Collections - Sage
History of the Community of Sage
In 1875, the Wyoming Coal and Coke Company opened a coal mine in the Bear River formation near Sage, Wyoming and erected coke ovens. The mine was developed on a slope 470 feet long with a single entry 120 feet long. Although efforts were made to wash the coal to remove impurities, coking attempts soon met with failure. When the Oregon Shortline was built through the region in 1881, a second undertaking to develop the deposits met with similar negative results. Finally in 1900, a third attempt was made by a Pennsylvania expert, who expanded the mine and designed and built a new coke oven. He finally concluded that the coal was of no value as a coking coal. Altogether, approximately $130,000 was spent attempting to develop the mine for coking coal.
Local historian Alice Antilla states that this mine was originally called "Sillem" or "Mountain Chief".
Apparently Chinese laborerers were used, but it is not known at what stage in the mine's history they were employed.
Sage is located 24.1 miles west of Kemmerer on US Hwy 30 adjacent to the current railroad tracks. Sage was a railroad station named for the the sage on the surrounding prairies.
Sage Cemetery History
Location: At Sage Junction (intersection of Hwy 89 and Hwy 30), travel east on Hwy 30 approximately three miles until Sage road sign is seen. Cemetery is located due north of Sage sign in a fenced enclosure. (GPS: 41.814014N 110.963620W)