Dubois is a town in Fremont 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 971 at the 2010 census, but dropped to 911 in the 2020 census. The population nearly doubles in the summer with part-time residents. While the Town of Dubois includes within the Town Limits which constitutes a population density of 261 people per square mile, the 82513 ZIP Code ("Dubois, Wyoming") includes and has a total population of 1,549 which is a population density of about 1 person per square mile. For comparison, the Dubois ZIP Code is larger than the entire state of

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

History

The original residents of Dubois wanted to name the town ''Tibo'', after the

Shoshone language Shoshoni, also written as Shoshoni-Gosiute and Shoshone ( ; Shoshoni: soni ta̲i̲kwappe'', ''newe ta̲i̲kwappe'' or ''neme ta̲i̲kwappeh''), is a Numic language of the Uto-Aztecan family, spoken in the Western United States by the Shosho ...

word for "stranger" or "white man," which was the Natives' affectionate name for their Episcopal priest, Father John Roberts. However, the postal service found this name unacceptable, so Governor Joseph M. Carey named the town with the name Dubois after his friend

Fred Dubois Fred Thomas Dubois (May 29, 1851February 14, 1930) was an American politician from Idaho who served two terms in the United States Senate. He was best known for his opposition to the gold standard and his efforts to disenfranchise Mormon voters. ...

, an Idaho senator at the time. In protest, the citizens of Dubois rejected the French pronunciation of "deh-bwah", instead opting for ''Du'', with ''u'' as in "Sue"; ''bois'', with ''oi'' as in "voice". This local legend is most likely not true as the town in Idaho, named after the same Idaho Senator, is pronounced the same way as the town in Wyoming. The accent is on the first syllable. The first occupants of the mountains and valleys surrounding what is now Dubois were members of the Sheepeaters, a group of Mountain Shoshone, who included the Wind River area in their regular annual migrations from the Great Plains through the mountains of Yellowstone and beyond. The Wind River Valley surrounding Dubois contains numerous remnants of these people who lived in the area for many hundreds of years before they were relocated into a nearby reservation. Relics of their existence in the mountains and valleys around Dubois include numerous prehistoric

petroglyph A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...

s, hunting traps and blinds, and stone tepee circles. The first Europeans to enter the area were trappers Francois and Louis Verendrye in 1742–43. In the years to follow, the Wind River valley was visited regularly by the Astorians and other fur trappers and hunters through the early 19th century. The first homesteaders arrived in the late 1870s.

Butch Cassidy Robert LeRoy Parker (April 13, 1866 – November 7, 1908), better known as Butch Cassidy, was an American train robbery, train and bank robbery, bank robber and the leader of a gang of criminal outlaws known as the "Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch, ...

(Robert LeRoy Parker) owned and managed a ranch on the outskirts of Dubois, beginning in 1890. It is said that he was a frequent customer at Welty's General Store in Dubois, which is still in operation. A statue erected in the center of Dubois is modeled after Butch Cassidy. In 1913, the town expanded with the addition of a hotel, a bar, and a general store, anticipating the arrival of Scandinavian lumber workers brought there by the Wyoming Tie and Timber Company the following year. (All of these structures are still standing.) St. Thomas Episcopal Church was founded in 1910 by Reverend John Roberts, an Episcopal missionary who served the Native American tribes on the Wind River. Charles Moore built the first of many dude ranches in the area, Ramshorn Ranch and Camp Yellowstone, at the mouth of the DuNoir Creek west of Dubois in 1907. In the landscape surrounding Dubois are visible the remains of wood flumes constructed by the tie hacks who provided the railroad ties that helped to develop the American West. These Scandinavian immigrants cut logs into ties and sent these via the flumes to the Wind River where they floated to Riverton, about 70 miles east, for processing. The Dubois Museum preserves and interprets the natural and social history of the Upper Wind River Valley as the National Bighorn Sheep Interpretive Center focuses on public education about the biology and habitat of the

Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American independent sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and also stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl We ...

with focus on the largest herd of Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep in the coterminous United States that winter in the Whiskey Basin of Whiskey Mountain adjacent to the Fitzpatrick Wilderness in the Shoshone National Forest. The Center preserves and interprets the relationships of the Bighorn sheep. The town is on U.S. Route 26 and is the beginning of the Wyoming Centennial Scenic Byway, U.S. Route 26 crossing the

Continental Divide A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not ...

at Togwotee Pass. A significant proportion of Dubois residents are writers, artists, photographers, musicians and songwriters, drawn to the remote town in part by its relatively moderate climate and remarkable scenery. Annual cultural events include a national art show and a quilt show, a horseback chariot race, and celebrations during July 4 weekend. During summer months, a square dance and a rodeo including local and regional competitors take place every week. On December 30, 2014, several businesses burned to the ground in the downtown area. The air temperatures at the time of the blaze were hovering near -35 °F with wind chills in the range of 50 below zero (-50 °F). Firefighters battled freezing equipment and gear throughout the night to get the fire under control. The blaze was ruled accidental. The origin of the fire appeared to be inside the rear of the "Main Street Mart" building in the attic above a wood stove. The fire was most likely caused by

charring Charring is a chemical process of incomplete combustion of certain solids when subjected to high heat. Heat distillation removes water vapour and volatile organic compounds (syngas) from the matrix. The residual black carbon material is Char (chemi ...

(

pyrolysis Pyrolysis is a process involving the Bond cleavage, separation of covalent bonds in organic matter by thermal decomposition within an Chemically inert, inert environment without oxygen. Etymology The word ''pyrolysis'' is coined from the Gree ...

) that resulted from the chimney coming into contact with building materials. Approximately half a block of Downtown Dubois was destroyed by the fire. In July 2016, a wildfire on the outskirts of Dubois again prompted evacuations. In August 2020, the National Museum of Military Vehicles opened southeast of Dubois. The privately funded $100M museum was founded by Dan Starks, a former lawyer and CEO of St. Jude Medical. It contains 500 fully restored military vehicles, artillery pieces, naval vessels and aircraft dating from 1897 to the present, depicting the American experience in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War with a focus on the people who used the equipment as much as on the equipment itself.

Geography

Dubois is located at (43.535936, -109.635915) and an

elevation The elevation of a geographic location (geography), ''location'' is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational equipotenti ...

of 2115 m (6940 ft). The Wind River runs through the town. 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 town has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Dubois 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 cold ...

, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Dubois was on July 28, 1978, while the coldest temperature recorded was on December 5, 1972.

Demographics

2010 census

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 2010, there were 971 people, 507 households, and 256 families residing in the town. 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 . There were 625 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 95.8%

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 ...

, 0.4%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.9% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.4% 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 0.4% of the population. There were 507 households, of which 14.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% 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, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 49.5% were non-families. 40.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.92 and the average family size was 2.55. The median age in the town was 51.6 years. 13.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.9% were from 25 to 44; 36.7% were from 45 to 64; and 25.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.9% male and 50.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 962 people, 451 households, and 274 families residing in the town. The

was 370.3 people per square mile (142.9/km²). There were 556 housing units at an average density of 214.0 per square mile (82.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.15%

, 0.10%

, 1.25% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.31% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.14% of the population. There were 451 households, out of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were

living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.68. In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.9% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 29.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $28,194, and the median income for a family was $33,409. Males had a median income of $28,125 versus $16,719 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 town was $15,657. About 9.9% of families and 12.0% 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 13.8% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public education in the town of Dubois is provided by Fremont County School District #2. The district has one campus which serves Kindergarten - Grade 12. In 2014, Dubois Public Schools built onto the existing Elementary/Middle School to create a K-12 school. As of the 2014-2015 school year, the district enrollment for Dubois Schools was 146. Dubois has a

public library A public library is a library, most often a lending 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 servic ...

, a branch of the Fremont County Library System.

Highways

* - U.S. Route 26 and U.S. 287 run concurrently through Dubois, on West Ramshorn.

Cultural references

The geology of the area surrounding Dubois is unique in the world for featuring (almost in the same view) examples of all three major mountain-building forces: tectonic, volcanic, and glacial. This is described in detail in the nonfiction book ''Rising from the Plains'' by science writer

John McPhee John Angus McPhee (born March 8, 1931) is an American author. He is considered one of the pioneers of creative nonfiction. He is a four-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in the category General Nonfiction, and he won that award on the fourt ...

. The body of Marine PFC Chance Phelps was taken to his parents' home in Dubois after his death in Iraq in 2004. The story is featured in the HBO film ''

Taking Chance ''Taking Chance'' is a 2009 American historical drama television film directed by Ross Katz, from a screenplay by Michael Strobl and Katz, based on the journal of the same name by Strobl, who also serves as military consultant. Kevin Bacon's p ...

''. Much of the videogame

Firewatch ''Firewatch'' is an adventure game developed by Campo Santo (company), Campo Santo and published by the developer in partnership with Panic Inc., Panic. The game was released in February 2016 for Linux, OS X, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox ...

takes places in the region surrounding Dubois. It is mentioned on signposts within the game.

Notable people

(1866–1908), the

train A train (from Old French , from Latin">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ... , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles th ...

and

bank robber Bank robbery is the criminal act of stealing from a bank, specifically while bank employees and customers are subjected to force, violence, or a threat of violence. This refers to robbery of a bank branch or teller, as opposed to other bank ...

, who at one point owned a ranch on the outskirts of Dubois * Gardello Dano Christensen (1907–1991), writer of westerns and children's books * Trudy Dittmar (born 1944), nature writer, essayist * Kate M. Fox (born 1955), chief justice of the

Wyoming Supreme Court The Wyoming Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The Court consists of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices. Each Justice is appointed by the Governor of Wyoming from a list of three nominees submitted by the ...

Matthew Fox Matthew Chandler Fox (born July 14, 1966) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Charlie Salinger on '' Party of Five'' (1994–2000) and Jack Shephard on the drama series '' Lost'' (2004–2010), the latter of which earned him G ...

(born 1966), actor most known for his work in the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

series '' Lost'' *

Woodie Held Woodson George "Woodie" Held (March 25, 1932 – June 11, 2009) was an American shortstop/outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics, Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators, Baltimor ...

(1932–2009), baseball player; originally from

Sacramento, California Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat, seat of Sacramento County, California, Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento Rive ...

, he lived until his death in Dubois *

Michael Hossack Michael Joseph Hossack (October 17, 1946 – March 12, 2012) was an American drummer for the rock band The Doobie Brothers. Biography Born in Paterson, New Jersey, Hossack was known as "Big Mike" to his former band members. He started playi ...

(1946–2012), drummer for

The Doobie Brothers The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band formed in San Jose, California in 1970. Known for their flexibility in performing across numerous genres and their vocal harmonies, the band has been active for over five decades, with their greate ...

, Originally from

Paterson, New Jersey Paterson ( ) is the largest City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Connie Kemmerer, businesswoman, philanthropist; co-owns a

dude ranch A guest ranch, also known as a dude ranch, is a type of ranch oriented towards visitors or tourism. It is considered a form of agrotourism. History Guest ranches arose in response to the romanticization of the American West that began to occur ...

near Dubois * Jay Kemmerer (born 1947), businessman, philanthropist who with his siblings co-owns a dude ranch near Dubois * Gale W. McGee (1915–1992), former United States Senator (He was a teacher at

University of Wyoming The University of Wyoming (UW) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Laramie, Wyoming, United States. It was founded in March 1886, four years before the territory was admitted as the 44th state, ...

Laramie, Wyoming Laramie () is a List of municipalities in Wyoming, city in and the county seat of Albany County, Wyoming, United States, known for its high elevation at , for its railroad history, and as the home of the University of Wyoming. The population wa ...

) * Chance Phelps (1984–2004),

US Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the Marines, maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expedi ...

killed in Iraq, subject of the film ''

'' *

Gerry Spence Gerald Leonard Spence (born January 8, 1929) is a semi-retired American trial lawyer and author. He is a member of the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame and is the founder of the Trial Lawyers College. Spence has never lost a criminal trial before a jur ...

(born 1929), trial lawyer; native of

, established the Trial Lawyers College at Thunderhead Ranch, which is ten miles outside of Dubois

References

External links

Dubois chamber of Commerce

Official town website
{{authority control Towns in Fremont County, Wyoming Towns in Wyoming