Tubb Town, Wyoming facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tubb Town
Field City
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Ghost town
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Historical marker off U.S. 16
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 Tubb Town
Location in Wyoming
Tubb Town
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States of America |
| State | Wyoming |
| County | Weston |
| Established | spring 1889 |
| Abandoned | September 1889 |
| Founded by | DeLoss Dewitt Tubbs |
| Named for | founder |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
Tubb Town, also known as Field City, was a ghost town in Weston County, Wyoming. A ghost town is a place where everyone has left, and it's now empty.
This town was meant to be a stop along a new railroad line. However, it quickly became known as a very wild place. It was settled and then completely abandoned in just a few months during 1889. Tubb Town is a great example of a "boom and bust" town in the Black Hills area. A "boom and bust" town grows very fast, then shrinks just as quickly.
Contents
What's in a Name?
Why Tubb Town Was Called Field City First
When the town was first started, its founder, DeLoss Dewitt Tubbs, wanted to name it Field City. But almost everyone living there decided to call it Tubb Town instead. They did this to honor Mr. Tubbs.
Other Names for Tubb Town
Most old records and stories call it Tubb Town. You might also see it called Tubtown or Tibville in some places.
A Short History of Tubb Town
How Tubb Town Started
In the late 1880s, a railroad company called the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad was building tracks through Wyoming. This led to new towns popping up. One of these was Newcastle, Wyoming, founded by miners.
In the spring of 1889, DeLoss Dewitt Tubbs, who was from Custer, South Dakota, decided to build a new settlement. He thought the railroad would pass through his town, which he called Tubb Town. At first, it was just a single store.
The Town's Quick Growth
Soon after, a man named F. R. Curran set up a place where people could gather. As more workers from the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad came to the area, Tubb Town started to grow very fast. People from a nearby railroad town called Whoop-Up, Wyoming even moved to Tubb Town. They hoped it would become a big city.
The town quickly got a reputation for being a very rough and wild place. Even famous people like Calamity Jane visited Tubb Town once.
The End of Tubb Town
However, on September 1, 1889, the railroad made a big announcement. They said their tracks would not go through Tubb Town. Mr. Tubbs didn't know that the railroad's own company, Lincoln Land Company, had already planned where all the new towns would be built.
Just nine days later, on September 10, 1889, the first land lots in Newcastle were sold. People immediately started leaving Tubb Town to move to Newcastle. One business owner even moved his shop by setting it up in the back of his wagon while traveling! By November 1, 1889, Tubb Town was completely empty. Today, there are no buildings left at the site.
Where Was Tubb Town?
Tubb Town was located in Weston County, Wyoming. It was near Salt Creek and an old trail called the Custer-Belle Fourche Trail. This spot is about two miles northeast of Newcastle.
Today, the area is close to where U.S. Highway 85 and U.S. Highway 16 meet. It's also about 7.9 miles west of the border with South Dakota. There are no buildings left, but a special marker now stands there to remember the town's short but exciting history.
