Overview:

Located fifteen miles east of Laramie, the city of Haven Park, Wyoming was first recognized as such on April 25, 1904. Accordingly, Founder’s Day celebrations have been held every April 25 since. According to the United States Census Bureau, Haven Park has a total area of 5.7 square miles, all of it land. The population was first recorded at 235, a number that stayed the same (with only slight variation) for the next twenty years, until the city saw somewhat of a population boom in the 1920s, its population soaring up to almost 500. As of 1966, there are 517 people living in Haven Park, mostly white, professing Christian married couples.


Government:

The city has been run by five different administrations since its inception. Per the city charter, the mayor is allowed to serve and unlimited number of three year terms. The longest serving remains Henry Adams, with a total of six terms, as well as the two years left of his predecessor’s tenure, for a total of twenty years in office.

Chester Bourne (1901-1910) - Noted as the “Founder of Haven Park,” Chester Bourne is a revered figure in the community. The local library is named for him, as is the elementary school.
Matthew Patterson (1910-1925) - Known for bringing more people to the city, Matthew Patterson also brought moderate scandal to the office in 1913, when the very married mayor was accused of inappropriate conduct with his secretary, Emily Richardson (whom would later become the maternal grandmother of current Haven Park resident Lance Englund).
Charles Pierce (1925-1938) - The mayor of Haven Park throughout The Great Depression, Charles Pierce is also the only mayor to die in office. He is also known for his unsuccessful bid to incorporate the outlying area of Manchester into Haven Park.
Henry Adams (1938-1958) - The mayor that many current Haven Park residents grew up seeing around town, Henry Adams is remembered with a post office named in his honor, as well as an impending statue in the park that also bears his name, due to be completed in 1967.
Clayton Pierce (1958-present) Present mayor of Haven Park and deputy mayor during the latter half of Henry Adams’s tenure, Clayton Pierce is also notable for being the son of former mayor Charles Pierce, the first time a father and son were elected to the same office in Haven Park history.

City Hall, located on Westmore Avenue, houses the offices of Mayor Pierce, as well as Raymond Monroe, the deputy mayor. Current city officials also include:

Elton Frazier, police chief
James Hartman, district attorney
Paul Cramer, George Ramsey, Andrew Baxter, Peter Meredith, Anthony Tyler, Ronald Anderson, city council
Harvey Mercer, judge


Education:

Children in Haven Park are served by the Haven Park Consolidated School District, which has four separate schools.

The Francine Mercer Blake Educational Center, named for a longtime resident and dedicated teacher, opened in 1956 and currently only offers kindergarten classes.

Chester Bourne Elementary, grades 1-5.

Elizabeth Morley Intermediate (where prominent Haven Park resident Julia Woodward teaches English), grades 6-9.

Haven Park High School, grades 10-12. The largest class to ever graduate from HPHS was 95 in 1960; the smallest was 21 in 1922.

The city also contains one institute of higher learning, Lee College, opened in 1942.


Media:

The Haven Park Examiner, published daily since 1908, keeps residents informed, as does the Laramie Boomerang. Neighboring Laramie also provides all of the local television and radio stations, with the exception of KHPK Radio, Haven Park. The small, locally-run station plays a mix of popular music and talk shows, featuring prominent local figures.


Community:

Religion is important to the citizens of Haven Park, and has two churches within its city limits:

First Baptist of Haven Park, located on Broadview Drive, has been serving the community since 1911, and 75% of the citizens are confirmed members. The current pastor is Brett Woodward, having taken over for city council member Andrew Baxter in 1964.

St. Agnes Catholic Church, lying on the border between Haven Park and Cottage Cove, has been open since 1920. The priest since its inception is Patrick Whitman, a prominent figure on local radio.

Downtown Haven Park, a modest strip of less than a mile, houses city hall and the courthouse, the police station, the district attorney’s office, the post office and a number of shops and restaurants. Also of note are a beauty salon, an Army recruitment office, a funeral home and a car lot.

The largest building downtown is the showroom for local furniture warehouse The Chair Emporium. Located on 4th and Ellery, with its offices on the second floor, the store employs more than 70 full and part time workers, making it the third largest employer in town, behind the local government and school district. Opened in 1958 and growing to include a second location in Cottage Cove, it's a prime example of a strong local business.


In Summary:

The town of Haven Park, while small by most standards, has a rich 62-year history and offers a true sense of community to its residents, young and old alike.