Carbon County in its original form was traversed by the Oregon Trail, The Bozeman Trail, Overland Trail, Cherokee Trail, the Outlaw Trail, the Union Pacific, the original Lincoln Highway and ultimately Interstate 80. Parts of Carbon County were in the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the Mixican Secession in 1843, and the Texas Annexation in 1845.

Rawlins has always been the county seat of Carbon County. In 1870 a formal government was started in Carbon County and in 1890 Wyoming became a state. Rawlins has long been a transportation center. It served as a railhead for stage and freight lines serving Casper, the Big Horn Basin, the Wind River Basin and northwestern Colorado.

The museum contains artifacts telling the tales of the mining and ranching ventures in this area as well as the Thomas Edison expedition and an extensive photograph collection of early day scenes and people in Rawlins and the surrounding area.

Exhibits include the memorabilia of Dr. Lillian Heath, Wyoming’s first woman physician, who practiced medicine from 1893 and maintained her license until her death in 1962 at the age of 96.

The Post Office and sign from Fort Fred Steele are on display. The Army used Fort Steele from 1868 to 1886 to protect the building of the railroad.

Also displayed are sheepwagons, various western saddles, sidesaddles, McClellan saddles and tack, a sample of brands from the area, one of 6 hand painted on silk original state flags, newspapers dating from 1879, a turn-of-the-century buggy, a 1920 American La France Hook ‘n Ladder 52 foot long fire truck, a mystery safe that was found behind a wall of a building that was torn down in 1983, and shoes made from the skin of Big Nose George and the lower portion of his skull.

The museum is open year round and admission is free. Call for hours.

Excerpts from museum brochure.