Name: Black Buttes

 

County: Sweetwater

 

Authority Name:

 

GNIS Entry

 

Longitude:  1084148W

Latitude: 413252N 

 

Legal Description:

 

Elevation: 6611/2015

(ft/m)

 

Feature Type: Locale

 

Origin of Name:

 

Other Names: 

 

Alternative Spellings: Blackbuttes

 

History:

Black Buttes Post Office was establish in June, 1890. Its name was changed to Blackbuttes in October, 1895 and it was discontinued in July, 1901. In November, 1907, it was re-established as Black Buttes Post Office. It was discontined again in February, 1919 and its mail then handled by Rock Springs Post Office.

Source: Wyoming Post Offices

 

A new postoffice in Sweetwater County. Stock raising and coal mining the leading industries.  

Source: Wyoming State Business Directory, 1910-11 

 

A station on the Overland Route and Union Pacific Railroad between Patrick and Hallville.

Source: Guidebook of the Western United States

 

The Black Buttes district lies on the east side of the Rock Springs dome and includes all the coal-bearing beds from the Point of Rocks district southward to Black Buttes Creek, or all the territory in this part of the Rock Springs field whose source of supply and transportation centers about Black Buttes station. The district was opened in 1868, when the Union Pacific Railroad was built along Bitter Creek valley. Several mining camps have been established, but none of them are very extensive. The mines in one camp are operated on a coal bed near the base of the Black Rock coal group, and those in all the other camps on coal beds in the Black Buttes coal group.

 

The first mine in the Black Buttes district was opened in 1868 in the hill east of Black Buttos station. It is commonly known as Morgan's mine and produced considerable coal. The coal, however, was inferior to the Rock Springs coal and the mine was soon abandoned. About 1890 it was reopened and continued in operation until 1893, producing about 50,000 tons. It was then again abandoned, presumably on account of poor markets for coal of that kind. The company worked an upper bed 4 feet thick and the main bed, 15 feet lower, 8 feet thick. The latter supplied most of the coal while the mine was in operation. In the summer of 1907 the mine was filled with water, so that no further investigation could be made.

Source: Schultz

 

Stories:

 

Maps:

1:24000 Quadrangle: Black Buttes

 

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