Cokeville in Lincoln County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)
Cokeville
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 11, 2015
1. Cokeville Marker
Inscription.
Cokeville is situated at the confluence of the Bear River and Smiths Fork valleys. Between 1812 ad 1865, these valleys were the domain of American Indians, fur trappers and traders; during the 1830s and 1840s, they became a well traveled pathway of emigrant trains traveling to Oregon and California. Known as "Smiths Fork on the Bear River" to fur trappers and pioneers, Cokeville acquired its permanent name after the discovery of near-by coal deposits that produced coke, an intense burning virtually smokeless product. , The Mormon Church sent the first permanent settlers to the area in 1874 to found a community. Sylvanus Collett and Robert Gee arrived with their families at the Smiths Fork River, soon to be followed by the John Bourne family. The men trapped, hunted, and traded hides, fur, and extra meat for supplies in Evanston, Wyoming about 70 miles south. The trip to Evanston was arduous; winter journeys were sometimes made on the frozen Bear River. The launching of the Oregon Shoreline in 1881 made travel easier. The railroad stimulated trade, changing the center of the main settlement to the vicinity of the tracks. , Prior to 1908, Cokeville consisted of two saloons, a hotel, a general store, and boarding houses. In the next nine years it incorporated and added a state bank, a newspaper, a water system, and electric lighting. In 1922, Cokeville made national headlines when Ethel Stoner became mayor and two other females won seats on the town council. The women ran on a law enforcement ticket, although once in office, they found local police disinclined to enforce Prohibition laws then in force. After U.S. Highway 30 was commissioned through the town in 1926 then surfaced with oil in 1935, Cokeville found itself itself on a major cross-country route. The highway continues to play an important role in the town's economy.
Cokeville is situated at the confluence of the Bear River and Smiths Fork valleys. Between 1812 ad 1865, these valleys were the domain of American Indians, fur trappers and traders; during the 1830s and 1840s, they became a well traveled pathway of emigrant trains traveling to Oregon and California. Known as "Smiths Fork on the Bear River" to fur trappers and pioneers, Cokeville acquired its permanent name after the discovery of near-by coal deposits that produced coke, an intense burning virtually smokeless product.
The Mormon Church sent the first permanent settlers to the area in 1874 to found a community. Sylvanus Collett and Robert Gee arrived with their families at the Smiths Fork River, soon to be followed by the John Bourne family. The men trapped, hunted, and traded hides, fur, and extra meat for supplies in Evanston, Wyoming about 70 miles south. The trip to Evanston was arduous; winter journeys were sometimes made on the frozen Bear River. The launching of the Oregon Shoreline in 1881 made travel easier. The railroad stimulated trade, changing the center of the main settlement to the vicinity of the tracks.
Prior to 1908, Cokeville consisted of two saloons, a hotel, a general store, and boarding houses. In the next nine years it incorporated and added a state bank, a newspaper, a water system, and electric lighting.
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In 1922, Cokeville made national headlines when Ethel Stoner became mayor and two other females won seats on the town council. The women ran on a law enforcement ticket, although once in office, they found local police disinclined to enforce Prohibition laws then in force. After U.S. Highway 30 was commissioned through the town in 1926 then surfaced with oil in 1935, Cokeville found itself itself on a major cross-country route. The highway continues to play an important role in the town's economy.
Erected by Wyoming State Archives and Historical Department.
Location. 42° 5.394′ N, 110° 56.976′ W. Marker is in Cokeville, Wyoming, in Lincoln County. Marker is on U.S. 30 at milepost 11 near East Main Street (Wyoming Highway 232), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Cokeville WY 83114, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 11, 2015
2. Cokeville Marker
(approx. 10˝ miles away in Idaho); Emigrant Springs (approx. 13.9 miles away).
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on November 11, 2015, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 792 times since then and 64 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on November 11, 2015, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.