Editing Carbon County, Wyoming (section)

==History==
Carbon County was organized in 1868, one of the five original counties in Dakota Territory.<ref>The other four original counties: [[Albany County, Wyoming|Albany]]; [[Laramie County, Wyoming|Laramie]]; [[Sweetwater County, Wyoming|Sweetwater]]; and [[Uinta County, Wyoming|Uinta]].</ref>

Originally about {{convert|3400|sqmi|km2}} near the center of Wyoming, Carbon County was once part of the [[Spanish Empire]], then part of the [[Republic of Texas]] (1835-1845) and part of the State of Texas until 1852 when the northernmost part of that state's claims were ceded to the US government. This area is defined by the [[42nd parallel north|42nd parallel]] on the north, and straight lines south from there to the headwaters of the Arkansas river on the east and the headwaters of the Rio Grande on the west. The documents defining that area include the [[Adams-Onís Treaty]] of 1819, the [[1824 Constitution of Mexico]], and the 1845 [http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ref/abouttx/annexation/march1845.html "Joint Resolution for the Admission of the State of Texas into the Union"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061231093328/http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ref/abouttx/annexation/march1845.html |date=December 31, 2006 }}.

Carbon County was organized December 16, 1868, from [[Laramie County, Wyoming|Laramie County]] in [[Dakota Territory]], which at the time had jurisdiction over part of modern-day Wyoming.<ref>{{Google books|Sas4AAAAIAAJ|General Laws and Memorials and Resolutions of the Territory of Dakota, 1869}}</ref> It became a county in [[Wyoming Territory]] when that territory's government was formally organized on May 19, 1869.<ref name="chronology">{{Cite web |last=Long |first=John H. |year=2006 |title=Wyoming: Individual County Chronologies |url=http://historical-county.newberry.org/website/Wyoming/documents/WY_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm#Individual_County_Chronologies |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718043802/http://historical-county.newberry.org/website/Wyoming/documents/WY_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm#Individual_County_Chronologies |archive-date=July 18, 2011 |access-date=January 31, 2008 |website=Wyoming Atlas of Historical County Boundaries |publisher=The Newberry Library}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Long |first=John H. |year=2006 |title=Dakota Territory, South Dakota, and North Dakota: Individual County Chronologies |url=http://historical-county.newberry.org/website/Dakota_Territory/documents/DAKs_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm#Individual_County_Chronologies |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071112115751/http://historical-county.newberry.org/website/Dakota_Territory/documents/DAKs_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm |archive-date=November 12, 2007 |access-date=January 31, 2008 |website=Dakota Territory Atlas of Historical County Boundaries |publisher=The Newberry Library}}</ref>

In 1868, the [[Union Pacific Railroad]] opened the first coal mine in Carbon County, and the county was named for its extensive coal deposits.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Urbanek |first=Mae |title=Wyoming Place Names |publisher=Mountain Press Pub. Co. |year=1988 |isbn=0-87842-204-8 |location=Missoula MT}}</ref> In 1875, Carbon County lost territory when [[Johnson County, Wyoming|Johnson County]] was created by the legislature of the [[Wyoming Territory]]. [[Natrona County, Wyoming|Natrona County]] was created with land ceded by Carbon County in 1888. The boundaries of the county were final at that time except for minor adjustments in 1911.

From 1978 to 1982, Carbon County was represented in the [[Wyoming House of Representatives]] by [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] [[Thomas E. Trowbridge]] (1930-2009) of [[Saratoga, Wyoming|Saratoga]], a [[Nebraska]] native. From 1982 to 1986, Trowbridge was a member of the [[Wyoming State Senate]]. He was later appointed by [[Governor of Wyoming|Governor]] [[Mike Sullivan (governor)|Mike Sullivan]] to the Wyoming State Board of Equalization. Trowbridge's father, [[Elton Trowbridge]], held the state House seat from Carbon County from 1961 until his death in office in 1974.

[[George R. Salisbury Jr.]], a rancher from [[Savery, Wyoming|Savery]], represented Carbon County in the Wyoming House from 1975 to 1986. He was succeeded in office by his son-in-law and fellow Democrat, [[Patrick F. O'Toole]], also a Savery rancher.