Name: Carbon

 

County: Carbon

 

Authority Name:

 

GNIS Entry

 

Longitude:  1062237W

Latitude: 415055N

 

Legal Description:

 

Elevation: 6831/2082(ft/m)

 

Feature Type: Populated Place, Post Office

 

Origin of Name:

Named because of the large deposits of coal located here. Now a ghost town.

Source: Annals 14(3)  

 

Other Names: 

 

Alternative Spellings:

 

History:

Carbon Post Office was established on March 17, 1869 with Thomas Wardell as postmaster. It was discontinued on January 2, 1907 and its mail then handled by Como Post Office.

Source: Wyoming Post Offices

 

In 1884 Carbon was a flourishing mining town with a population of some five hundred miners, many of whom were married, and a floating population that often swelled its numbers to a thousand or more. Carbon was located on the Union Pacific Railroad about halfway between Laramie and Rawlins. In the early 1900’s the Union Pacific Railroad decided to shorten the track between Laramie and Rawlins which led to town being abandoned. The mines nearby were in operation as early as 1866 and were known to the Indians much earlier than that. Indians once described the location as being the “place where the rocks burned.” 

Source: WPA

 

Stories:

 

Maps:

1:24000 Quadrangle: Carbon

 

Newspapers:

 

More Information: 

 

Pictures: