Centennial, Wyo., 1970's
Centennial is about 45 miles west of Laramie at the foot of the Snowy Range. Its
history is that of failed dreams, in the words of Cheyenne historian Robert G. Rosenberg it is a
"mere footnote in the mining history of the western United States." According to Rosenberg, the mining
rushes in 1876, 1902,, and 1923-1924 "were larely based 'on wishful thinking, irresponsible distortion of
the facts by the media, and promotional schemes.'" Historic American Engineering Record, file No. WY-16
Centennial, Wyo., 1920's
The two-story building at the right of the above photo is the "Mountain View Hotel" constructed as part
of mining promotional scheme in the early 1900's. The hotel is now on the national register.
The first
settlement in the area of present day Centennial were tie camps established in
1868 to provide railroad ties to the Union Pacific with the first homestead the following
year. Shortly thereafter, the tie hacks had to withdraw from the area due to
disagreements with the Indians. In 1875 by I. P. Lambing
of Golden, Colorado, discovered the Centennial Mine named in honor of the
country's hundredth anniversary. In 1877, the vein of gold ended at a fault.
The continuation of the vein on the other side of the fault has never been found. Thus,
the original mines failed. Prospectors continued to hope.
Centennial, in the distance, from the Snowy Range Road, 1930's.
 Issac Van Horn
The most important of the promotional schemes were those of Isaac Van Horn, Fred A. Miller, and
Edward R. Miller. On May 16, 1905, the Acme Consolidated Gold & Mining Company,
capitalized at $1,000,000.00 was organized
under the laws of the State of Wyoming with Isaac Van Horn, President; Arthur S. Howe, Secretary and
Treasuer, and Fred A. Miller, as general manager.
Acme was a holding company for the Acme Gold & Copper Mining Co. and had an
interlocking board of directors with the Laramie, Hahn's Peak and Pacific Railroad Company and the
Northern Colorado Coal Co. both of which were also incorporated under Wyoming Law and had their
respective business offices in Laramie. One prospectus for the three companies was issued under the
name "Boswyocolo Company." The prospectus promised that the companies were "a new idea in
finance; illusrated with views in such a way that its legitimate and sound basis cannot be
questioned by the most conservative." Van Horn was also president of the Railroad and
Edward R. Miller vice-president of the Coal Company. The reference to"Bos" was to Boston where Col.
Van Horn maintained his office as an investment broker.
Isaac Van Horn had made his initial money as a grocer in Nebraska before moving to Boston.
Beginning about 1905, one James C. Riach began the employment of dummy entrymen for the
aquisition of coal lands in the North Park area of Jackson County, Colorado near Coalmont.
Miller with several others also began the aquisition of coal lands.
The use of the dummy entrymen was, of course, in violation of Federal law and was fraudulent. The
coal lands were then conveyed to the Coal Company. Coal without railroad transportation is of value for
only local sale.
Grading for the Lamamie,
Hahn's Peak and Pacific Railroad west of Fox Park, Wyo.
In Laramie, Acme Consolidated acquired a number of city lots and an office building. At
Centennial, the company aquired in addition to the townsite, 100,000,000 feet of standing timber, a sawmill, planing-mill and lumber
yard, and the Centennial Post newspaper. The "Rocky Mountain Country Club" was to be
located on a 320 acre site. Col. Van Horn (he was an aide de camp to the Governor Henry B. Quinby of
New Hampshire with the title of "Colonel."), belonged to two country clubs in New England.
Gravity Water Tank,
L. H. P. & P. Rairoad, Spring Creek.
By 1907, the Railroad had pushed on to Centennial, by 1910 to the state line, and by 1911 it had
reached the Coal Company's mine at Coalmont. The rolling stock for the railroad was minimal. It had
three locomotives,18 cars and one rotary plow.
Rotary Plow,
L. H. P. & P. Rairoad.
Unfortunately, by 1911, the bloom was off
the mining boom in the Medicine Bows and Centennial. Other difficulties lay on the horizon.
An action was brought by the Federal Government against the coal company to set aside the patents issued
for the coal lands. The patentss were set aside by the United States District Court. The ruling was
sustained on appeal. See Northern Colorado Coal Co. v. Unted States, 234 F. 34 (8th Cir. 1916).
The Companies went into receivership. The railroad was sold to the Colorado, Wyoming & Eastern Railway Company in
1914 and subsequently to the Union Pacific. The line is now abandoned and the rolling stock sold to a railroad
in Arizona.
LHP&P depot and hotel in Fox Park, Wyo.
With the failure of the railroad and mining companies, Col. Van Horn moved to Florida in 1911.
By 1922, he had established an
oil company to drill for oil in the Green Swamp of Polk County, Florida.
On the edge of the swamp and on the shores of Lake Agnes and Mud Lake he established a new town named
"Polk City." The town, at an elevation of 173 feet, was promoted as being in the "Scenic Highlands" of
Florida. After seven years of searching for oil without success, Col. Van Horn pulled his drilling rigs out.
In the Florida Boom of the 1920's many great cities arose. Polk City was not one of them. By 1960, its
population had descended from a peak of 600 to 203. With the growth in the Central Florida corridor, the town has begun to come back and
now has a population of about 2,000.
Hope springs eternal. In December of 2000, the
Wyoming State Geological Survey announced that a sample rock had been found at
Centennial Ridge that was
"highly anomolous in gold," leading to the possibility that the gold vein may
yet be found.
Next Page Centennial Ridge continued, Douglas Creek and Keystone Mining Districts.
|