What is there to do in Chugwater? (Cheyenne, Wheatland: environment, agriculture)

[Tom]

When I was in College (too many years ago) I drove past Chugwater on my way north to the Dakotas and afterwards headed home to the East Coast. I was taken with the name Chugwater as I whizzed by at 60+mph on I 25. I was and have remained curious what people do in a small, very rural, town like Chugwater. Where do most of the people work? Must they commute great distances to find employment? What is a Saturday night in Chugwater? What keeps people in Chugwater or draws them to it? For those of us who live in "populated" areas, these are natural questions, and I hope no one takes offence at the asking. Thanks, Tom

[Spur&Gair]

Tom,
I am dreaming of moving out west from my current location east of the Chesapeake Bay, Stockton, MD. We love it here and will miss many things about this area. The main reasons we are looking west are family and drier climate. The humidity here is oppressive in the summer. I think we enjoy the natural environment here in Stockton just like the folks in Chugwater. Details are different I am guessing, we catch Striped Bass here they catch Cutthroat Trout there. We hunt Whitetail deer they hunt Elk there. We comb the beach here, they hike the mountains and desert there. We enjoy the rural lifestyle here and hope the lifestyle is similar there. The benefits of a rural lifestyle for us are less traffic, less pollution (noise, water, air, trash), beautiful starry skies, beautiful and magnificent nature, more personal and supportive community (everyone waves and speaks even if you don’t know the person; that doesn’t usually happen in more highly populated areas). What you have less of is shopping and malls, orchestra, opera and ballet. For me less shopping is a benefit. I can get the culture both through church, local theater and school orchestra etc, and by visiting other metropolitan locations. Then I get to leave the metropolis and return to the slower gentler pace of life in the rural lane.

The economy here is largely agricultural; land (crops and livestock) and water (fish and shellfish). Then there are the mandatory medical, retail and service businesses to fill in the needs. I expect the economy there is also largely agricultural. In addition to agriculture, I am learning that oil and mining seem to be important in that part of our country.

Where did you go to college? Have you been back for a visit since graduation?
Spur

[c_304]

I don't know what the day-to-day life is like, but have you heard they are giving away 'free' land in Chugwater? If you google Chugwater or free land Chugwater you will get more info. It looks pretty interesting - especially if you were really thinking of going there anyway.

[kinnikinnik]

I am not very familar with Chugwater. I know that it's located right off I-25. I know that about 40 miles to the south is Cheyenne and about 25 miles to the north is Wheatland. I know that it's a very small town of about 250 people. I know they have the annual Chugwater Chilli Cookoff on the second Saturday in June. That's all I know about Chugwater.

[kinnikinnik]

Hey - Chugwater has a website:

http://www.chugwater.com/contact.htm

[MHT]

There's not much to do in Chugwater. Most of the people there are farmers/ranchers. Some work at the school or the few small businesses in town or drive to Wheatland (25 miles) or Cheyenne (35 miles). I live in Wheatland. Lived in Minneapolis for 3 years - too populated.