Cowley, Wyoming

town in Big Horn County, Wyoming

Cowley is a town in the American state of Wyoming. It is in Big Horn County in northern Wyoming.

Cowley, Wyoming
Location of Cowley, Wyoming
Location of Cowley, Wyoming
Coordinates: 44°52′58″N 108°28′5″W / 44.88278°N 108.46806°W / 44.88278; -108.46806
CountryUnited States
StateWyoming
CountyBig Horn
SettledMay 2, 1900
Area
 • Total0.87 sq mi (2.26 km2)
 • Land0.87 sq mi (2.26 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
3,990 ft (1,216 m)
Population
 • Total762
 • Density872.9/sq mi (337.0/km2)
Time zoneUTC-7 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-6 (MST)
Zip code
82420
Area code307
FIPS code56-17645[3]
GNIS feature ID1587127[4]
Websitecowleywyoming.com Edit this at Wikidata

History

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The town of Cowley was settled by a group of Mormon followers in Wyoming's Big Horn Basin. The town was named for Matthias F. Cowley, one of the Apostles of the Mormon church at the time. The first group of Mormons got to the area May 2, 1900. When they got there, they started building the Sidon Canal to bring water to the town from the Shoshone River. The Canal was over 30 miles long. They finished building it in 1904.

By the end of 1900 there were about 18 log houses built in the area. The first school was opened in a log house in January 1901. There were about 24-30 students.

On September 26, 1910, the Big Horn Academy was opened in Cowley. It was the area's first High School. The first class to be graduated from the Big Horn Academy was the class of 1912. It had 13 students.

A new stone building was made for the Big Horn Academy in 1916. In 1925 the name was changed to the Cowley High School. The mascot of the school was the Jaguars. The Cowley High School remained in the Big Horn Academy building until 1983, when the last class was graduated from Cowley High School. There were only six students in the class of 1983. Because of the small number of students, the school in Cowley was closed. Beginning in 1984, the town's students began attending the consolidated Rocky Mountain High School in Byron, Wyoming.

Schools

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Student from Cowley attend school at:

  • Rocky Mountain Elementary School
  • Rocky Mountain Middle School
  • Rocky Mountain High School

References

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  1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  2. "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2020 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Cowley town, Wyoming". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.