History

Campbell County was created in 1911 and organized Jan. 6, 1913. John A. Campbell was first territorial governor of Wyoming. Campbell County originally was the center of cattle country, but in the 20th century, it became the state’s largest coal-producing county.

Early History

The 4,761 square miles lying between the Black Hills and the Big Horn Mountains, which was to be designated as Campbell County in 1911, had long been a prized hunting region of the Sioux. Although the area became the northern extremity of Albany County with the organization of Wyoming Territory in 1869, and then a part of Crook County in 1875, the Sioux had dominated the region since the early 1800's. It was not until after the Battle of the Little Bighorn, June 25, 1876, in southern Montana, with the U. S. 7th Cavalry being thoroughly beaten by the Sioux and their allies, that control of the region changed and active local government could be established.

Late in that year, the federal government determined that the Sioux and all tribes living in the region would be forced to live on reservations. To carry out this policy, a military campaign under General George Crook was launched against the Indians. With the success of Crook's expedition in 1877, settlement in the region really began. From both Texas and Oregon, cattle were driven onto the open range, and large cattle companies established ranches. Throughout the decade of the 1880's, the cattle industry controlled the public lands, and the sparse population was nearly all ranch connected.

The coming of the Burlington Railroad to northeastern Wyoming in 1890 changed that. The future county seat of Campbell County, Gillette, was platted by the Burlington's survey crew and named for Edward M. Gillette, chief of the survey crew, before the tracks reached the new town in 1891. Construction of the railroad across what would be Campbell County brought workers and business activity, to be followed by homesteaders. Similar growth, spurred by the railroad, had come earlier to the southeastern quarter of Crook County, resulting in the creation and organization of Weston County in 1890.

County Creation

The legislature, in creating Weston County rather than including just the southeastern quarter of Crook County where growth had been the most significant, chose to divide Crook County nearly in half by running the boundary east to west, from the Nebraska stateline to the eastern boundary of Johnson County. Consequently, the area that would be Campbell County was divided in half, with the northern part remaining in Crook County and the southern section included in Weston County.

Throughout the northeast corner of Wyoming, population expanded during the next two decades, with an influx of homesteaders establishing dry farms and small ranches. Recognizing this and listening to the expression of citizens for more convenient county government than could be provided from either Sundance in Crook County or Newcastle in Weston County, the legislature passed an act on February 13, 1911, creating Campbell County. Apparently enamored with rectangles and squares, the legislature simply divided both Crook and Weston Counties in half, running a boundary line, north to south, from the Montana state line to the Converse County boundary. Thus, Campbell County is bordered on the east by Crook and Weston Counties, on the south by Converse County, on the west by Johnson and Sheridan Counties, and on the north by Montana.

There is disagreement as for whom Campbell County was named. Some sources say the name given to the county was to honor John A. Campbell, the first territorial governor of Wyoming. Others say it was named for Robert Campbell, an early fur trapper and trader, who was a partner in the construction of Fort John in 1834, which became famous as Fort Laramie. Still other sources, probably trying to maintain peace, claim Campbell County was named for both men.

County Organization

There is also disagreement as to the date Campbell County was organized. Was it May 23, 1911, was it July 12, 1911, or was it January 6, 1913? Most histories of Campbell County use May 23, 1911, as the date of organization. Let's follow the legal steps that were required for organization of a county and see if it was May 23, or if it was one of the later dates.

In April 1911, a petition, signed by three hundred qualified voters and taxpayers of the proposed county, as required by law, was submitted to Governor Joseph M. Carey, requesting that commissioners be appointed to organize Campbell County. Also, as required by law, the petition certified that Campbell County would have a population of 1,500, and that both Crook and Weston Counties would have a population of at least 1,500 after the separation. Finding the signatures and certification valid, on May 4, 1911, Governor Carey appointed John E. Osborne, William R. Wright, and W. D. Townsend to the Board of County Commissioners of "The Unorganized County of Campbell" to organize the county.

In the Gillette City Hall on May 23, 1911, the appointed commissioners met to begin their work to organize the county. They elected Townsend chairman, and, as authorized by statute, appointed a clerk, M. L. Gordon. The next day the commissioners issued a proclamation, notifying the citizenry of a special election to be held in the county on July 11, 1911. The stated purposes of the election were: (1)the question of whether or not the qualified electors of the proposed county were in favor of the separation from Crook and Weston Counties in accordance with the creating act, and (2)the selection of a county seat for Campbell County. In the minutes of their proceedings of May 23 and 24, and in the proclamation of May 24, W. D. Townsend attested to the documents as "Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Unorganized County of Campbell, Wyoming." It seems apparent from this, in answer to our question, that the Board of Commissioners did not consider Campbell County organized on May 23 or May 24, 1911.

As scheduled, the election was held July 11, with the voters approving the county division and organization of Campbell County by a vote of 370 to 36, and choosing Gillette over Rozet for the county seat by a vote of 381 to 15. Gillette had been incorporated in 1892 and was the business and population center for the area. Much as it is today, Rozet was a collection of a few buildings, with a school and general store. The commissioners met on July 12 to certify the results of the election. The certification was attested to by W. D. Townsend as "Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Unorganized County of Campbell, Wyoming." So at least in the opinion of the commissioners, Campbell County was still unorganized on July 12, 1911.

At their meeting on July 12, the commissioners took another step in the history of Campbell County. They agreed to lease, at a cost of $50.00 monthly, a frame school building owned by the Gillette School District. Built in 1901 or 1902, the school was to be used as a temporary courthouse for the county. In 1912, at a cost of $229.95, the commissioners contracted for remodeling of the school. Classrooms were converted to offices and a courtroom, a lighting system was installed, and a vault was added onto the building. Also, an agreement was reached with officials of Gillette to incarcerate county prisoners, when there were some, in the city's jail. It is doubtful that the commissioners, when they were remodeling the school and making arrangements for a jail, anticipated that the school would serve as the county's courthouse until

1924. Nevertheless, the remodeled school was prepared for occupancy when the county's first elected officers assumed their duties in January 1913.

From July 1911 to April 1912, the appointed "Board of Commissioners of the Unorganized County of Campbell, Wyoming" met infrequently. Beginning in April, the commissioners met regularly, organ1z1ng the primary election in August and then the general election in November. They established election districts, polling places, and justice of the peace and constable precincts, and appointed election judges. Following the primary election, the commissioners certified the results, a full slate of candidates from both political parties for Campbell County offices. On November 5, 1912, the citizens of Campbell County chose their first elected county officers. Officers elected were:

•     County Commissioners: Anthony M. Carey, C. A. Meyer, and W. P. Ricketts
•     County Attorney: Elwood Anderson
•     County Sheriff: L. G. Butler
•     County Clerk and Clerk of the District Court, Ex Officio: Alonzo M. Clark
•     County Assessor: J. E. Brennan
•     County Treasurer: Lora H. Reed
•     County Superintendent of Schools: Josephine Anderson
•     Justice of the Peace: C. C. Chabo
•     County Coroner: Frank Sanford
•     County Surveyor: W. R. Fox

On January 6, 1913, the appointed Board of Commissioners met "for the purpose of organizing the county, administering the oath to the newly elected commissioners and examining their official bonds and approving same." With their work done, the appointed board "turned the county affairs over to the new board and adjourned.'' The minutes of the meeting were attested to by W. D. Townsend, "Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Unorganized County of Campbell, Wyoming." Our question is answered: Campbell County was legally organized on January 6, 1913.

The following day the newly sworn-in Board of County Commissioners met. They elected W.P. Ricketts as chairman, examined and approved the oaths and bonds of the other elected county officers, and began to conduct the county's business affairs. The minutes of this first meeting were attested to by Ricketts as "Chairman, Board of Commissioners, Campbell County Wyoming."

County Courthouse

During the ensuing decade, Campbell County continued to grow. More and more homesteaders settled on the prairies, and communities sprung up at Cactus, Recluse, Wild Cat, Spotted Horse, and elsewhere in the county. Throughout the decade, county government functioned effectively, but by 1923 it was apparent to the county commissioners that the county and its government had outgrown the old frame schoolhouse used during the decade for the county's courthouse.

In January 1924, the Board of County Commissioners purchased the large, brick family home of pioneer merchant John T. Daly for $16,50Q. Extensive remodeling of the house and the addition of a jail (the county had never had its own jail), a courtroom, judge's chambers, office area for the clerk of the district court, and two fire-proof vaults raised the total cost of the second Campbell County Courthouse to approximately $40,000. During November, the county's officials moved into their new quarters, which were to be the center of Campbell County government for more than half a century.

Beginning in 1941 and continuing until the present, energy production, oil, natural gas, and coal became increasingly important in Campbell County, to the point that by 1980, the county was the center of Wyoming's energy production industry. This, of course, brought a multitude of people to the county. From a rural population of 6,048 in 1940, the county had quadrupled to a population in 1980 of 24,387, and in terms of assessed valuation, was the state's richest county. Obviously, this booming expansion placed a severe strain upon county government, and the historic Daly Mansion, which was the county's courthouse, rapidly became inadequate.

Recognizing the acute need for expanded governmental facilities the jail was a particularly critical problem, as men, women, juveniles and mental patients all had to be held in the same area, and plumbing

facilities were practically non-existent--the county commissioners determined in the late 1950's to build a new courthouse. The only revenue source available to the commissioners was to issue and sell county bonds, which required approval of the electorate. At that time, the law provided that both real property owners and non-real property owners, separately and not cumulatively, had to approve the issuing of

county bonds. Most of the real property in Campbell County was then owned by farmers and ranchers, who were suffering through another of the perennial agricultural recessions and were not about to burden

themselves further with more taxes to pay for a new courthouse.

Almost annually for a decade the property owners in Campbell County summarily defeated bond issues for a new courthouse. Finally, in 1969, the commissioners received some much needed help from the state fire marshal. After an exhaustive investigation of the courthouse, the fire marshal issued a report, concluding that the building was "very unsafe," violated most of the state's fire safety codes --the district court judge had refused to hold trial in the courtroom because there was only one exit -- and immediate corrective measures were needed. The report implied that the fire marshal would close the courthouse permanently if some action wasn't promptly taken. This was the jolt the electorate needed, for on May 13, 1969, the voters approved a $900,000 bond issue for a new Campbell County Courthouse.

Completed in 1972, the courthouse was an attractive, red brick, two-story building with an unfinished basement. The first floor contained spacious and modern offices for the county's officials, while the second floor housed the county jail and all court facilities. Since 1972, the basement has been completely finished for additional offices, microfilming facilities, and records storage, and two additions have been built onto the upper floors. Today the Campbell County Courthouse is one of the largest and most efficient in Wyoming, effectively complementing the dedicated work of the county's elected and appointed officials to the benefit of the county's citizens.