Buford is Wyoming's second oldest town. It was founded in 1866 as a fort to protect workers on the nearby transcontinental railroad. At the time, the town's population was 2,000, comprised of mostly itinerant workers. As the railroad moved west, the workers moved as well, and the town has shrunk in size ever since to its current population of one.
The community was named after Major General John Buford, who rose to fame in the Civil War's Gettysburg Campaign. While in the command of the 1st Division, Buford established the field of battle by taking and holding the high ground around Gettysburg, allowing the Union Army to win a strategic victory.
The Curt Gowdy State Park, named after the legendary sports announcer, is near Buford and offers camping, three reservoirs for fishing and water sports. The park also boasts the Hynds Lodge, listed on the National Register, and an amphitheater available for concerts and other activities.
Vedauwoo, or ""earth born"" is a State Park with rocky outcrops within the Medicine Bow - Routt National Forest near Buford and a popular rock climbing location. Vedauwoo has over 900 routes with some of the best off-width climbs known. The area's lack of man-made lighting also makes it a popular location to star gaze.
Also near Buford is the “Tree in the Rock,” a famous pine tree that seems to be growing out of solid rock, first discovered in 1867. Legend has it that the builders of the transcontinental railroad diverted the tracks slightly to preserve the tree as they laid rails and that trains stopped at the tree to water it.
Another tribute to the transcontinental railroad near Buford is the Ames Monument. The monument was built by H.H. Richardson, a legendary architect of the time, to honor Oakes and Oliver Ames, brothers who built the railroad. Chiseled portraits of the brothers, sculpted by August St. Gaudens, are set in apex of the pyramid facing east and west. The 60' monument, once located along the railroad tracks and a stop for trains, now stands alone after the railroad and the Lincoln highway were relocated miles from the site.