History of Fremont CountyFremont County HomeCounty Seat - LanderFremont County was created in 1884. It included Park, Big Horn, and Hot Springs counties until 1890 when they split. It was named for General John Charles Fremont, who was a surveyor and explorer searching for a route to the Pacific ocean in 1842. His group of 20 men were guided by Kit Carson and Enos, a Shoshone Indian. The Wind River Indian Reservation, Wyoming's only Indian Reservation, covers much of Fremont County. The reservation is shared by the Shoshone and Arapaho Indians. Fremont County produces more than half of the uranium in Wyoming, which is second in the United States in uranium production. Jade also found in Fremont County which is the Wyoming State gem stone. The Absaroka Mountains, named for the Crow or Absaroka Indians, are also located in Fremont county. South Pass, a break in the continental divide, is also located in Fremont county. Indians had been using the pass for centuries before Robert Stuart and his group were the first whites to cross the pass October 12, 1812. The first horse drawn wagons to cross the pass were lead by Captain Benjamin Bonneville in 1832. Gold was discovered here in 1842. The big boom came in 1867 when the Carissa mine (Named for Clarissa Whitney who is thought to be the first white child born in Wyoming), Miner Delight, and Burr mines were discovered, producing millions of dollars in gold. Over 5,000 people came to the area during this time to search for gold. When President Chester A. Arthur traveled through the Big Warm Springs Creek valley in Fremont County on his way to Yellowstone National Park in 1883, he and his group were going to camp on Mr. Clark's property. Someone told Mr. Clark, "This is the President of the United States," but Mr. Clark answered, "I don't care what he's president of; he's camping on my property without my permission. I want him off." The President's camp was moved.
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