Northern Wyoming News - Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years

WORLAND – The Wyoming Sugar Company celebrated their 100-year anniversary Saturday with a free community barbecue at the factory which was attended by about 475 people including United States Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyoming).

On December 9, 1919, the Wyoming Sugar Company gave a banquet for their farmers, much like the barbecue held Saturday, with the exception that the barbecue was for the entire community, not just the farmers. During that banquet Worland Councilman [Alderman] J.A. Howell stated that the Wyoming Sugar Company is the greatest asset to Washakie County adding that it is the greatest enterprise in the Big Horn River Valley. He said that the factory helps the farmer, the merchant and everyone in the community. That before the factory was built in Worland, land could be purchased for half what it could be purchased just two years after opening, bank deposits tripled and everyone is more prosperous than ever before in the history of the county.

Those same sentiments were echoed by Wyoming Sugar President and CEO Mike Greear and Sen. Barrasso as they spoke to event participants at the beginning of the barbecue Saturday. Both men expressed their gratitude to the farmers, the workers and the entire community for the hard work and perseverance, especially during the rough times, which made 100 years a reality. Both Greear and Barrasso stated that they were looking forward to the next 100 years and Barrasso ended his speech saying, "God bless you, God bless Wyoming and God bless America."

Barbecue goers not only received a free meal of brats, burgers, beans, salsa, chips, cotton candy (made from Wyoming Sugar Company sugar) and Pepsi products, they were also able to watch a short video that explained the life of a sugar beet, from seed to sugar. Antique and newer beet processing equipment were on display along with sugar beets decorated by Worland fifth-graders and Wyoming Sugar Company officials were on hand to talk with and answer questions from the public.

For those interested in the Wyoming Sugar Company's first 100 years, the Washakie Museum and Cultural Center in Worland is having an exhibit that runs until Oct. 28. "We are doing an exhibit to celebrate 100 years of Wyoming Sugar in Worland. The exhibit looks at it from its first construction and then goes through some major world events and how that affected it. Sugar rations during World War I and World War II, how prohibition affected it. The exhibit goes into some of the science of how you go from sugar beet to sugar and the kind of lab equipment that they use. It gives an overview of some of the big changes that have happened in the sugar industry here in Worland," Washakie Museum and Cultural Center Curator Rebecca Brower said.

Tracie Mitchell

Dahliah Lara enjoys cotton candy made from Wyoming Sugar during the 100-year celebration barbecue at the Wyoming Sugar Company factory in Worland Saturday.

Wyoming Sugar's 100 years in business will also be featured in the 2017 Big Horn Basin Harvest Edition with more history and features in the Northern Wyoming Daily News Oct. 7.