HARRISON—The Sioux County Historical Society in Harrison will sponsor its annual Historical Trek on Saturday, Sept. 10. This year, the group will visit the Sunrise Iron Mine and the town of Sunrise, near Hartville, Wyo.
Sunrise was a company mining town operated by the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company of Pueblo, Colo. It supported the Sunrise Iron Mine that was adjacent. The high quality soft iron ore found at Sunrise had been mined for thousands of years by Paleo Indians in an ancient mine just across the ravine from the YMCA building. It is a world-class archaeological site in itself.
In recent history, the ore mined at Sunrise was sent almost exclusively to the blast furnaces at Pueblo. CF&I purchased the mining rights in 1898 and mined there until 1980. Mining was done on the surface in the Glory Hole, which is now filled with a deep lake, and also in tunnels. The ore was partially crushed at Sunrise and then sent by ore cars to Pueblo.
The town of Sunrise was built to support and house miners and their families. Brick homes, a hospital, schools, support buildings, a large company store and the first YMCA building in Wyoming were constructed there. The YMCA is now home to the Western History Center’s museum. It is in the process of being renovated.
The Sunrise camp was a model for mining camps up and down the Rocky Mountain region. After the Ludlow Massacre in Colorado, CF&I spent millions of dollars improving the lives and working conditions of its miners and families. Sunrise was considered the best of the company towns.
Please plan to meet at the Sioux County Museum in Harrison the morning of Sept. 10 at 8 a.m. for coffee and rolls. We will travel by bus, leaving at 8:30 a.m. We will stop briefly at Decker’s in Lusk to pick up Wyoming guests, and we will arrive at Sunrise at approximately 10:30 a.m. The Western History Center will lead the tour of the mine. It will be a walking tour and will take two to three hours
We need a minimum of 20 participants for the day to pay for the bus and the tour. Call the Sioux County Museum at 308-665-5175 for more information and to register. Registration is due by Monday, Sept. 5.