Sharrer Family Collection

 Otto G. Sharrer: Union Pacific Coal Company Hanna Mine Superintendent

Page by Liz Sharrer with Contributions from Bob Leathers

Sharrer Life Story at: Remembering Otto Guy and Matilda (Strbner) Sharrer

Otto Guy Sharrer worked for the Union Pacific Coal Company in Rock Springs, Superior and Hanna, Wyoming from approximately 1908 to 1914, and again from 1924 until his death in 1944. During that time he held a number of positions, including Superintendent of the Union Pacific Coal Company mines in Hanna from about 1929 to 1942.

​Otto Guy Sharrer, a descendant of Bavarian immigrants who came to America in 1725, was born October 5, 1885, in the original log house formerly used as a combination fort and trading post at Putneyville, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, and,  like many young men, he took Horace Greeley’s advice and came west. His father was engaged in mining, being General Foreman of a number of small mines in the Pittsburgh district, and Otto received his education in the several small schools in the mining villages in Pennsylvania where his parents resided from time to time. At an early age he entered the mines, and was employed in general mine work, and in summer vacations while attending school he also found employment in the mines. After graduating from high school, he spent some time in the military academy and next attended Ohio Northern University. (History of Union Pacific Coal Mines 1868 - 1940)

February 16, 1930: Superintendent Sharrer of the Union Pacific Coal Company mines in Hanna published an article The History and Development of Mechanization at Hanna Mines in The Mining Congress Journal, Volume 19. (Journal copy provided by Liz Sharrer, Superintendent Sharrer's grandaughter)

O. G Sharrer. Union Pacific Coal Company Hanna Mine Superintendent (Sharerer Family Collection

O. G. Sharrer. Union Pacific Coal Company's Hanna Mine Superintendent. (Sharrer Family Collection)

Hanna No. 1 Town (Sharrer Family Collection)

• More at: Union Pacific Coal Company's Hanna No. 1 Town and No. 1 Mine

1910

O. G. Sharrer - Center - with Transit at Entrace to Hanna No. 2 Underground Mine. About 1910. (Sharrer Family Collection)

O.G. Sharrer Far Right. About 1910. Union Pacific Coal Company Hanna No 2 Mine (Sharrer Family Collection)

• More at: Union Pacific Coal Company's No. 2 Town and No. 2 Mine at Hanna

O.G. Sharrer Portrait (Sharrer Family Collection)

1915

Old Mine Office. About 1915. George Film, Billy Milliken, O. G. Sharrer, Thomas Love

• More at: List of Union Pacific Coal Company Officials

1930 - 1940's

O. G. Sharrer. Union Pacific Coal Company's Hanna Mine Superintendent. No. 4 Mine (Not dated) (Sharrer Family Collection)

A Japanese Miner working on an armature. Much of the mechanical work done in the mine was done by the miners themselves. ((Sharrer Family Collection)

O. G.Sharrer. Hanna mine construction. 1930's (SHARRER FAMILY COLLECTION)

• More at: Union Pacific Coal Company's No. 4 Mine at Hanna

O. G. SHarrer. Prairie 5. Reo Nicholson. Joe Jackson. Red Evans. Bill Wilkes and O. G. Sharrer (SHARRER FAMILY COLLECTION)

O. G. Sharrer. fishing. Early 20's (Sharrer Family Collection)

O. G. Sharrer. fishing 1936-37 (SHARRER FAMILY COLLECTION)

O. G. Sharrer and Tillie (Stebner) Sharrer. 1940s (SHARRER FAMILY COLLECTION)

1935

1935. Hanna Boy Scout First Aid Team. Won the Championship in Rock Springs First Aid Competition: J. Sharrer, Art Miller, Dexter, Unknown, Molineaux and Ray Peterson (Sharrer Family Collection)

• More at: Hanna Boy Scout First Aid Teams

1935

O.G. Sharrer's car in Hanna. 1935 (Sharrer Family Collection)

1936

The image below is Otto G. Sharrer, mine Superintendent at Hanna. He was enjoying the band concert upon the occasion of the 12th Annual Reunion of The Old Timers’ Association at Rock Springs and was requested to step aside long enough to be “snapped” by the official photographer.  (UPCCEM, Oct. 1936)

Otto G. Sharrer, Mine Superintendent at Hanna (UPCCEM, Oct. 1936)

1890

Ki Hickson. Carbon Fire Department. (Photo by Baker. Carbon. Saratoga. Hanna, Wyoming) (Sharrer Family Collection)

• More at: 1890 June 19:​ A fierce fire broke out in Carbon, Wyoming and burned most of the business district to the ground.  

1941

Remains of the Stebner House in Carbon. Stebner Sunday September 21, 1941 (Sharrer Family Collection)

Stebner family in front of the remains of the Stebner home in Carbon:
​Left to Right: Martha (Stebner) Mann, Matilda "Tillie" (Stebner) Sharrer, O. G. Sharrer, Unknown. Left to right: Sylvia Mann, J.R. Mann, Ancia Trager, Max Stebner, Fritz Stebner, Child Unknown. 

• More at: 1868: Carbon: Aka: Old Carbon and Carbon City

Gussie Gephart, Alberta Rodda, Unknow Gephard, Mary Stebner and Leroy Stebner (Sharrer Family Collection)

Jack Sharrer in the Buggy. Out with the neighborhood kids. About 1920 in Hanna in Front of the Finn Hall (Sharrer Family Collection)

J. R. Mann, Jeannie Mann, Tillie Sharrer, Jack Sharrer and Sylvia. (SHARRER FAMILY COLLECTION)

Jack Sharrer. Toddler. (Sharrer Family Collection)

Jack Sharrer. Hanna School Picture. 1931. (Sharrer Family Collection)

Jack Sharrer and Raymond Peterson. 1934. (Sharrer Family Collection)

Jack Sharrer. Hanna High School. 1937. (Sharrer Family Collection)

O. G. Sharrer Mine Superintendent and Jack Sharrer his Son. (Sharrer Family Collection)

More at: Remembering: Sharrer, John "Jack" Leroy and Sue Elizabeth (Irwin)

Jack Sharrer, Matilda Sharrer, Martha Mann and Otto G. Sharrer. (SHARRER FAMILY COLLECTION)

Rock Springs. 1938-39. Martina Mann, O. G. Sharrer. Tillie Sharrer. Sylvia Mann. Jack Sharrer. Max Stebner. J. R. Mann (SHARRER FAMILY COLLECTION)

John Traeger, Anna Treger, J. R. Mann, Martha Mann, O. G. Sharrer and Matilda Sharrer. 1940. (SHARRER FAMILY COLLECTION)

2021

The O. G. Sharrer Family donated Mr. Sharrer's transit and tripod to the Hanna Basin Museum.