Show mining town is ghost at last only shacks are reminder of old boom days in wyoming city SOUTH PASS CITY WYO wyo newest ghost town south pass city has only a few we ath er frame shacks to remind visitors of the days when it boasted of a population of gold hunters pioneers and gamblers abandoned more than 30 years after the rest of the states famous early time mining camps were deserted by their nomadic settlers south pass city is surrounded by several booming modern mining camps it lies near the crest of the continental divide on the old oregon trail 60 miles northeast of rock springs in 1860 when the gold rush began easterners and mid westerners flocked to the almost virgin wilderness of wyoming ore was found in large quantities and the rapid influx of gold seekers continued wind all ali that remains gamblers bartenders and dance hall girls followed so that by 1865 south pass city was one of a score of rip roaring mining towns echoing to the clink ot of picks and shovels on rock the blaring music of hon dance halls the bark of six shooters and the whine of the wind the wind is all that remains to disturb the quiet of the hastily con strutted ted boom town in 1878 with the decline of metal markets the rest of the roaring frontier communities became ghost towns the te miners gamblers and entertainers moved on to more lucrative fields south pass city however survived although most of its residents departed when modern methods were introduced in the several large mining firms established themselves near the once famous town to extract an estimated in gold ore from the surrounding hillsides hill sides hung on for time the little town retained its post office and place on the map while other communities of its kind were remembered only in name other ghost towns of the state some marked by a few staggering frame rame shacks still others torn down flude by the elements and settlers include cambria in northeastern wyoming near newcastle battle south of south pass city in the medicine bow national forest rambler two miles south of battle eadsville Eads ville atop scenic casper mountain and lavoye in the salt creek field in natrona county |