Posted in Wyoming
September 10, 2016
This Spooky Small Town In Wyoming Could Be Right Out Of A Horror Movie
With Wyoming’s ties to the Old West, it’s no wonder the Cowboy State has its share of bonafide ghost towns. Many western mining towns went through a boom-bust period where the population would rise with the discovery of gold and at the height of its mining operations. Then the boom would bust, the mine would shut down and people would move on to another location. That’s the way it was with this spooky small town in Wyoming that is so creepy, it could be right out of a horror movie.
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Out in the middle of nowhere lies an old abandoned mining town surrounded by a thick layer of vegetation and trees.
Miner's Delight is a town in Fremont County that is located along the southern tip of the Wind River Range. The town is a sister city to Atlantic City and South Pass City and prospered during the mining boom of the west. It was one of Wyoming's first communities and where Calamity Jane spent time as a young girl.
Gold was discovered here in 1868 and the population peaked in this mining town at 75. In fact, that is how the town got its name. It was to the delight of miners that a golden lode was found on the ridge above town. Throughout the years, the economy was a rollercoaster with some people hanging in there up until 1960. After that, the population died out and as of 2015, there still are no residents, well, not that we know of anyway. Who knows what might be lurking around this old abandoned town?
Mystery seemed to be a way of life in Miner's Delight. In 1893, there was a very publicized incident known as the "brass lock service mystery." The postmaster in Miner's Delight attempted to ship 8 registered letters to Rawlins using the "brass lock service" which used canvas pouches that were locked with brass locks. However, when the mail reached Rawlins, the pouch had been cut and all of the registered letters had been stolen. It turns out that the postmaster's wife was charged with the crime and sent to the Laramie Prison.
Miner's Delight, even though it might give you the heebie jeebies, offers us a glimpse of what life was like so many years ago in Wyoming. At one time, the town consisted of seven cabins, one saloon, one shop or barn, one meat house, a shaft house, cellar, one pantry, three privies and a corral. The buildings were constructed of logs or unfinished lumber. The Bureau of Land Management is working towards preserving the ruins of Miner's Delight.
Pictured is an old graveyard. Wonder who or what they were trying to keep in or out?
Have you ever been to Miner’s Delight? How did it make you feel when you were there?
