Fort Washakie 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 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, within the Wind River Indian Reservation and along U.S. Route 287. The population was 1,759 at the 2010 census. The headquarters for the Eastern Shoshone Tribe is located in Fort Washakie, as well as the

Bureau of Indian Affairs The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), also known as Indian Affairs (IA), is a United States List of United States federal agencies, federal agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior, Department of the Interior. It is responsible for im ...

agency for the Wind River Indian Reservation. Fort Washakie is named after nearby Fort Washakie, a U.S. Army post established in 1869 and named after Chief Washakie in 1878. Washakie, Utah is also named for Washakie.

Geography

Fort Washakie is located at (42.999137, -108.911782). It is in the foothills of the Wind River Range and just east of 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 ...

. 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 20.9 square miles (54.2 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 1,477 people, 432 households, and 333 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 70.6 people per square mile (27.3/km²). There were 493 housing units at an average density of 23.6/sq mi (9.1/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.62% Native American (mostly Eastern

Shoshone The Shoshone or Shoshoni ( or ), also known by the endonym Newe, are an Native Americans in the United States, Indigenous people of the United States with four large cultural/linguistic divisions: * Eastern Shoshone: Wyoming * Northern Shoshon ...

), 5.89%

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 ...

, 0.07%

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 ...

, 0.68% from other races, and 0.74% 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 3.25% of the population. There were 432 households, out of which 45.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.6% 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, 29.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.29 and the average family size was 3.75. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 37.2% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 16.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $18,906, and the median income for a family was $20,658. Males had a median income of $23,295 versus $22,885 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 $7,700. About 42.9% of families and 42.7% 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 45.8% of those under age 18 and 52.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public education in the community of Fort Washakie is provided by Fremont County School District #21.

Points of interest

* There is a memorial to Sacagawea's son

Jean Baptiste Charbonneau Jean Baptiste Charbonneau (February 11, 1805 – May 16, 1866), sometimes known in childhood as Pompey or Little Pomp, was an American explorer, guide, Animal trapping, fur trapper, trader, military scout during the Mexican–American War, ''alcal ...

. His grave site is in Danner, Oregon. * The Wyoming e Academy of Virtual Education (WeAVE) online

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

operates out of Fort Washakie. * A grave purported to be Sacagawea's is located in the local cemetery just north of town * The Chief Washakie Cemetery is located in Fort Washakie * The Eastern Shoshone powwow grounds located in Fort Washakie hosts one of Wyoming's largest three-day powwow each June. * Rocky Mountain Hall, a large gymnasium and tribal building, is home to the Buffalo Room, which has exhibit cases on Eastern Shoshone history and veterans. * The Eastern Shoshone Cultural Center located inside Fort Washakie School features history exhibits and artifacts, as well as the school library which has a resources for historical researchers * Numerous services including post office, police, fire department, fuel station and Indian Health Service Clinic are located in Fort Washakie * Numerous Shoshone Tribal offices are located in Fort Washakie * The site of the Shoshone Episcopal Mission, former Mission School, and Rev.

John Roberts John Glover Roberts Jr. (born January 27, 1955) is an American jurist serving since 2005 as the 17th chief justice of the United States. He has been described as having a Moderate conservatism, moderate conservative judicial philosophy, thoug ...

residence are located southwest of town. The school building burned in 2016. * Hines General Store south of town offers groceries and a large produce section * The Wind Trading Company on Highway 287 has historical exhibits, beading supplies, and souvenirs

References

External links

History of Fort Washakie and the Eastern Shoshone

Fort Washakie School official website
{{authority control Census-designated places in Fremont County, Wyoming Census-designated places in Wyoming Wind River Indian Reservation Seats of government of American Indian reservations Eastern Shoshone Tribe