The town is named after C.H. "Dad" Worland, a seedlings salesman
who in 1903 established a stage station on the Bridger Trail near the
present town.
The few buildings in early Worland were built on the west side of the Bighorn
River. In 1905 the railroad was laid on the east side of the river. Residents
waited until the river froze that winter, then slid the buildings over to the
east side.
The Colby Mammoth Kill site lies 16 miles east of Worland. Hundreds
of mammoth bones, along with several projectile points, were excavated
here during the early 1970's. The site is roughly dated at 11,000 years
ago and is one of the largest known mammoth kill sites.