HILAND (WALTON)

NAME: Hiland (Walton) COUNTY: Natrona ROADS: 2WD GRID: 1 CLIMATE: Very warm and humid during the summer time. BEST TIME TO VISIT: Early summer time.

COMMENTS: Residents live in the area compsising the pop. of 10, mainly Ranches are scattered across the prarie. It makes a good day trip when staying at Casper, which is roughly 50 miles eat of Hiland. Note: There's a rest stop shortly before Hiland, at Waltman. REMAINS: Not a lot. There are visable foundation patterns when you're looking closley.

The barren community, a map speck, - Hiland, Natrona County was at first named Wolton, and was then changed to be named after the local Poison Creek once a large shipping station for wool was constructed at the Town site in the 1880's. The Shipping station would freight the livestock from Poison creek, to the opposite end of the County at Casper by wagon box cars. During this era, the County was revered for raising excellent quality livestock. In 1895, the railroad firm that owned the Shipping yard built a reservoir on Poison Creek as a watering hole for the local livestock, thus furthering both the County's excellent produce, and the mainstay of Poison Creek. At one time, Poison Creek was noted as having the largest machine-shearing facility in the West, but was naturally surpassed as settling grew greater across the frontier. In the following years, for reasons unknown to me at present, the resident ranches to Poison Creek moved further east down the railroad to where a Post office would be built, and the name of the Town changed back to Walton (notice the name was changed by Office Clerks to make for easier pronunciation), although none of these original buildings stand today. According to a resident, the name was changed (yes, for the fourth time!) in 1927 to how it is known today, as Hiland. The primary reason of demise for Hiland, was as means of transport became faster and easier, businesses turned their backs on Hiland, and moved away to greater centres of trade like Casper, Douglas and Cheyenne. Submitted by: Ryan J. Hill.

Hiland, Wyoming. Population 10. Courtesy Ryan Hill

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