Story is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sheridan County, Wyoming, United States. As of the 2020 census, the CDP population was 903.

History of the region

The region around Story was part of the history of the American Frontier and the Old West, and of the conflicts between early settlers and the Plains Indians. The historic Bozeman Trail passed nearby in the mid-1860s, and Fort Phil Kearny, now a State Historic Site, lies just 5 miles south of town. Fort Mackenzie(Wyoming) was just to the north, near what is now the city of Sheridan.

Fort Phil Kearny, known to the Plains Indians as the "hated post on the Little Piney", played an important role in Red Cloud's War (1866-1868), and the area around the fort was the site of the Fetterman massacre and the Wagon Box Fight. The Fetterman Fight (with 81 men killed on the U.S. side) was the worst military defeat suffered by the U.S. Army on the Great Plains, until the Battle of the Little Bighorn ten years later.

thumb|[[United States Army Cavalry|U.S. Army Cavalry soldiers engaged in the "Indian Wars" of the Mid-19th Century American West]]

The 1866 Fetterman Fight marked a key victory of the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Indians over soldiers of the United States Army, and the 1867 Wagon Box Fight involved Lakota Sioux and soldiers from nearby Fort Phil Kearny. Fort Phil Kearny, including the nearby sites of the Fetterman engagement and the Wagon Box Fight, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960.

With the advent of the automobile in the early 1900s, the area around Story became, and has remained, a popular destination in Wyoming for tourists, Boy Scout troops and others for camping, fishing, and other outdoor recreational activities.

Geography

Banner lies three miles to the northeast, and the Bighorn Mountains (and Bighorn National Forest) are to Story's west. The town is accessible via U.S. Route 87 (cosigned with Wyoming Highway 193).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the census-designated place has a total area of 7.1&nbsp;square miles (18.46&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), all land.

Wildlife

White-tailed deer thrive and flourish and groups of them often stroll down the streets or lounge on people’s lawn. There are also lots of turkeys. Mountain lions and black bears exist in the areas surrounding the community.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Story has a warm-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Demographics

thumb|upright=1.15|The [[Fetterman Fight|Fetterman engagement near Fort Phil Kearny, 1866]]

As of the census

Story Elementary School is located in the community and serves students in grades K-5. Secondary school students attend Sheridan Junior High School (grades 6-8) and Sheridan High School (grades 9-12), which are located in nearby Sheridan.

Fire and rescue

The Story Volunteer Fire Rescue Department provides fire suppression and rescue services for the heavily forested community of Story and the surrounding area,

Fish hatchery and visitor center

The Wyoming State Game & Fish Department operates a fish hatchery and visitor center, which is open to the public,

Transportation

thumb|Pilot Hill near [[Fort Phil Kearny<br/>as seen from U.S. Highway 87]]

Highways

  • 20px U.S. Highway 87
  • (Sheridan Highway)
  • (Fish Hatchery Road)
  • (North Piney Road)

:In the late 1990s, a section of US 87 between Buffalo and Sheridan near Pilot Hill was closed due to recurring landslides, and State Route 193 began being used as an alternate route. The State of Wyoming petitioned the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) to officially reroute US 87 over Highway 193, but AASHTO denied the petition. Since then, an officially designated detour for US 87 has followed Highway 193 through Story, and it appears unlikely US 87 will be reconstructed in the foreseeable future due to additional, and recurring landslides in the area, as well as the potential costs.

Airports

The Sheridan County Airport is 14 miles north of Story, just south of Sheridan, with direct passenger flights available daily to Denver. The other two nearest airports are Worland Muni Airport and Gillette-Campbell County Airport.

References

  • Story Community Home Page
  • Countryaah.com
  • Alice Whitmire papers are archived at the American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.