Places & Spaces Library

Dayton Mercantile

The Historic Dayton Mercantile is an amazing look into the rich history of Sheridan County and the beginning of the town of Dayton. The majestic old west look of the two-story building beckons people to look inside and is the subject of thousands of tourists’ photographs each year. 

Crookston Ranch

The Crookston Ranch was homesteaded by Joe Crookston around 1887 at the ever-shifting foot of the Killpecker Sand Dune Field.  His family had moved to Rock Springs area from Illinois around 1870 and he had worked as a laborer as a teenager

Hallville Mine Site

The Hallville and nearby Black Butte Mines were both opened in 1869, the year after the Union Pacific was completed in the area.  At its peak, 100 coal cars per week were loaded and brought out of the Hallville Mine. 

Point of Rocks Stage Station

The Point of Rocks Stage Station, also known as Almond Station, was built in 1862 for Ben Holladay’s Overland Stage after Holladay moved his stage route from the popular Oregon Trail-South Pass route to the southern Overland Route. 

Old Bedlam, Fort Laramie

Old Bedlam was built in 1849, making it the oldest standing military building in Wyoming. Fort Laramie was established when the military came to the state to protect emigrants traveling on the Mormon, Oregon, and the Overland trail.