First building erected June, 1888, between First and A streets and between McKinley and Jefferson. Incorporated as a town July 2, 1889, named for the nearby old Fort Caspar site. Fort Caspar had been named for Lieutenant Caspar W. Collins, son of Col. Williams O. Collins for whom Fort Collins, Colorado was named. In July 1865, Lt. Collins was in charge of the Sweetwater station at Independence Rock, from which station he had gone over the Oregon Trail to Fort Laramie. On his return to headquarters he stopped at the Platte Bridge Station (Casper). Soon after his arrival he engaged in a fight, July 26, with the Sioux Indians when he met his death. On November 21, 1865, by orders of Major General Pope the name of the military post was changed from Platte Bridge Station to Fort Casper. (WPA) Named for the young lieutenant, Caspar Collins, who lost his life while gallantly attacking a superior force of Indians at a military post at Platte Bridge, later named Fort Casper. According to old timers the spelling became changed through a mistake in the post office department in Washington. Another theory, too, is that the people generally misspelled the name until the established spelling became "Casper" instead of "Caspar." (Annals of Wyoming 14:2) The town was established in the early summer of 1888, and was named after Fort Caspar, a military post first established in 1858. The site of Fort Caspar was called Camp Platte from 1840 to 1847. When the Mormons passed through here in June 1847, they built and operated a ferry across the river, and then the name was changed to Mormon Ferry or Mormon Crossing. Louis Guinard built a bridge across the river at this point in the winter of 1858-59, and the name was then changed to Platte Bridge Station. Lieutenant Caspar W. Collins was killed by Indians near the fort on July 26, 1865, and in October of that year Major General Pope ordered the name changed to Fort Caspar. When the town of Casper was platted by the land department of the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad Company, the engineer, in the original plat, used an "e" in the last syllable instead of an "a." After many deeds for town lots and other important documents had been issued, all spelled with an "e," a request was made to have the spelling changed, but it was considered that the change would be too expensive. (Annals of Wyoming 15:1) County seat, Casper; was named from the United States post Fort Casper, which is located on the Platte River near this station. This post was named by the United States War Department for Capt. Casper W. Collins, who lost his life in a battle with Indians near this spot. Capt. Collins had but a handful of men while the attacking Indians numbered three thousand. Three only of the soldiers escaped, all the rest, with the captain, being killed. (Stennett, 1908)
County:
Natrona
Feature Category:
Manmade Features
More Reading:
The Casper century : a celebration of Casper's one hundredth birthday. Casper Star-Tribune. Casper [Wyo.] : Casper Star-Tribune, 1989.; Casper. Cronin, Vaughn Stephen. Casper, Wyo. : Vaughn's Pub. and Multimedia, 2009.; Casper centennial, 1889-1989, Natrona County, Wyoming, 1890-1990 : featuring also geological record, prehistoric man, first settlers. Garbutt, Irving. Dallas, Tex. : Curtis Media Corp., [c1990-]; Petticoats and pistols : (Casper's colorful past, 1890) Hendry, Mary Helen. [s.l.] : Mountain States Lithographing, 1992.; Casper country : Wyoming's heartland. Henry-Mead, Jean. 1st ed. Boulder, Colo. : Pruett Pub. Co., c1987.; A view from Center Street : Tom Carrigen's Casper. Junge, Mark. Casper, Wy. : McMurray Foundation, c2003.; Casper : a pictorial history. Kukura, Edna Gorrel. Norfolk, Va. : Donning Co., c1986.; A nostalgic view of Casper and surrounding areas from the past to the present. Loomis, Kathy Schierenberg. [Casper, Wyo. : The authors], c1990 Best Impressions Printing); The history of Casper. Natrona County School District No. 1 (Wyo.) [Casper, WY] : [Natrona County School District], 1960s?; Casper "old town" and Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad. Randall, Art. [Casper, Wyo.] : A. Randall, c1991.; Historic Casper, Wyoming : self-guided tours. Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office. [Casper, WY.] : The Commission, 2008.
