Hartville in Platte County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)
Hartville
Est. 1887
The Town of Hartville was named for Col. Verling Hart stationed at old Ft. Laramie in the late 1870's when Wyoming was still a territory. The town site of 200 acres was purchased from the Federal Government for $250.00. President Theodore Roosevelt signed the deed in 1907. Hartville was incorporated in 1911. The town originally located in Laramie County became part of Platte County in 1911. Hartville has the distinction of being the "oldest small town" still inhabited in Wyoming.
Copper ore was discovered in the area in the late 1800s: soon after a large deposit of hematite iron ore was found and the company town of Sunrise was born one mile from Hartville. The mine produced iron ore until the 1980's when the mining operation ceased and the company town of Sunrise closed although much of the iron body remains today. Currently high grade limestone is quarried in the area which is used in processing sugar beets and to reduce emissions from coal fired power plants.
Hartville was a true old west town sporting thirteen saloons/gambling halls, numerous bordellos, two newspapers (The Hartville Uplift and the Iron Gazette), an opera house which held live vaudeville productions, numerous mercantile businesses, Handwritten record of the Hartville Council proceedings show issuance of liquor licenses costing as much a $1000.00 per quarter/year. During Prohibition the saloons became "Coffee Houses" and later Ice Cream Parlors.
Hartville has a very diversified ethnic population; many Italians, Greek, Lebanese, Irish, Mexican, Spanish immigrants came to work in the iron ore mine at Sunrise and limestone quarries.
This building was once the Hartville Grade School. In 2006 with funds from the Wyoming Business Council and the State of Wyoming, the building was renovated and became our Community Center-Museum.
Erected by Town of Hartville.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #26 Theodore Roosevelt series list.
Location. 42° 19.569′ N, 104° 43.74′ W. Marker is in Hartville, Wyoming, in Platte County. Marker is at the intersection of Hartville Highway (State Highway 270) and Gambell Street, on the left when traveling north on Hartville Highway. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 479 Hartville Highway, Hartville WY 82215, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Brimmer Point (approx. 2.6 miles away); Guernsey State Park Museum (approx. 2.8 miles away); The Castle (approx. 2.8 miles away); "Million Dollar Biffy" (approx. 2.8 miles away); Civilian Conservation Corps (approx. 3.4 miles away); Guernsey Tunnel No. 2 (approx. 3.6 miles away); The Guernsey-Wendover Cutoff (approx. 3.6 miles away); Historic Guernsey Area (approx. 3.9 miles away).
Also see . . . Hartville Photos Wyoming Tales and Trails. With the arrival of the railroads, Hartville was incorporated as a municipality. A public subscription was taken up for the construction of a school which would double as a Sunday school on the Sabbath. (Submitted on October 3, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 1, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 3, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 560 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 3, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.