La Barge is a town in Lincoln County,

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

, United States. The population was 551 at the 2010 census. It is approximately 20 miles from Big Piney. The area around La Barge is rich in oil fields, and the town has one bar and four churches.

History

The town is named for Joseph Marie La Barge, Senior a

French-Canadian French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fr ...

voyageur The voyageurs (; ) were 18th and 19th century French Canadians who engaged in the transporting of furs via canoe during the peak of the North American fur trade. The emblematic meaning of the term applies to places (New France, including the ' ...

turned

fur trapper Fur is a thick growth of hair that covers the skin of mammals. It consists of a combination of oily #Guard hair, guard hair on top and thick #Down hair, underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as ...

mountain man A mountain man is an explorer who lives in the wilderness. Mountain men were most common in the North American Rocky Mountains from about 1810 through to the 1880s (with a peak population in the early 1840s). They were instrumental in opening up ...

, and

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...

operator, and father of the famed riverboat captain

Joseph LaBarge Joseph Marie LaBarge (October 1, 1815 – April 3, 1899) was an American steamboat captain, most notably of the steamboats ''Yellowstone'', and ''Emilie'', that saw service on the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, bringing fur traders, miners ...

. He was born in

L'Assomption, Quebec L'Assomption () is an off-island suburb of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec, Canada on the L'Assomption River. It is the seat of the Regional County Municipality of L'Assomption. It is located on the outer fringes of the Montreal urban area. ...

, on 4 July 1787, and came to the U.S. in 1808 canoeing to

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

, where he met and married a woman of Spanish and French descent, Eulalie Becquette Alvarez-Hortiz. His trapping days began at

Cabanne's Trading Post Cabanne's Trading Post was established in 1822 by the American Fur Company as Fort Robidoux near present-day Dodge Park in North Omaha, Nebraska, United States. It was named for the influential fur trapper Joseph Robidoux. Soon after it was opene ...

Nebraska Territory The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebraska ...

, and continued throughout the West during the 1830s and 1840s after his children were born.

Geography

La Barge is located at (42.261139, -110.196974). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, La Barge has a

warm-summer humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in La Barge was on August 13, 1986, July 13-14, 2002, July 20, 2005, and July 30, 2006, while the coldest temperature recorded was on December 23, 1990.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 551 people, 233 households, and 141 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 290 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 92.4%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.4%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 4.4% Native American, 0.9% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.0% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 4.4% of the population. There were 233 households, of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.5% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.02. The median age in the town was 37.8 years. 26.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.6% were from 25 to 44; 32.4% were from 45 to 64; and 9.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 53.9% male and 46.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 431 people, 168 households, and 113 families living in the town. The

was 494.8 people per square mile (191.3/km²). There were 234 housing units at an average density of 268.6 per square mile (103.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.06%

, 0.46% Native American, 0.23%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.70% from

, and 2.55% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.86% of the population. There were 168 households, out of which 41.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were

living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.19. In the town, the population was spread out, with 32.5% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 6.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $38,542, and the median income for a family was $45,179. Males had a median income of $47,222 versus $18,438 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $18,837. About 9.2% of families and 12.3% 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 t ...

, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public education in the town of La Barge is provided by Sublette County School District #9. Schools serving the town include La Barge Elementary School (grades K-5), Big Piney Middle School (grades 6–8), and Big Piney High School (grades 9-12). La Barge has a

public library A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants. There are ...

, a branch of the Lincoln County Library System.

References

External links

* {{authority control Towns in Wyoming Towns in Lincoln County, Wyoming