If you have been keeping track, you will notice that we are retracing many of our stops 20 years ago on our first cross country. Chris loves Lander, WY so of course we had to stop here again.
We both remember visiting a ghost town during that trip and I bought a quilt from a woman there, but we don’t quite remember where THERE was. Maybe it was South Pass City. It seemed very familiar, but when you have been to one late 1800s western town, you have probably been to them all.
We toured South Pass City with their self guiding walking tour and were lucky enough to be there on a day they were offering tours of the gold mine that caused the four booms and busts of the city.
The Carissa Gold Mine first boomed in 1867 and last boomed in 1947. Our tour guide, the Curator of the state historic site, was wonderfully enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the workings of the mine. Much of the old equipment had been restored and we were able to see and hear the cracking, crunching and smashing of a gold mine from 1947.
Curator Jon has set a new bar from which all future tour guides will be judged.
