1960 - 2000: Rosebud Coal Sales at Hanna, Wyoming

Page by Bob Leathers

Rosebud Coal Sales Company
1960 - 1961 Mine Development
1961 - 1992 Coal Production Years
1992 - 2000 Reclamation Work

Rosebud Coal Sales Company, a division of Peter Kiewit and Sons, arrived in Hanna to mine coal in 1960. The company's first year of coal production in Hanna was 1961. The last year of production was 1992. Rosebud produced coal in Hanna for 31 years. Rosebud built a coal dump in 1960 on the West end of Hanna, just past the abandoned Union Pacific Coal Company's No. 4 mine. After a few years on the West end of Hanna, the Rosebud operation moved north of Hanna to the Union Pacific Coal Company's abandoned No. 4A mine tipple and remained there until they left Hanna in 2000. The company spent from 1992, the year it closed production, until the year 2000 involved in reclamation work. In total, the company was present in Hanna for 40 years. During the production years, the mine produced 33,814,977 tons of coal with a peak work force in 1979 of 243 workers. Unfortunately, the mine experienced four deaths during its years of production. Bernard Jeff Thompson, age 47, was killed at the Rosebud Mine on March 14, 1963. Dale L. Miller, age 24, was killed at the Rosebud Mine November 28, 1969. Ferris Bowthorpe, age 31, was killed at the Rosebud Mine in 1972. William "Bill" Johnson, age 29, was killed at the Rosebud Mine in 1974.

View the names of the 4 men killed in the Rosebud Mine

Rosebud Coal Sales Started Up on the West Side of Hanna

Rosebud built a coal dump in 1960 on the West side of Hanna, just past the abandoned Union Pacific Coal Company's No. 4 mine.

Rosebud Coal Sales Moved from the West Side of Hanna
to the Union Pacific Coal Company's No. 4A Site North of Hanna

After a few years on the West end of Hanna, the Rosebud operation move north of Hanna to the Union Pacific Coal Company's abandoned No. 4A mine tipple and remained there until they left Hanna in 2000.

Rosebud 80 Ton Hauler at the Coal Dump (Gary Milliken)

Rosebud's - Union Pacific Coal Company - Tipple (Gary Milliken)

Rosebud Shop. Front end loader cleaning coal around the truck dump hopper (Gary Milliken)

Rosebud Tipple yard view (Gary Milliken)

Rosebud 1300W 45 yd bucket and CAT HD41 (Gary Milliken)

Rosebud 1300W 45 yd bucket dragline (Gary Milliken)

Rosebud at the Old Union Pacific Coal Company Tipple with Arch #2 Dragline in background (Gary Milliken)

Rosebud Coal Sales Pit No. 5.
Images from the Rosebud Coal Sales Collection at the Hanna Basin Museum Website

Rosebud's 1570 Dragline Operating after dark at Pit No. 5 Rosebud Collection from the Hanna Basin Museum Website)

Hanna Rosebud Coal Sales 1570 Dragline used at Pit No. 5 for Mining and reclamation (Rosebud Collection from the Hanna Basin Museum Website)

Rosebud Loader and Hauler Rosebud Collection from the Hanna Basin Museum Website)

Rosebud's, Hitaxhi UH801 Loader, with 13 Cubic Yard Bucket, working on a 27 foot coal seam. Rosebud Collection from the Hanna Basin Museum Website)