Centennial is a small town in Centennial Valley located between Sheep Mountain and the Snowy Range, which is part of the Medicine Bow Range.
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| Centennial abt 1903 |
The Little Laramie River flows through the valley, which provided water to the town and surrounding settlers and helped keep miles of open prairie green. Centennial is located about forty-five miles west of Laramie City, Wyoming.
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| Centennial about 1920 |
Before there was a Centennial, crews of men had gone into the Snowy Mountains in 1868 to cut railroad ties for the Union Pacific Railroad that was laying track in Wyoming Territory. Problems with the local Native Americans eventually drove the tie camps, as they were called, out.
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| Laramie Plains near Centennial |
Not long after the passage of the Pacific Railways Act and the Homestead Act in 1862, and the coming of the railroad, the Centennial Valley began to experience an increase in settlement. The first homestead in the area was filed in 1869. The original settlers were mainly homesteaders and ranchers.
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| Snippet from 1883 G.L. Holt map |
Gold on Centennial Ridge, which ran across the tops of the Snowy Mountains above Centennial, was discovered in 1874.
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| Mine Tailings, Cliff Mine |
In 1875, men who worked for I.P. Lambing, a mine supervisor from Golden, Colorado, plus Stephen W. Downey, who was a Laramie City Lawyer, established the Centennial Mine. Mr. Downey became the president of the mine, which was named to honor the coming anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence of the United States. A post office was established. The Centennial Mining District was established, and still shows on a G.L. Holt map in 1883.
Centennial received national attention with a gold nugget from the Centennial Mine was on exhibit at the 1776-1876 Philadelphia Exposition.
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| Queen Mine and tailings |
In 1877, the
vein of gold ended in a fault, but
the continuation of that vein on the
other side of the fault has never been found. There were mining rushes in 1876, 1902, and
1923-1924. In spite of the excitement generated by each new find, none were long-lasting
enough be considered noteworthy. However, Centennial had become an established
town. The merchants who once served the miners continued to serve the nearby
ranches.
After several efforts at finding additional gold failed, loggers returned to the area in 1905.
Also, the town of Centennial became known as an adventurous excursion destination. Hotels, restaurants, and a train line were built to transport the citizens of Laramie City and other nearby cities to visit and explore. Camping trips to the town and surrounding area became popular.
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| Mountain View Hotel about 1914 |
Excursions were organized by Gustav Sundby of the Mountain View Hotel. Once automobiles came into wide use, car trips to Centennial and the Snowy Mountains became popular.
In the process of setting up a timeline for my recent release, The Bride Who Invades Saloons, I set my heroine’s home city as Chicago. She and her family lived in the section that was burned in the 1871 Great Chicago Fire. I wrote a post on a different blog about that fire, which you may find by clicking HERE.
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| Centennial Mining District-Centennial Ridge |
However, when poverty and desperation sends her seeking a husband through the mail, my hero, a rancher in the Laramie Basin region, needed a compelling enough reason to explain why be became so distracted that he missed being at the Laramie City train depot on time to meet his future bride. It was learning of the discovery of gold on Centennial Ridge in 1874 that gave me the inspiration to set up those scenes.
My recent release, The Bride Who Invades Saloons, set in 1874 primarily in Laramie City, Wyoming Territory, To find the book description and purchase options, please CLICK HERE
Sources:
https://www.visitlaramie.org/blog/post/the-fascinating-history-of-centennial-wyoming/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centennial,_Wyoming#Geography
https://www.wyoachs.com/places/2018/1/9/centennial-wyoming-its-still-an-adventure
http://www.wyomingtalesandtrails.com/ghost2.html