Worland, Wyoming

This week, the General Land Office features a survey plat that depicts Worland, Wyoming. Worland is located on the Big Horn River, a tributary of the Yellowstone River. One of Worland's major agricultural products is the sugar beet, which is a plant used for sugar production!

The city of Worland began as a simple stagecoach camp on the old Bridger Trail, which ran through the Bighorn mountains from Fort Caspar, Wyoming, to the newly-discovered gold fields near Virginia City, Montana. The stagecoach camp was named "Camp Worland" after an early settler named C.H. “Dad” Worland.

Worland, Wyoming began as an idea in 1903 when a group of surveyors found their way to the Big Horn Basin to investigate the possibility of irrigation. At the time, Worland was a small campsite with around 100 people at most, but the water brought in by the irrigation canals allowed the area to prosper.

In 1906, railroad tracks were laid on the east side of the Big Horn River. However, the original Worland campsite was located west of the river. The location of the tracks forced the townspeople to move the city across the river!

The survey for Worland was approved by Surveyor General Charles L. Decker on Oct. 31, 1918.

The subdivision survey began on July 14, 1917, by Alexander Douglas and was completed on July 21, 1917.

Worland and surrounding areas offer a sweet treat for anyone who enjoys the outdoors. You can mountain bike, horseback ride, hunt big game, fish a trout stream, and more! So when you come to Wyoming, visit Worland and enjoy America's public lands!