Centennial, Wyo., 1920'sThe first
settlement in the area of present day Centennial were tie camps established in
1868 to provide railroad ties to the Union Pacific with the first homestead the following
year. Shortly thereafter, the tie hacks had to withdraw from the area due to
disagreements with the Indians. In 1875 by I. P. Lambing
of Golden, Colorado, discovered the Centennial Mine named in honor of the
country's hundredth anniversary. The 1895 Atlas of Wyoming reflected that while Centennial
had a post office it did not yet have an express office. However, by 1905,
the town had a bank, school, hotel, livery stable,
and a lumber yard boasting of an inventory of 300,000 board feet.
Queen Mine, Shaft House, 1989
The Queen Mine and the Joker Mine,
shown below are in the Centennial Ridge and Douglas Mining Districts, located about 2-3 miles
from Centennial. The first mine in Albany County was the Morning Star on the
west bank of Douglas Creek. Copper ore from the Centennial Mining District was
hauled by horse drawn freighters to the UPRR in Laramie and then by rail to
Colorado for smelting. The need for less expensive haulage prompted the
incorporation of the L.H.P.& P. Railroad, discussed in connection wih Laramie,
in 1901. The Railroad, however, did not reach Centennial until 1907. The Railroad
went into receivership in 1911 and was sold in 1914.
Outhouse, Queen Mine |
The Joker Mine, Centennial Ridge
The Joker is located at 9, 620 ft. elevation and is .7 miles south of Rambler and
requires about a third of a mile hike through timber. The mining district
in the Medicine Bow Mountains to the west and south of Laramie also included the towns
of Albany, Keystone, and Platinum City.
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The Queen Mine, technically the "Platinum Queen," was established
in 1924 by A. J. Hull, Jessie Northrup and B. F. Northrup to mine platinum and
gold. Small traces of platinum and gold are found at the botton of the
160 ft. shaft. Hull was ultimately indicted for mail fraud in connection with
his promotion of the mine and Platinum City.
Bunkhouse, Cliff Mine, Keystone Mining District
Keystone was founded in 1878 and after the end of the mining era continued
with timbering. Platinum City, in Albany County was founded in 1928 but lasted
only ten years failing by 1938.
Next Page Grand Encampment Mining District.
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