1889 - 1934: Hanna No. 2: The Union Pacific Coal Company's No. 2 Mine at Hanna, Wyoming

Exhibit by Bob Leathers

The Union Pacific Coal Company's No. 2 underground mine in Hanna, like the No. 1 mine, was developed in 1889 and 1890. In 1891 the mine produced 38,507 tons of coal for outside use. The mine itself used all the coal produced prior to 1891. The mine was then idle for 3 years, 1892 through 1894. In 1895, the No. 1 mine caught fire and was forced to temporarily close. The shutdown of No. 1 forced the No. 2 mine back into production. When the No. 1 mine recovered from the fire late in 1895 the No. 2 mine when back to idle status. The No. 2 mine went idle for the next nine years, 1896 through 1904. The No. 2 produced 31,131 tons of coal in 1895. In 1904, the mine was forced back into production because of the June 30, 1903 explosion of the No. 1 mine.  The No. 2 mine was closed permanently in 1934 when all the coal had been removed. The No. 2 mine produced 6,206,201 tons of coal over 31 years of production. During the mine’s lifetime, the highest number of workers was 633 in 1918 and the low number of workers was 280 in 1930. The Hanna Basin mines (Hanna, Elmo, Carbon, Sampo and Dana) experienced a total of 372 miner deaths. The No. 2 mine in Hanna was responsible for 27 of the 372 deaths.

Union Pacific Coal Company's No. 2 and No. 4 Mines (Hanna Basin Museum)

Map of the Union Pacific Coal Company Mines in Hanna, Wyoming (Hanna Basin Museum)

The Union Pacific Coal Company's Hanna No. 2 underground mine (Hanna Basin Museum)