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By far, the largest area of the Red Desert is in Wyoming, likely over 9000 square miles just within Wyoming.
Found in the Red Desert in Wyoming are the Killpecker Dunes, Leucite Hills, and the Washakie Basin. Just north of the IH 80 is the Wamsutter Arch where there is an occurrence of gas and oil.
Wamsutter is from a Massachusetts′ Indian Chief, which name comes from the contraction of Womosutta which means Loving Heart. Wamsutter Station on the Union Pacific Railway in the Red Desert was previously called Washakie Station and due to there already another station called Fort Washakie, the name of this station was changed to Wamsutter Station in honor of the Indian Chief of that name in 1885 to avoid errors in freight routing.
Wamsutter Post Office in Sweetwater County was established on February 23, 1892 with Mrs. Anna Sanborn as postmaster. A post office and station on the Union Pacific Railway, 92 miles east of Green River, the county seat and banking town. Mail daily. (Gazetteer, 1908-9) Station on the Union Pacific Railroad and postoffice in Sweetwater County, 41 miles west from Rawlins. (Wyoming State Business Directory, 1910-11) Wamsutter was a station on the Overland Route and Union Pacific Railroad between Latham and Frewen. Wamsutter is a division point on the railroad. It is the site of old Fort Washakie, built for the protection of railroad employees and emigrants from the Shoshone and Arapahoe Indians.
Surrounding Mountains
To the north are the Granite Mountains and the Wind River Mountains. To the east is the Rawlins uplift and south of that is the Sierra Madre and Park Range. To the south are the Axial Basin Uplift in Colorado and the Unita Mountains in Utah. Then, to the west is the Rock Springs Uplift.
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