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Buford, Wyoming

Coordinates: 41°07′25″N 105°18′09″W / 41.12361°N 105.30250°W / 41.12361; -105.30250
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Buford, Wyoming
Unincorporated community
Town sign for Buford as of April 2020
Town sign for Buford as of April 2020
Buford, Wyoming is located in Wyoming
Buford, Wyoming
Buford, Wyoming
Location within the state of Wyoming
Buford, Wyoming is located in the United States
Buford, Wyoming
Buford, Wyoming
Buford, Wyoming (the United States)
Buford, Wyoming is located in North America
Buford, Wyoming
Buford, Wyoming
Buford, Wyoming (North America)
Coordinates: 41°07′25″N 105°18′09″W / 41.12361°N 105.30250°W / 41.12361; -105.30250
CountryUnited States
StateWyoming
CountyAlbany
Founded1866
Area
 • Total0.02 sq mi (0.04 km2)
 • Land0.02 sq mi (0.04 km2)
 • Water0 sq mi (0 km2)
Population
 (2019)[1]
 • Total0
 • Density0.0/sq mi (0.0/km2)
Time zoneUTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP codes
82052
Websitebufordtradingpost.com

Buford is an abandoned unincorporated community in Albany County, Wyoming, United States of America. It is located between Laramie and Cheyenne on Interstate 80. At 8,000 feet (2,400 m) of elevation, it is the highest populated settlement along the First Transcontinental Railroad (today's Overland Route), and on the transcontinental Interstate 80. The town was originally named Buford (in honor of Major General John Buford), a Union cavalry officer during the American Civil War. In 2013, the town was sold to a Vietnamese owner, who re-branded it as "PhinDeli Town Buford". The postal addresses, however, still bears the town's original name of "Buford". In fact the Vietnamese owner sold the business to a local landowner in 2019 and it no longer carries the PhinDeli Town brand except in remnants of old signage. Known for formerly having a population of only 1, the town has been uninhabited since 2017.[2][3]

History

Promotional sign of the town form 2011 to 2017. The name no longer is used, but the sign still exists in 2020

PhinDeli is a promotional name tagged to the town of Buford in 2013, by the store-owners. The original town was founded in 1866,[4] during the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad in the Wyoming Territory. At its peak, the town boasted a population of 2,000.[4] In 1900, a post office was built, which was closed in 2004.[5]

Don Sammons moved to Buford in 1980 with his wife and son.[6] In 1992, he purchased the town.[7] His wife died in 1995, and his son moved away around 2007, making him Buford's only resident.[4][6] However, at a later time, seven residents lived in the town, but eventually moved away to larger municipalities.[8]

The town, consisting of a convenience store, gas station, and modular home on 4 hectares (9.9 acres) of land, was put up for sale after Don Sammons decided to move closer to his son.[7] The town was put up for auction on April 5, 2012, with the highest bid of $900,000 was made by two unidentified Vietnamese men.[6][9][10] Later, it was revealed that one of them was Phạm Đình Nguyên.[11] The new owners sell "PhinDeli" brand coffee, imported from Vietnam, in the convenience store.[12]

Nguyen confirmed that he never lived in the town and only visited it occasionally. Sammons managed the store for months and then Albany County native Jason Hirsh took over management while his son and nephew maintained the property and lived on site. In 2017, Hirsh resigned and closed the shop, leaving the town abandoned.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Roddam, Rick (September 4, 2018). "Wyoming's Smallest Town Has Been Completely Abandoned". 101.9 KING FM. Retrieved 2020-02-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ Chilton, James (September 4, 2013). "PhinDeli Town Buford: Open for business". Wyoming Tribune Eagle. Retrieved 2020-02-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ America’s Tiniest Town Is Sold And Renamed PhinDeli Town Buford, Wyoming
  4. ^ a b c Rosenfeld, Everett (July 20, 2011). "Meet the Only Resident of America's Smallest Town". Time. Retrieved 2012-04-06.
  5. ^ "Postmaster Finder - Who We Are - USPS". about.usps.com. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  6. ^ a b c Vecsey, Laura. "America's tiniest town commands a big price". Zillow. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
  7. ^ a b Zuckerman, Laura (April 5, 2012). "Wyoming town - population 1 - sells for $900,000 to Vietnamese buyer". Chicago Tribune. Reuters. Retrieved 2012-04-06.
  8. ^ "Population 1: The shopkeeper who lives in a one-man town (and there are no women or children either)". Daily Mail. March 16, 2011. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
  9. ^ Spellman, Jim (April 5, 2012). "Vietnamese businessmen scoop up smallest U.S. town for $900,000". CNN. Retrieved 2012-04-06.
  10. ^ Doanh gia Việt Nam qua Mỹ mua trọn thị trấn giá $900,000 Archived 2012-04-09 at the Wayback Machine(in Vietnamese)
  11. ^ (in Vietnamese) Lộ danh tánh người Việt mua thị trấn Mỹ $900,000 Archived 2012-04-11 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ "Buford, Wyoming getting a new name - KGWN –Cheyenne, WY– Scottsbluff,…". archive.is. 2013-09-03. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
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