Editing Evanston, Wyoming (section)

==History==
[[File:Evanston-0133.jpg|thumb|left|The Evanston Roundhouse]]
Evanston was named after [[James A. Evans]],<ref name="Dobson">{{cite web|last1=Dobson |first1=G. B. |title=Building the Union Pacific |url=http://www.wyomingtalesandtrails.com/sherman.html |website=Wyoming Tales and Trails |access-date=August 11, 2020}}</ref> a civil engineer for the [[Union Pacific Railroad]]. Another source maintains it is named for [[John Evans (Colorado governor)|John Evans]], second Governor of the Territory of Colorado.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9V1IAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA122 |title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States |publisher=Govt. Print. Off. |author=Gannett, Henry |year=1905 |pages=122}}</ref> The town was founded during the construction of the [[first transcontinental railroad]]. The railroad arrived in the area in November 1868, and Harvey Booth opened a saloon/restaurant in a tent near what is now Front Street. By December the rails had reached Evanston and the first train arrived December 16. However, orders were later handed down by the railroad managers to move the end of the line 12 miles west, to [[Wahsatch, Utah|Wahsatch]]. Within three days, most all of Evanston had moved to Wasatch. It appeared that Evanston would become another "end of the tracks" town. In June 1869 headquarters returned to Evanston and it continued to grow.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wyoshpo.state.wy.us/NationalRegister/Site.aspx?ID=472 |title=Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office – National Register of Historic Places – Search Result |access-date=January 19, 2013 |archive-date=March 20, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320005715/http://wyoshpo.state.wy.us/NationalRegister/Site.aspx?ID=472 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Later in 1871, a machine shop and roundhouse were constructed, giving Evanston a longevity not shared by many other railroad towns.<ref name="rcoc">{{cite web|url=http://www.etownchamber.com/history.html |title=Evanston, Wyoming Chamber of Commerce: History |access-date=November 10, 2008 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081017150631/http://www.etownchamber.com/history.html |archive-date=October 17, 2008}}</ref>

Abundant timber and water along the [[Bear River (Great Salt Lake)|Bear River]] made Evanston a refueling station for cross-country locomotives. Coal was mined in [[Almy, Wyoming|Almy]], a few miles north of Evanston. Similar to other railroad towns in Wyoming, early Evanston had a large population of [[Chinese Railroad Workers]] – in Evanston they lived on the north side of the railroad tracks in a small "China town." Over time, the Chinese population dwindled; the last two members of the first generation of immigrants died in the 1930s.<ref name="rcoc"/>

Evanston was a major stop on the [[Lincoln Highway]]. The highway ran east to west from East Service Rd to Bear River Dr, on Front St to Harrison Dr, to Wasatch Rd southwest to Echo Canyon in Utah. It can still be seen along [[Interstate 80 in Wyoming|Interstate 80]], which follows the railroad tracks in this area.

Evanston underwent massive growth and change during an oil boom in the 1980s. Recent drilling for natural gas has also revitalized the economy of the area. Union Tank Car works on railroad tank cars near the [[Union Pacific Railroad Complex (Evanston, Wyoming)|Union Pacific Railroad Complex]], locally referred to as the old roundhouse.<ref>{{cite news |first=Erin |last=Buller |title=Union Tank Car celebrates 10 years at new facility |url=http://www.uintacountyherald.com/V2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=72&story_id=1646 |work=Uinta County Herald |date=October 28, 2008 |access-date=November 10, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717143221/http://www.uintacountyherald.com/V2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=72&story_id=1646 |archive-date=July 17, 2011}}</ref> There are restored railroad buildings, including a roundhouse, in the downtown area.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roundhouserestoration.net/#/welcome/4520132642|title=Roundhouse Restoration, Inc|access-date=November 10, 2008}}</ref> One of the more recent restorations include 1011 Front Street. This building, located in historic downtown Evanston, is across the street from the museum in Depot Square. Another restoration project included the rebuilding of the [[Chinese temple architecture|Joss house]] in Depot Square in 1990; the original had been destroyed in a fire in 1922.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Erin |date=June 7, 2019 |title=The Prairie Chinatown That Disappeared |url=https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/open-spaces/2019-06-07/the-prairie-chinatown-that-disappeared |access-date=February 25, 2023 |website=Wyoming Public Media}}</ref>