The town’s operation was comprised of ties coming down the North Platte River shortly after the establishment of Fort Steele in 1868. During a drive, the ties strung out for twenty miles. One half million ties required dozens of men to refloat those that became stuck or grounded. The process of transferring the ties from the mountains to the railroad took two months. These drives were conducted yearly up to 1931, with Saratoga serving as the halfway point.