South Pass City, Wyoming facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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South Pass City
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South Pass City in 1870, three years after gold was discovered
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 Location in Wyoming
Location in the United States
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| Location | South Pass Rd., South Pass City, Fremont County, Wyoming |
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| Built | 1867 |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000670 |
| Added to NRHP | February 26, 1970 |
South Pass City is a small, historic community in Fremont County, Wyoming, United States. It's located about 2 miles south of where highways 28 and 131 meet. This place was once an important stop on the Oregon Trail. Later, it became a busy gold mining town. After the gold mines closed, most people left, and it became a ghost town. Today, the entire community is listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its important history. The closest town is Atlantic City.
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History of South Pass City
South Pass City grew quickly in the 1850s. It started as a station for stagecoaches and telegraph messages on the famous Oregon Trail. The very first settlement in this area was about 9 miles south of where South Pass City is today. This spot was called Burnt Ranch. It was where pioneers on the Emigrant Trails crossed the Sweetwater River one last time before heading up to the South Pass.
Mark Twain's Visit
In August 1861, a young man named Samuel Clemens passed through South Pass City. He later became the famous writer Mark Twain. He was traveling by stagecoach with his brother Orion. Orion was going to be the Secretary of Nevada Territory. Mark Twain wrote about his visit in his book Roughing It. He described South Pass City as having only four log cabins. One of them wasn't even finished!
He met a man who was the hotelkeeper, postmaster, blacksmith, mayor, constable, city marshal, and main citizen all rolled into one. Twain joked that this man was "a perfect Allen's revolver of dignities." This meant the man had many important jobs, like a special gun that could fire all its bullets at once. Twain thought it would be a huge loss if this one person, who did so many jobs, were to die.
Gold Rush and Women's Rights
In 1867, people found gold nearby. A year later, prospecting (searching for gold) began at what would become the Carissa mine. Many gold seekers and adventurers quickly arrived. They founded South Pass City. Within just one year, the town's population grew to about 2,000 people!
A saloon owner named William H. Bright was elected to the Wyoming Territorial Legislature. He became the President of the Territorial Council. He introduced a bill to give women the right to vote, called women's suffrage. This bill passed! On December 10, 1869, Territorial Governor John A. Campbell signed the Women's Suffrage Act into law. This made Wyoming the very first place in the United States to let women vote. Women across the country didn't get this right until 1920.
First Female Judge
In 1870, Esther Hobart Morris made history in South Pass City. She became the first female justice of the peace (a type of judge) in the United States. She started her job on February 14, 1870, and served for almost nine months. The local county board chose Morris to be the judge. The previous judge had quit because he was against women getting the right to vote.
The Town's Decline
Within ten years, the town's population dropped a lot. The large amounts of gold that people hoped for simply weren't there. By the mid-1870s, only about 100 people lived in South Pass City. By 1901, it grew a little to 180 people. But over the next 100 years, even more people left. Many of the town's homes, stores, hotels, and saloons fell apart. A few businesses kept going, but the last of the original families moved out in 1949.
South Pass City State Historic Site
By the end of the 1900s, people started working to bring the community back to life. They wanted to make it a historic site for visitors. Today, South Pass City has two parts. One part is where a few people still live. The other part is the South Pass City State Historic Site. This site protects over 30 old buildings from when the town was busiest in the 1860s and 1870s. In 1970, the whole community was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) has carefully recorded the town. They made drawings and took many photographs. A famous HABS photographer named Jack Boucher took pictures there.
In 2003, the Wyoming State Legislature bought the Carissa Mine. They added it to the South Pass City State Historic Site. The Carissa Mine was very important to South Pass City's economy for many years. Wyoming State Parks worked with another group to fix mine dangers and make the buildings safe. Other groups have also helped raise money to fix up the mine and show it to visitors. Today, you can tour the mine buildings. You can even see demonstrations of old mining and milling equipment.
Popular Culture
In his book The Outlaw Trail: A Journey Through Time, Robert Redford wrote a whole chapter about South Pass City.
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