Talk:Lookout, Wyoming

Proposed Deletion

This page should not be deleted because it has the U6 Census Class Code which is used, as we can read on US Geological Survey's webpage, for Populated (Community) Place (except those associated with facilities). A populated place that is not a census designated or incorporated place having an official federally recognized name. The deletion suggested says that the place is a railroad siding. If it were a railroad then it would not have U6 Census Class Code, because that code does not includes facilites as a railroad siding is.
I'm at your disposal to clarify issues related to the matter.
Your sincerely,
Faqu, talk. MAY 21 2020, 02:32 —Preceding undated comment added 02:33, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

Despite being an "official" source, GNIS does, in fact, frequently mislabel railroad sidings and other features as populated places and shouldn't be relied on for "feature class" designations. I've written about this well-known issue at WP:GNIS.

Even if we do accept the GNIS label, this location doesn't appear to meet the WP:GEOLAND notability guideline. Since it's not a legally recognized populated place, it would have to meet GNG, and I'm not seeing sufficient coverage to meet this requirement. –dlthewave ☎ 03:41, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

This doesn't really look like a railroad siding according to the satellite images (current) and topographic maps. It is a high point in this flat and dull landscape. Sand Hills Road travels to and through the point on the map. I suspect it always was a lookout/vantage point. Here is a street view situated on US-287/US-30 at the start of Sand Hills Rd, which shows a promontory in the distance and a sign saying Lookout Ranch. There is an extant application for a $600 million 400-wind turbine windmill farm and 500 megawatts electric generation facility on the site, to start in less than a year from now. The application states they plan to widen Sand Hills Road as the primary access point to the plant. It would encompass something like 80,000 acres (including Lookout Ranch), and describes the landscape as "Existing land uses include range land for cattle grazing with landcover consisting of high meadow vegetation dominated by sage brush and high meadow grassland species. The proposed area for development is approximately 7000 feet in elevation. Topography varies including bluffs, plains, and rolling hill sides." Normal Op (talk) 05:24, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

This article shoud NOT be deleted. GNIS a the census authority which and every place listed as populated is because at least one person resides there.

I don't find a good reason to delete the page.
I have seen you are doing this with many unincorporated communitied' article. Please stop or it will be considered vandalism.
Faqu, talk. 07:53 May 21 2020 —Preceding undated comment added 07:53, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

7 letters describing Lookout from 1870-1872

The University of New Mexico website seems to be down. That website is the repository for the James L. Ehernberger Western Railroad Collection. In Box 439 there is reputedly (per this blog) a document which says "Named in 1868 by U.P. officials – High point on railroad could see in all directions." Though I wasn't able to access the website, I did poke around and found:

• Jim Ehernberger Railroad Expert Leaves a Legacy
• Wayback Machine archive of Rocky Mountain Online Archive mentioning Box 439 twice for Lookout
• Search result giving link to PDF describing the section
• And here is the PDF: Guide to Wyoming and the West Collections, see PDF pages 319-320 or document pages 316-317, 7 letters by Edmund E. Robinson, 1870-1872

"Robinson was a station agent for the Union Pacific Railroad starting in 1870, at Lookout Station in Albany County, Wyoming. This collection contains transcripts of seven letters written by Robinson for the Groton (New York) Journal describing railroad operations at Lookout Station and in Wyoming, ranching opportunities in Albany and Carbon Counties, Independence Day celebrations in Laramie, Wyoming, and the local scenery."

I don't know if the entire collection, or more specifically box 439, has been scanned and is available for access online. Once the unm.edu website comes back online we can see. No one answered the phone at the UNM library. More poking around looks like some of their research collections may not be accessible from off-campus or without a UNM online library account, or possibly an inter-library university level account. Maybe someone else can access this resource.

— Normal Op (talk) 18:03, 23 May 2020 (UTC)