Hanna, Carbon County, Wyoming
Website provided by Bob Leathers in cooperation with the Hanna Basin Museum and Historical Society
Created: August 1, 2010
Last Updated: February 15, 2019
Website contact information: HannaBasinMuseum@gmail.com (Attention: Bob)
Created: August 1, 2010
Last Updated: February 15, 2019
Website contact information: HannaBasinMuseum@gmail.com (Attention: Bob)
Hanna Basin Museum and Cummings/Crawford Cottage (While Family Collection taken by Bob Leathers, 2015)
Hanna Basin Museum and Historical Society
P.O. Box 252
502 Front Street, Hanna WY 82327
(307) 325-6465
Summer Hours: Friday - Sunday 1:00 to 5:00 PM Winter Hours: Friday 1:00 to 5:00 PM
Summer hours start with Memorial Day and end with Labor Day.
P.O. Box 252
502 Front Street, Hanna WY 82327
(307) 325-6465
Summer Hours: Friday - Sunday 1:00 to 5:00 PM Winter Hours: Friday 1:00 to 5:00 PM
Summer hours start with Memorial Day and end with Labor Day.
Welcome to the Hanna Basin Museum Website
The purpose of this website is to help others connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing historical information about Wyoming's Hanna Basin. We invite you to explore how the Hanna Basin came to be and how it touched the lives of many.
New or Updated Material on the Website
- New: Under the Exhibits tab: 1936-1958: The Nugget Coal Company Operated in Hanna and Elmo, Wyoming (February 14, 2019)
- New: Under the Early Settlers tab: added Alexander and Anne Briggs (February 14, 2019)
- New: Under the Exhibits tab: added 1911-1925: Union Pacific Coal Company's No. 3.5 mine in Hanna (February 14, 2019)
- Updated: Under the Hanna tab: A Chronological History of Wyoming's Hanna Basin: added new dates and exhibit links. (February 14, 2019)
- Updated: Under the Exhibits tab: Hanna School Alumni, Staff and Activities From the Early Years: added new content: (February 14, 2019)
- Updated: Under the Exhibits tab: The Finn Hall: added new pictures (February 14, 2019)
- Help: The Hanna Basin Museum Website is searching for pictures and information about the abandoned Nugget and Monolith open pit mines located near Hanna and Elmo, Wyoming. The Nugget Coal Company operated near Elmo from 1936 until 1958. The Monolith Portland Midwest Coal Company operated near Elmo from 1937 until 1969. The two mines are important pieces of the Hanna and Elmo mining history. We can not locate a picture of either mine, please help by contacting Bob at HannaBasinMuseum@gmail.com.
Grandfather Andrew Anderson in front of the Anderson Family filling station near Hanna at Coyote Canyon on the Lincoln Highway (Anderson Family Collection)
Exciting News About a New Exhibit Coming to the Hanna Basin Museum
from the Historic Properties Treatment Plan for the Shirley Basin to Jim Bridger Segment of the Gateway West Transmission Line Project
from the Historic Properties Treatment Plan for the Shirley Basin to Jim Bridger Segment of the Gateway West Transmission Line Project
To read the entire project click on the button below.
Summary From Pages 149 - 150 of the Project Report Concerning the Hanna Basin Museum
The proposed project is a wonderful opportunity for Hanna. It will allow for a Lincoln Highway exhibit to be placed at the Hanna Basin Museum. The Anderson family who owned and operated a filling station on the Lincoln Highway in the first half of the twentieth century kept many of the objects associated with the station. The family has proposed the use of these materials in the development of an exhibit at the museum about the Lincoln Highway.
A phased approach will be used for development and implementation of the museum exhibit. The first phase of mitigation will consist of an inventory of the Anderson family’s collection related to the Lincoln Highway. This phase will also include an assessment of available space at the Hanna Basin Museum and surrounding property.
The second phase will consist of the development of an interpretive plan, design plan, marketing plan, and implementation plan for the exhibit. The interpretive plan will present a research theme and topics for the exhibit, referencing historic and modern documents about the Lincoln Highway. The design plan will present the design of the exhibit, based on the inventory of the Anderson family’s collection and the assessment of space in or near the Hanna Basin Museum. The marketing plan will contain the approach for publicizing the exhibit to the public. The implementation plan will present the approach for installing the exhibit. These plans will be developed in consultation with the BLM; the signatories, invited signatories, and concurring parties to the PA; and other interesting parties invited to participate by the BLM.
The Proponent will contract a professional exhibit designer to develop the exhibit plans and oversee implementation of the plans. The BLM will conduct regularly scheduled meetings with the signatories, invited signatories, and concurring parties to the PA and other interesting parties invited by the BLM to update them on the progress of the mitigation. The exhibit plans will contain milestones and timelines for implementation. The Proponent will implement the exhibit plans and BLM will approve the implementation within 3 years after the completion of construction. (Historic Properties Treatment Plan for the Shirley Basin to Jim Bridger Segment of the Gateway West Transmission Line Project)
Watch this space for upcoming announcements and additional information as it becomes available.
1889 Hanna Is Born - Video from Bob Leathers - Music by the Kilkennys.
Click the center button to play the slide show.
Memories of Hanna
By
Betty (Daniels) Poulos
May 1993
This is a story of a town that survived
Through many a boom and bust–
Of folks who lived here for many years–
But left when they felt they must.
There are some of us here, who have stayed all these years,
And new one’s who have come to stay.
Hanna is a town we are proud of
It’s doing just fine today.
Remembering the days, that are long since gone–
Into the dim-distance of the past–
But so many things, from then to now–
Are the things that were made to last.
Like learning to live together-
Each day brought a different test-
When the cultures all were so different
And everyone gave their best.
From One Town, Two Town, Three Town-
Capital Hill and more-
They went to school and worked together
And learning opened the door.
They learned to speak a common language-
Found how alike they were at heart-
Through years of trial and error,
A new town had it’s start.
United Mine Workers had a party for all the kids
On every April Fools Day-
They went to a movie and had sweet tweets
On a day meant just to play.
And then, again on Labor Day-
They had another big to-do-
With games and races at this one-
And the grownups, got to play too.
There was an Opera House, a Movie House,
A Bakery, Bowling, a candy store,
A Coffee House and Dairy.
Wide open spaces to explore.
The grocery clerk would take your order
From his vehicle on the day before-
Then without fail the next day-
Delivered it to your door.
At one time Hanna was a town-
Separate from Elmo, a mile away-
They were combined a few years ago.
We are one nice town today.
We wish to welcome all of you home
And though things change as time marches on-
Memories stay the same in people’s hearts
And the old days are never gone.
By
Betty (Daniels) Poulos
May 1993
This is a story of a town that survived
Through many a boom and bust–
Of folks who lived here for many years–
But left when they felt they must.
There are some of us here, who have stayed all these years,
And new one’s who have come to stay.
Hanna is a town we are proud of
It’s doing just fine today.
Remembering the days, that are long since gone–
Into the dim-distance of the past–
But so many things, from then to now–
Are the things that were made to last.
Like learning to live together-
Each day brought a different test-
When the cultures all were so different
And everyone gave their best.
From One Town, Two Town, Three Town-
Capital Hill and more-
They went to school and worked together
And learning opened the door.
They learned to speak a common language-
Found how alike they were at heart-
Through years of trial and error,
A new town had it’s start.
United Mine Workers had a party for all the kids
On every April Fools Day-
They went to a movie and had sweet tweets
On a day meant just to play.
And then, again on Labor Day-
They had another big to-do-
With games and races at this one-
And the grownups, got to play too.
There was an Opera House, a Movie House,
A Bakery, Bowling, a candy store,
A Coffee House and Dairy.
Wide open spaces to explore.
The grocery clerk would take your order
From his vehicle on the day before-
Then without fail the next day-
Delivered it to your door.
At one time Hanna was a town-
Separate from Elmo, a mile away-
They were combined a few years ago.
We are one nice town today.
We wish to welcome all of you home
And though things change as time marches on-
Memories stay the same in people’s hearts
And the old days are never gone.
The Hanna - Elmo Fire Truck is Now at the Museum
Hanna - Elmo Fire Truck (Image by Bob Leathers)
Please, report typos and corrections on this website to HannaBasinMuseum@gmail.com (Attention Bob)
- Our goal is to honor the history of the Hanna Basin by providing detailed and accurate information.
- We welcome comments, documented corrections and additions to the content on this website.
- We also welcome any pictures, documents or information from our readers that might be helpful in our telling the Hanna Basin story.
- Individuals wishing to use images from this website must first receive permission from the Hanna Basin Museum. Please use the Contact Us page to send requests, comments and information to the museum or send an email to HannaBasinMuseum@gmail.com (Attention: Bob)