Big Piney

History

Big Piney is the oldest settlement in Sublette County. It was founded in 1879, when rancher Daniel B. Budd and his partner Hugh McKay came with a thousand head of cattle from Nevada hoping to ship them, but got caught instead in severe winter weather in the Green River Valley. The following year, Dan Budd relocated his family to what became Big Piney. The town was named after Big Piney Creek. The creek took its name from the pine trees growing along the banks of the creek. Cattle and oil have traditionally been the two primary industries for the area. The Wardell Buffalo Trap, a canyon used by Native Americans to trap bison, is in the vicinity of Big Piney. Its potential archeological value led to its listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. In 1987, actress Glenn Close, daughter of one of the town's doctors, co-produced a documentary about the vanishing cowboy of the American West, entitled, "Do You Mean There Are Still Real Cowboys?" The film focused on several generations of cattle ranching families in Big Piney. It was first shown in 1988 as part of the PBS television series "The American Experience" and was narrated by actor Robert Redford. Big Piney was one of four international locations chosen for the 2006 documentary film Comrades in Dreams, about the impact of local movie theaters in four different cultures (North Korea, Burkina Faso, India and Wyoming).

Geography

Big Piney is located at (42.539768, −110.115350). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land. Sometimes known as the "Ice Box of the Nation," Big Piney has one of the coldest climates among inhabited locations in the Lower 48. Big Piney experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) with long, cold, dry winters and short, warm summers. Because of the high elevation and aridity, large diurnal temperature differences are a regular feature of Big Piney's climate. Precipitation is very low and somewhat concentrated in the warmer months.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Big Piney High School
  High · Big Piney · 158 students · 12.2:1 ratio
• Big Piney Elementary
  Elementary · Big Piney · 149 students · 8.8:1 ratio
• Big Piney Middle School
  Middle · Big Piney · 92 students · 11.5:1 ratio