CARBON COUNTY

MBS: REACH for Success! R-Responsibility E-Excellence A-Achievement C-Confidence H-Helpful

The Medicine Bow Elementary School is a K-6 public education institution located in Medicine Bow, Wyoming. It is a part of Carbon County School District #2, and has a current enrollment of 17 students.

Where is Medicine Bow one might ask? It is located along old Highway 30 just sixty miles north of Laramie, Wyoming. When one looks at a map they would find us located along the Medicine Bow River.

Historically, Medicine Bow was a tie town for the Union Pacific Railroad. Ties for the railroad were made there and then floated down the river to their destination for expansion of the railroad line. A pumping station was also built there to provide water for the steam locomotives as they continued across Wyoming.

On June 26, 1909 Medicine Bow became an incorporated town in Wyoming. It became a major shipping point for cattle, horses, and sheep. Coal for the trains was also supplied from early coal mines in the area.

It was in 1885 when a man by the name of Owen Wister would get off the train, break into the local grocery store, spend his first night in Medicine Bow sleeping on the counter of that store, and be awakened by the owner the next morning. Wister used Medicine Bow in 1902 as the locale in his famous western story, The Virginian. Medicine Bow became a famous location and the old store was designated as a Literary Landmark in 1981.

In 1909 the Virginian Hotel was built. This three-story hotel was the largest hotel between Denver and Salt Lake City. It served as a regular gathering place for travelers, ranchers, and the railroad workers. It too became an historical landmark and was placed on the National Register in June of 1978. This 100 year old hotel still stands and functions to guests and locals who visit and dine in Medicine Bow.

Another historical site close to Medicine Bow is Como Bluff. This area is rich in remains of around two hundred known Jurassic-era mammals of North America. Paleontologists from all around the world come to this area to unearth fossils of some of the oldest and largest dinosaurs that have been discovered. Some of these fossils can be found in famous museums like Yale’s Peabody Museum, the Smithsonian Institution, the New York Museum of Natural History, and the National Museum in Washington, D.C.

Medicine Bow now holds a newer, “greener” historical place in this country. Medicine Bow was one of the first areas for Wind Energy. The first two wind turbines were erected in this area in 1981 and it continues to be a prominent place in this new age industry. We currently have three wind farms that surround our town and produce energy for other states.

As you can see, Medicine Bow has a strong proud past and a growing future. It is a great environment for learning. (Kenda Colman, 2011)