The best way to locate information on this website is to ​use the search box and subject tabs at the top of this page.
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Early Hanna (Sally Hafdell and David Eriksson in Sweden)

The Hanna Story​ - Welcome to the Hanna History Website

​This website was last updated: November 14, 2025
​Created by Bob Leathers: August 1, 2010

-- ​Over 15 years of sharing --

The purpose of this website is to collect, preserve and share historical information about Old Carbon and Hanna, Wyoming. ​​This website is dedicated to identifying and memorializing the people who worked and died in the Hanna Basin coal mines. 
​We invite you to explore how the towns came to be and how they touched the lives of many.
Contact information: Bob at [email protected]
  • Note: This website is the retired then rebranded HannaBasinMuseum.com website. All rights reserved on both websites by Bob Leathers. ​​​​​​

September 2023 - New Monument on Hanna Hill

Page by Bob Leathers

1932 and 2023: 
Hanna Mine Explosion Monument on Hanna No. 1 Hill
Dedicated to the - 
250 Men Who Lost Their Lives in the Union Pacific Coal Company's Hanna No. 1 Mine
and the
28 Men Not Recovered and are Buried at the Bottom of the Mine

After laying at the bottom of the mine since the June 30, 1903 and March 28, 1908 explosions of the Union Pacific Coal Company's No. 1 Mine in Hanna -  the men killed there and not removed from the mine have been identified and as of September 16, 2023 are memorialized. 

1932

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Hanna 1933: Hugh Renny, T.H. Butler, Thomas Jackson. Hugh Renny Monument (Hanna Basin Museum)

2023

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Monument on Hanna Hill. September 16, 2023. (Image by Bob Leathers)
THIS NEW MONUMENT WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROUS FUNDING FROM:
THE LEATHERS FAMILY

2023

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Monument on Hanna Hill. September 16, 2023. (Image by Bob Leathers)

Union Pacific Coal Company's June 30, 1903 and March 28, 1908 Mine No. 1 Explosion Victims Left at the Bottom of the Mine 

JUNE 30, 1903 AT ABOUT 10:30 AM THE UNION PACIFIC COAL COMPANY'S NO. I MINE IN HANNA EXPLODED KILLING 169 MINERS. I MAN WAS NOT RECOVERED:

  1. JOHN H. COX, FIRE BOSS

MARCH 28. 1908 A FIRE CREW OF 18 MEN ENTERED THE MINE TO PUT OUT A FIRE. THE MINE EXPLODED AT 3:00 PM KILLLING ALL 18 MINERS. 14 MEN WERE NOT RECOVERED:​
​
  1. ALEXANDER BRIGGS, SUPERINTENDANT OF ALL HANNA MINES
  2. JOSEPH BURTON, MINE NO. I FOREMAN
  3. ALFRED DODDS, MINE NO. 2 FOREMAN
  4. JAMES KNOX, MINE NO. 3 FOREMAN
  5. JOHN B. EVANS. GAS WATCHMAN
  6. WILLIAM H. PASCOE, GAS WATCHMAN
  7. JOHN RIMMER, GAS WATCHMAN
  8. HARRY LYON, GAS WATCHMAN
  9. ROBERT HERRIN, GAS WATCHMAN
  10. P.A. BOYD, DUMPER
  11. JOHN IKONEN, ROLLERMAN
  12. GABRIEL LAHTI, TIMBERMAN
  13. EMIL SILVAST, TIMBERMAN HELPER
  14. THOMAS FLINT, MASON

MARCH 28, 1908 AFTER THE FIRST EXPLOSION A RESCUE CREW ENTERED THE MINE. A SECOND EXPLOSION OCCURED AT 10:30 PM KILLING AN ADDITIONAL 41 MINERS. 13 MEN WERE NOT RECOVERED:

  1. DAVID M. ELIAS, STATE COAL MINE INSPECTOR
  2. MATT JOKI, MINER
  3. B. L. FRINK, PUMPER 
  4. PETER TRAVIS, TRACKMAN 
  5. WILLIAM JOHNSON, SHOT FIRER 
  6. GEORGE CASE, BOILERMAN 
  7. ANDREW HOY, MINER
  8. H. G. BIRCHALL. MINER 
  9. F. E. COLLINS. MINER 
  10. JOHN TATE. SHOT FIRER
  11. WILLIAM BURNS, LABORER 
  12. T. D. PENN, MINER 
  13. RICHARD WILSON, EX-EMPLOYEE

IN TOTAL. 228 MINERS WERE KILLED IN THE THREE EXPLOSIONS.
28 MEN WERE NOT FOUND AND REMAIN BELOW THIS MONUMENT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MINE.

2025

September 2025 - New Monument in Hanna Cemetery

Page by Bob Leathers

1903 and 1908: ​Unknown Miner Monument and Headstones in the Hanna Cemetery

After laying in Unmarked Graves in the Hanna Cemetery for over a century the 127 Hanna Coal Miners killed in the June 30, 1903 and March 28, 1908 explosions of the Union Pacific Coal Company's No. 1 Mine in Hanna have been identified and as of September 28, 2025 are memorialized. 
IN MEMORIAL
IN HONOR OF THOSE MINERS WHO LAY AT REST IN UNMARKED GRAVES FROM THE
​ 1903 AND 1908 MINE EXPLOSIONS
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Unknow Miner Monument. Hanna Cemetery. September 28, 2025.. (Image by Bob Leathers)
JUNE 30, 1903:
​THE WORST COAL MINE CATASTROPHE IN THE HISTORY OF WYOMING OCCURRED WHEN UNION PACIFIC COAL COMPANY'S NO. 1 EXPLODED KILLING 169 MEN. LEAVING APPROXIMATELY 150 WIDOWS AND 600 CHILDREN FATHERLESS. THESE ARE 110 OF THE MEN THAT PERISHED IN THAT EXPLOSION AND BURIED IN UNMARKED GRAVES IN THE HANNA CEMETERY.
MARCH 28, 1908:
​THE UNION PACIFIC COAL COMPANY'S NO.1 MINE EXPLODED TWICE IN THE SAME DAY KILLING 59 MEN AND LEAVING 31 WIDOWS AND 103 FATHERLESS CHILDREN.
THESE ARE THE 17 MEN THAT PERISHED IN THOSE EXPLOSIONS AND BURIED IN UNMARKED GRAVES IN THE HANNA CEMETERY:
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Unknow Miner Monument. Hanna Cemetery. September 28, 2025.. (Image by Bob Leathers)
THIS MEMORIAL IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROUS FUNDING FROM:
UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD COMMUNITY TIES GIVING PROGRM
THE LEATHERS FAMILY
TOWN OF HANNA
HANNA BASIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY
AND THE UNSELFISH, CARING HELP FROM COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS
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Unknow Miner Monuments. Hanna Cemetery. September 28, 2025.. (Image by Bob Leathers)
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UNKNOWN MINER. (IMAGE BY BOB LEATHERS)

The Rest of the Story

The Union Pacific Coal Company's No. 1 underground mine in Hanna was the first mine opened for coal production in Hanna. The mine and town were developed in 1889 and 1890. The No. 1 mine proved to be the deadliest. ​The No. 1 mine was the only mine in Hanna to experience an explosion. It exploded four different times in its history.
The first explosion occurred on April 28, 1890, killing one miner, Henry Ward. Henry was found, removed from the mine and buried in Rawlins Wyoming. The cemetery records indicated there was not a cemetery in Hanna at the time of his death.
The second explosion occurred June 30, 1903, killing 169 men.
  • 1 man was not recovered and is still at the bottom of the mine.
  • 38 men were found, removed from the mine, prepared for burial, then buried in marked graves.
  • 20 men were found, removed from the mine, prepared for burial, then buried in other towns than Hanna.
  • 110 men were found, removed from the mine, prepared for burial, then buried in unmarked graves in the Hanna cemetery.
The third and fourth explosions came on the same day, March 28, 1908, killing an additional 59 miners.
  • 27 men were not recovered and are still at the bottom of the mine.
  • 10 men were found, removed from the mine, prepared for burial, then buried in marked graves.
  • 5 men were found, removed from the mine, prepared for burial, then buried in other towns than Hanna.
  • 17 men were found, removed from the mine, prepared for burial, then buried in unmarked graves in the Hanna cemetery.
​The No. 1 Mine was responsible for 229 miner deaths in the four explosions - 127 of the miners were buried in unmarked graves. Other types of accidents in the No. 1 mine claimed the lives of an additional 21 miners for a staggering total of 250 men killed in the No. 1 mine. ​
The No. 1 mine was abandoned in 1909. The No. 1 Mine Dump - what was left of it - was dismantled and used to build the Hanna N. 4 Mine. Over the 17 years of coal production, the mine produced 4,291,860 tons of coal, with a yearly average of three hundred workers. 
More at:

Hanna Basin Death and Burial Records - Alphabetical 

If a person died in a Hanna Basin coal mine, a death record will be listed regardless of where he was buried.

Index

A.   B.    C.   D.   E.    F.    G.   H.    I.    J.    K.    L.   M.    N.    O.    P.    Q.   R.    S.    T.    U.   V.    W.    X.    Y.     Z.
Source Code
​(Inquest) Official Inquest Reports, (MIR) Mine Inspector Reports, (MM) Miner Monuments in Hanna, 
​(Headstone) cemetery headstone, (BL) Bob Leathers, (JB) John Baldwin
(NA) Nancy and Victor Anderson, (LK) Lynne Kuderko, (AR) Andy Ruskanen and (AO) Ayako Ohara,
(UPCCEM) Union Pacific Coal Company Employee's Magazine
The Hanna Basin includes the towns of Hanna and Elmo, which still exist, along with the coal camps of Carbon, Dana and Sampo, which are now ghost towns. 
More at: List of the 372 Men Killed in the Hanna Basin Coal Mines
More at:  ​Men Injured in the Hanna Mines
More at: Index to State of Wyoming Coal Mining Deaths and Injuries from 1869 - 1973

Hanna Monuments

Looking for a deceased veteran or coal miner? Check the names on the Hanna monuments.

Bulletin Board

  • Comments and documented corrections to this website are welcome.  ​Our goal is to honor the history of Hanna by providing detailed and accurate information. If you spot a possible error needing correction, even a typo, contact Bob at [email protected].​​​
  • This website is the retired then rebranded HannaBasinMuseum.com website. All rights reserved on both websites by Bob Leathers. ​​​​​​
  • The best way to locate information on this website is to ​use the search box and subject tabs at the top of this page.
  • Information, pictures or documents from our readers that are helpful in telling the Hanna story are welcome and encouraged. Contact Bob for details.

New or Updated on the Website

Notification of new or updated material on the website will appear in this space.  Check back for changes.
October 2025
October 3, 2025​
September 2025
September 28, 2025
September 10, 2025
September 9, 2025
September 8, 2025​
August 2025
August 11, 2025​
August 1, 2025​
July 2025
​July 25, 2025
  • Updated - 1868 - Fort Fred Steele  - New image and information from Daryl Billings.
June 2025
June 27, 2025
​June 15, 2025
June 8, 2025
May 2025
May 16, 2024​           The Parrott and Burris Gang - new image from Daryl Billings
        
May 15, 2014​
  • Updated - Remembering: Nakaco, Frank Tamaki - Hanna photographer  - New images from Daryl Billings
​May 15, 2025​
​​May 15, 2025​
May 1, 2025​
April 2025
​April 28, 2025​
March 2025
March 1, 2025​
February 2025
February 4, 2025
February 2, 2025​
January 2025
January 17, 2025​
January 16, 2025

Image from the Past - Hanna 

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A DRAWING OF THE HANNA COAL CAMP with Elk Mountain at the top of the picture. The No. 1 mine and No. 1 town on the left and the No. 2 mine on the right and No. 2 town in the center bottom . (SALLY HAFDELL AND DAVID ERIKSSON IN SWEDEN)
Hanna is located in the Hanna Basin in Carbon County, Wyoming. The Hanna Basin includes the Wyoming towns of Hanna and Elmo, which still exist, and the coal camps of Carbon, Sampo and Dana, which are now ghost towns - along with active cemeteries at Hanna and Carbon. The coal camp of Carbon came first in 1868. When the coal ran out at Carbon, the citizens moved, over time, to the new coal fields developed at Hanna in 1889. The town of Carbon is now referred to as Old Carbon by the local citizens.
 
The Hanna Basin coal mines produced over 220 million tons of coal. The coal however, came at a tremendous human cost. A staggering 372 coal miners were killed in the Hanna Basin mines while in the process of mining the coal. 
 
The Hanna Basin mines produced coal for 144 years. Coal production started at Carbon in 1868 and ended in Carbon in 1902, which amounted to 35 years of continuous production. Hanna started coal production in 1890 and ended in 2012, for 122 continuous years of production. The two coal camps overlapped production for 13 years, from 1890 to 1902.

​This website is dedicated to identifying and memorializing the men who worked and died in the Hanna Basin coal mines. In the later years a small number of women worked in and around the mines, but none perished in them.
​

Image from the Past - Schools

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Hanna K-12 Main School Building built in 1921 (While Family Collection from Bob Leathers)

Image from the Past - People 

Union Pacific Coal Company Employee Magazines

The Union Pacific Coal Company Employes' Magazines are full of coal company news - including a section on Hanna Monthly News - along with news from other towns in the Union Pacific Coal Company network of towns and mines. Many of the coal miner deaths and injuries are reported in the magazines. The magazines are available online at the link below. They are a great source of information about what was going on with Hanna families at the time when the Union Pacific Coal Company was operating in Hanna, Wyoming.
In January, 1924, the Employes' Magazine of The Union Pacific Coal Company and its subsidiary, the Washington Union Coal Company, was launched as a medium of good will and understanding, with the further hope that as the years passed, much of the life and color of the pioneer days might be put into print and thus saved. With this end in mind stories and sketches, together with many old photographs, were assembled and re-produced, and it is this material, together with certain widely scattered and fragmentary records, as well as many interviews with the men and women who lived and worked in and about the mines in the early days, that served as the foundation of this little history. (History of the Union Pacific Mines. 1868-1940)
The Employes' Magazine is a monthly publication devoted to the interests of the employees of the Union Pacific Coal Company and Washington Union Coal Company and their families. It will contain items of current news, personal notes about employees and their families, together with articles dealing with the coal mining industry, the personal safety of the men engaged in mining a first consideration. (Atlanta E. Hecker, Editor)

The Hanna Miner - A Slideshow

Slideshow by Bob Leathers
Music by The O'Neill Brothers Group - Instrumental Country Guitar: Coal Miner's Daughter
Available only at HannaHistory.com

Wyoming Museums

There are some amazing museums in Wyoming. Check them out.
Hanna Basin Museum - Hanna, Wyoming
  • ​​A small, but nice museum located on Front Street in Hanna. No entry fee required - donations were acceptable. Picture taking was allowed – no restrictions. The staff was knowledgeable, courteous and helpful. A collection of artifacts was offered that represented and explained the area’s history, which centered around the town and  coal mining. The exhibits were interesting and well-presented. Recommended.
Medicine Bow Museum ​- Medicine Bow, Wyoming
  • Another small, but nice museum located on the Lincoln Highway. No entry fee was required - donations were acceptable. Picture taking was allowed – no restrictions. The staff was knowledgeable, courteous and helpful. A collection of artifacts was offered that represented and explained the area’s history, which centered around the railroad and agriculture. The exhibits were interesting and well-presented. Recommended.
 Rock Springs Historical Museum - Rock Springs, Wyoming
  • An excellent medium size museum. No entry fee was required, but donations were acceptable. Picture taking inside the museum was not allowed, but the rule was under review. The staff was knowledgeable, courteous and helpful. A large collection of artifacts was offered that represented and explained the area’s history which centered around coal mining. The exhibits were interesting and well-presented. Recommended.
National Museum of Military Vehicles - Dubois, Wyoming
  • A world class museum. A very large museum that literally takes days to cover. A nominal entry fee is required. Tours are available or you make go on your own. Picture taking is allowed. The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful. It is a national museum. By far the largest in Wyoming. Highly recommended.
Pioneer Memorial Museum - Douglas, Wyoming
  • An excellent medium size museum. No entry fee was required, but donations were acceptable. Picture taking was allowed – no restrictions. The staff was knowledgeable, courteous and helpful. A solid collection of artifacts was offered that represented and explained the area’s history which centered around agriculture and western living. The exhibits were interesting and well-presented. Recommended.
Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum - Buffalo, Wyoming 
  • The Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum is an excellent medium size American West museum in Buffalo, Wyoming, housed in a 1909 Carnegie Library building. Opened in 1909. A Blue Star Museum, which means they are connected to the National Endowment of the Arts. Entry fee required. No photos allowed. Great staff. Highly recommend. 
Fremont County Pioneer Museum - Lander, Wyoming
  • The Fremont County Pioneer Museum is an excellent larger size museum. No entry fee was required, but donations were acceptable. Pictures were allowed – no restrictions except for one small section of Indian art work. The staff was knowledgeable, courteous and helpful. A solid collection of artifacts was offered that represented and explained the area’s history which centered around agriculture and western living. The exhibits were interesting and well-presented. It had a large section of outside buildings and exhibits. Highly recommend. ​.
Hot Springs County Museum - Thermopolis, Wyoming
  • The Hot Springs County Museum is a very good medium size museum. There is a modest entry fee and donations are accepted. The museum features Pioneer and Outlaw history with the main attraction being the Hole in the Wall Gang. It has excellent displays of Native American artifacts, military and railroad history along with local businesses and schools. Recommended.
The Rockpile Museum - Gillette, Wyoming​​
  • The Rockpile is a nice medium size local history museum in Gillette, Wyoming. The museum had on display fossils, Native American items, weapons and many local artifacts. A good, medium size museum. An entry fee was required. Picture taking was allowed – no restrictions. The staff was knowledgeable, courteous and helpful. A collection of artifacts was offered that represented and explained the area’s history, which centered around coal mining and agriculture. The exhibits were varied, interesting and well-presented. Recommended.
Douglas Railroad Interpretive Museum at Locomotive Park - Douglas, Wyoming
  • ​A small, but nice outdoor museum centered on the railroad. The indoor museum was not open at the time of our visit. Recommended.
Chris LeDoux Park - Kaycee, Wyoming
  • Chris LeDoux Park is a beautiful, well maintained park with a Memorial Statue to Chris LeDoux the famous Country and Western singer and Bronc Rider. Admission is free. 
Museum of the Mountain Man - Pinedale, Wyoming
  • The Museum of the Mountain Man is located in Pinedale, Wyoming. It is a wonderful museum dedicated to the history of the Rocky Mountain fur trade. There is a modest entry fee. Pictures are allowed.
 Sweetwater County Historical Museum - Green River, Wyoming
  • The Sweetwater County Historical Museum is located in Green River, Wyoming. It is a free admission museum. Pictures of exhibits are allowed. The museum is small, but the staff is knowledgeable and helpful. 
The Wyoming State Penitentiary. 1901 - 1981 - Rawlins, Wyoming
  • ​The Wyoming State Penitentiary is located in Rawlins Wyoming. It is a for pay museum that requires a tour. Pictures with no flash is allowed. 
Ten Sleep Museum - Ten Sleep, Wyoming
  • The Ten Sleep Pioneer Museum is a small, but very nice museum. It is located at 436 Second Street in Ten Sleep, Wyoming. Entry is free. Pictures are allowed. It is still a growing museum with multiple buildings to visit. Well worth the time to visit.
Fort Fred Steele - Fort Steele, Wyoming 
  • Fort Fred Steele is a State of Wyoming Historic Site located at Fort Steele, Wyoming. The fort was established June 30, 1868 and was abandoned August 7, 1886. The forts purpose was to guarded the men building the Union Pacific Railroad across southern Wyoming. The historical site is located west of Hanna, Wyoming just off I-80 a few miles east of Sinclair, Wyoming. It is an open access area with multiple buildings on the site to visit. Pictures are allowed. Access is free.
This is a developing list. Check back for updates.
Welcome  -  Old Carbon  -  Hanna / Elmo  -  People  -  Schools  -  Railroad  -  Gallery  -  Notebook

Website Guidelines

  • All rights are reserved on this website.  Individuals wishing to use documents or images from this website must first receive written permission - contact Bob at [email protected]​
  • ​Our goal is to honor the history of Hanna by providing detailed and accurate information.
  • We welcome comments and documented corrections 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 story. 
  • Sources all over the world send information, documents and images to this website for its use. If you think you are the copyright owner and believe this website has not properly attributed your work to you or has used it without permission, please contact us. We welcome the reporting of any possible copyright infringements. Every effort will be made to correct all copyright conflicts that may arise.