CAMPBELL COUNTY, 1913

Campbell County was created by law in 1911 out of the western halves of Crook and Weston Counties. Gillette resident and state legislator Harry J. Chassell introduced the bill that created Campbell County which is named after both John A. Campbell, the first governor of the territory of Wyoming, and Robert Campbell who was with an early expedition to this part of Wyoming from 1825 to 1835. An election was held and Gillette was chosen to be the county seat. Campbell County officially organized in 1913. Gillette is the county seat. Campbell County was part of Weston and Crook Counties for many years.Gillette is a city in and the county seat of Campbell County, Wyoming, United States.[3] The population was 19,646 at the 2000 census. Because Gillette is centrally located in an area that is vital to the development of vast quantities of American coal, oil, and coal bed methane gas, the city proudly calls itself the "Energy Capital of the Nation".

Gillette is the hometown of U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, a conservative Republican who is also a former mayor of Gillette and member of both houses of the Wyoming State Legislature.
  Adjacent counties

  * Sheridan County, Wyoming - west
  * Johnson County, Wyoming - west
  * Converse County, Wyoming - south
  * Weston County, Wyoming - east
  * Crook County, Wyoming - east
  * Powder River County, Montana - north

City Gillette / Town: Wright; Census-designated places: Antelope Valley Crestview, Sleepy Hollow. Other place: Recluse and Rozet

Adjacent counties

  * Sheridan County, Wyoming - west
  * Johnson County, Wyoming - west
  * Converse County, Wyoming - south
  * Weston County, Wyoming - east
  * Crook County, Wyoming - east
  * Powder River County, Montana - north

INDUSTRY IN GILLETTE

Agriculture has been the most consistent industry in Gillette for nearly all of its life. Cattle were important in the first decade and gradually sheep production rose as well. Many ranches raised both sheep and cattle. Farming has always been a difficult trade in the semi-arid region Gillette resides in, but many have grown grains and grasses used to feed their livestock. Wheat, barley, oats, hay, and corn have all been produced over the years.

Early homesteaders utilized the potential of Campbell County’s other major industry when they burnt surface coal deposits to heat their homes. Small coal mines were built around the area as early as 1909. These mines were all underground including one of the largest which was the Peerless Mine east of Gillette where Wyodak is today. It began operations somewhere around 1918 until it went out of business around 1925. This mine used the “room and pillar” method to remove coal.

The Wyodak operation was developed in 1924 and operated near the Peerless Mine in the same coal seam. But it was different because it was a surface coal mine that utilized horse-drawn devices called “fresnos” to remove the surface soil or overburden to reach the coal. Wyodak was the first surface coal mine in the world and the largest for many years. This mine continues to produce coal for a nearby power plant.
                                                                           Coal Resources in the U.S.
 

One of the first energy booms for Campbell County came in the late 1950's and 1960's. Oil explorations had been going on since the 1940's and the first commercial discovery was made in 1948. Major discoveries in Eastern Campbell County in 1956 really set off an oil boom in the area. This meant growth for Gillette, at least for the time being.

During the 1970's, the modern coal industry here really began to flourish. Major coal companies flocked to Campbell County to harvest the Powder River Basin’s low sulfur coal. These companies wanted to capitalize on the economic benefit of having very large coal seems so close to the surface. Due to this increased production, railroad companies began adding more lines to ship the coal away thus entering a new age of railroad history in Gillette. Today coal remains a vital industry to Gillette’s growth. In 2006, this area shipped a record 430 million tons of coal. The mines employ hundreds of workers and even more with the associated industries.

By the 1990's, a third major segment of the energy industry began to rear its head in Gillette, coal-bed methane. This gas which is trapped inside the pores of the coal is drilled for and extracted for use. Since 1998, Gillette has been the center of these operations in the region. Lately however, production has been down in Campbell County because wells are drying up and production is moving to the west and north.