Laramie, Wyoming

Laramie is a city located in Albany County, Wyoming. According to the 2000 U.S. census, the city had a total population of 27,204. Laramie, located in southeast Wyoming, on the Laramie River, is northwest of Cheyenne, on the junction of Interstate 80 and US 287. It was first settled in 1868 with the coming of the Union Pacific Railroad, which crosses the Laramie River at Laramie. It is home to the University of Wyoming, Wyoming Technical Institute, and a branch of Laramie County Community College. Laramie Regional Airport serves Laramie. The ruins of Fort Sanders, an Army fort predating Laramie, lie just south of the city.

Related Topics:
Albany County, Wyoming - 2000 - Laramie River - Cheyenne - 1868 - University of Wyoming - Laramie Regional Airport - Fort Sanders

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Laramie was an important stop on the Overland Trail and transcontinental railroad in the late 19th century. It now lies along U.S. Highway 30 and Interstate 80, and remains an important junction on the Union Pacific Railroad line. The city emerged into national prominence in 1998 after the murder of Matthew Shepard, a student at the University of Wyoming. It is widely believed he was killed because he was gay, though it is also suggested that the crime was drug-related. Shepard's murder caused a national outcry and was the subject of the award-winning play and movie The Laramie Project.

Related Topics:
Overland Trail - Transcontinental railroad - 19th century - U.S. Highway 30 - Interstate 80 - Union Pacific Railroad - 1998 - Matthew Shepard - Gay - The Laramie Project

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In 2004, Laramie became the first city in Wyoming to prohibit smoking in enclosed workplaces, including bars, restaurants and private clubs. Opponents of the clean indoor air ordinance, funded in part by the RJ Reynolds tobacco company, immediately petitioned to have the ordinance repealed. However, the voters upheld the ordinance in a citywide referendum which was conducted concurrently with the 2004 general election. The opponents then challenged the validity of the election in court, claiming various irregularities. However, the judge ruled that the opponents had failed to meet their burden of showing significant problems with the election, and the ordinance ? which had become effective in April 2005 ? remained in effect. In August 2005, Laramie's City Council defeated an attempt to amend the ordinance to allow smoking in bars and private clubs.

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