins about in length connected by a fence to hold horses. Most visitors complained about insufficient supplies and it being overpriced. They did, however, have a blacksmith's shop that many travelers took advantage of. By 1858, Fort Bridger became a military outpost. Today, Fort Bridger is a historic site. Jim Bridger’s trading post is reconstructed, along with other historic buildings from the military. There is also a museum with gift shops available for visitors.

Geography

Fort Bridger is located at (41.318716, -110.386418). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the CDP has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.2 km²), all land.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 400 people, 158 households, and 114 families residing in the CDP. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was 200.6 people per square mile (77.6/km²). There were 183 housing units at an average density of 91.8/sq mi (35.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.00%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.25% Native American, 1.25% from other races, and 0.50% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 2.75% of the population. There were 158 households, out of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.96. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 28.8% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $32,031, and the median income for a family was $33,750. Males had a median income of $36,354 versus $17,344 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the CDP was $16,662. About 11.6% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 18.8% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public education in the community of Fort Bridger is provided by Uinta County School District #4. The district operates two campuses – Mountain View K–8 (grades K–8), and Mountain View High School (grades 9–12).

Events

* Fort Bridger Rendezvous, annual reenactment of trading

Notable people

* Jim Bridger — explorer and founder of Fort Bridger * Mark Hopkinson - convicted murderer and the only post- ''Furman'' execution in Wyoming * Ron Micheli — rancher and former Wyoming politician

References

External links

{{authority control Census-designated places in Wyoming Census-designated places in Uinta County, Wyoming