By Bill Sniffin, Cowboy State Daily
EVANSTON – Most Wyomingites think of the city of Evanston as more of a gateway than a getaway. But upon closer examination, many might find their opinion changed.
Community leaders in the Uinta County seat have done a magnificent job of transforming their city into one of the nicest spots in Wyoming.
With a beautiful state park, perhaps the state’s best river walk, a gigantic railroad roundhouse complex converted into convention space, first-rate airport, 18-hole golf course, a towering mountain range plus nearby lakes – well, it could be argued that Evanston has just about anything that anyone might be looking for.
The Bear River only travels about 100 miles as the crow flies as it flows from the Uinta Mountains to the Great Salt Lake. Much of that flow is in Wyoming and because of its twists and turns, it covers probably over 1,000 miles, according to Mark Tesoro, publisher of the local newspaper, the Uinta County Herald.
That river provides a spectacular greenway complex that includes some busy downtown ponds, which are full of fish, paddle boarders, canoes, and kayaks. That river also flows into nearby Bear Lake in Idaho, a popular recreation area for residents of Wyoming, Idaho, and Utah.
Historically, Evanston was first and foremost a railroad town. It was the last “Hell on Wheels” outpost of the Union Pacific as its crews worked their way west to create the most fantastic engineering feat of the 19th century, the transcontinental railroad. This is one of the state’s oldest towns, with railroaders working here in 1868.
Evanston was home to huge railroad repair facilities, most notably the massive roundhouse. When the Union Pacific abandoned these structures, the community took them over and now they serve as venues for statewide and national conventions and events.
Most folks zip through Evanston on their way to Salt Lake City, Las Vegas or San Francisco. They can see big hills around them as they go, but they have little idea of the size of the mountains just over the horizon. Utah is famous for mountain ranges, but the state’s biggest mountains actually border Wyoming.
The Uinta Range is one of the most unusual ranges in the country as it runs east and west, rather than the more typical south to north. The highest mountain in Utah, Kings Peak, towers over Wyoming’s Uinta County at more than 13,000 feet.
A climb up the hill northwest of Evanston to the municipal airport reveals a view of mountains that rivals that of Pinedale, Buffalo, Lander, or Sheridan. There, laid out in front of you, is a full vista of snow-capped silver-gray mountains.
Evanston has both enjoyed and endured the booms and busts typical to Wyoming. In the 1970s and 1980s, the town doubled in size with an oil boom as companies discovered the Overthrust Belt, a unique formation full of oil. Oil is still big but not as dominant as back in those hectic times.
The Wyoming State Hospital was established in Evanston in 1887 and currently is undergoing a massive expansion. Its expansion, along with a shared expansion at the Wyoming Life Resource Center in Lander, will cost $182 million. The State Hospital sits on a small hill overlooking the town.
Two local establishments stood out recently. The philly cheesesteak and chicken fried steak at Jody’s Diner were treats, as was the patio atmosphere of Spanky’s Bar. There are over 1,000 hotel rooms serving the traveling public.
Most Wyomingites will speed through Evanston many times over the next few years either leaving the state or coming home to it. Spending some quality time in Evanston would be well worth the stop.
For more information future visitors can contact www.evanstonwyo.com.
