Bucknum, Wyoming
Unincorporated/former community in Wyoming, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bucknum is a place and former community in Natrona County, in the U.S. state of Wyoming.[2] It is located about 24 miles west by road from Casper.
Bucknum | |
|---|---|
Segment of 1958 USGS map showing, from left to right, Powder River, Natrona, and Bucknum. | |
  Bucknum Location within the state of Wyoming  Bucknum Bucknum (the United States) | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Wyoming |
| County | Natrona |
| Elevation | 5,440 ft (1,660 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP codes | 82604 (Casper, WY) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1597236[1] |
History
As the Chicago and North Western built a rail line through the area west from Casper to Lander, it opened a station called Seminole by late December 1905, about 22.4 miles west of Casper by rail.[3][4] The "Seminole" name, however, started causing confusion with another Seminole located on the Union Pacific rail line in Wyoming.[5][6] Therefore, the station was renamed Bucknum in December 1907 by the railroad for Charles K. Bucknum, a Wyoming legislator and former mayor of Capser who owned land near the site.[7][8][9][10]
A post office was established in Bucknum in 1908, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1924.[11][12]
Bucknum's reported population was 18 in 1917 and 25 in 1924. A school was reportedly established there by 1922.[13]
As the Chicago and North Western abandoned its line, the communities in this area including Bucknum declined.[14] Rail continues to serve the area, however. A Spanish company bought the bentonite mine in the area formerly owned by U.S. Bentonite (off Bucknum Road) in 2015.[15][16][17] The Bucknum area now falls under the Casper zip code 82604.