You’ll find Tubb Town’s remnants 2 miles northeast of Newcastle, Wyoming, where a wild frontier settlement once thrived in 1889. Founded by DeLoss DeWitt Tubbs along Salt Creek, it quickly became Wyoming Territory’s rowdiest boomtown, filled with saloons, brothels, and dance halls. While nothing remains of the original buildings today, the site’s location along the historic Custer-Belle Fourche Trail holds fascinating tales of miners, railroad workers, and legendary figures like Calamity Jane.
Key Takeaways
- Tubb Town was a booming 1889 Wyoming settlement that became a ghost town after being bypassed by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad.
- Located near Newcastle, Wyoming, Tubb Town centered around a general store and became known for its saloons and wild frontier atmosphere.
- The town attracted notable figures like Calamity Jane and was marked by frequent conflicts between railroad workers and miners.
- No original buildings remain at the site today, with only sagebrush and open land marking where this once-bustling community stood.
- The “Tubb Town Trixie” statue is the only physical memorial, commemorating the town’s brief but significant role in Wyoming’s frontier history.
The Birth of a Frontier Settlement
While many frontier settlements emerged from careful planning, Tubb Town sprang to life in 1889 through pure entrepreneurial opportunism.
Unlike its meticulously planned neighbors, Tubb Town burst onto Wyoming’s frontier landscape in 1889, driven by raw entrepreneurial spirit.
Much like the Wyoming Valley settlers who established organized defenses to protect their community, DeLoss DeWitt Tubbs, a savvy businessman from Custer, South Dakota, established the settlement along Salt Creek, strategically positioning his general store at its heart.
In true frontier economy fashion, F.R. Curran quickly followed with the town’s first saloon, creating a magnet for settlers and workers.
You can trace their ambitious vision to the anticipated Burlington and Missouri River Railroad route and the newly discovered Cambria coal deposits nearby.
Despite the settlement challenges of Wyoming Territory life, the town quickly attracted diverse enterprises – from a milk ranch to a Chinese laundry – as residents sought their fortunes in this promising railroad outpost.
The town’s early leadership passed an unusual measure requiring travelers to pay tolls to access local establishments.
Location and Geographic Significance
The strategic location of Tubb Town played a key role in its brief but notable existence.
You’ll find this frontier settlement nestled along Salt Creek in Weston County, Wyoming, just 2 miles northeast of Newcastle and 7.9 miles west of the South Dakota border.
The town’s position at the intersection of crucial transportation routes and geographic features made it an attractive spot for pioneers and settlers.
- Positioned along the historic Custer-Belle Fourche Trail, connecting mining operations and cattle drives
- Situated near Salt Creek, providing essential water access in the rugged Black Hills landscape
- Located at a strategic crossroads where railroad development was anticipated to transform the region
DeLoss Tubbs, a South Dakota businessman, founded the settlement in spring 1889 to serve railroad crews and travelers.
Today, you can visit the site along U.S. Route 16, where a historical marker commemorates this memorial to Wyoming’s frontier spirit.
The Wild West Atmosphere
As Tubb Town emerged in the late 1880s, its reputation quickly solidified as Wyoming Territory’s rowdiest settlement, where saloons, brothels, and dance halls dominated the landscape.
You’d find a frontier culture where drinking customs ruled daily life, including an initiation ritual requiring newcomers to buy rounds for the entire crowd.
The town’s wild atmosphere thrived on a volatile mix of railroad workers, miners, and opportunists.
Like oil and water, Tubb Town’s explosive blend of laborers and fortune-seekers fueled its notorious reputation for lawlessness.
You couldn’t avoid the constant brawls between rival labor groups, which once drove a local deputy to quit in frustration.
While authorities discouraged gun use, fights regularly erupted throughout the streets.
The raucous environment even attracted famous figures like Calamity Jane, drawn to a place where profit-seeking and vice created an untamed social order typical of Western boomtowns.
Law and Order in the Boomtown
You’d find Tubb Town’s law and order situation embodied by Deputy Swisher’s futile attempts to control the chaos, as he eventually gave up on stopping fistfights and only threatened lethal force against firearm use.
The town’s saloons served as flashpoints for frequent brawls, where dozens of men would simultaneously engage in violent confrontations. The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad company established the town in 1888, bringing waves of workers and the inevitable disorder that followed.
Mining crews and railroad graders regularly clashed in the streets, creating a volatile atmosphere that overwhelmed any meaningful attempts at maintaining peace.
Deputy’s Failed Control Attempts
During Tubb Town’s chaotic summer of 1889, Deputy Swisher‘s attempts to maintain law and order descended into futility as multiple street fights erupted simultaneously throughout the boomtown.
You’d have witnessed his growing disillusionment as he faced overwhelming law enforcement challenges, eventually withdrawing from active intervention except for cases involving firearms.
Key factors that broke the deputy’s resolve:
- Relentless cycle of fights – as soon as he’d quell one brawl, another would erupt nearby
- Organized resistance from hostile residents and transient workers
- Severely limited resources and support for maintaining order
The deputy’s experience reflected broader struggles across Wyoming’s frontier boomtowns, where underpaid officers faced constant danger and hostility. Like many other Wyoming law enforcement officials during this era, he likely encountered widespread public contempt for laws, which made maintaining order nearly impossible.
His ultimate surrender to the chaos foreshadowed Tubb Town’s rapid decline, demonstrating the critical link between effective law enforcement and community stability.
Saloon Violence and Brawls
While miners and graders filled Tubb Town’s numerous saloons in 1889, the volatile mix of alcohol, labor rivalries, and lawlessness created an explosive atmosphere that regularly erupted into violence.
You’d witness massive brawls spilling onto the streets, with fights breaking out simultaneously across town as rival factions clashed. The saloon culture bred a particularly ruthless form of disorder, where fistfights could quickly escalate into town-wide melees. Much like the infamous Hole-in-the-Wall Gang, outlaws and criminals found refuge in the chaotic environment. Similar to Poker Alice Ivers, some of the most notorious figures emerged from these volatile saloon scenes.
These weren’t just isolated incidents – they defined daily life in Tubb Town. The violent legacies of these conflicts ultimately contributed to the town’s downfall, as the continuous chaos between miners and graders made normal commerce impossible.
With law enforcement overwhelmed and ineffective, the brawls became an accepted part of the boomtown’s brief but turbulent existence.
Mining vs. Grading Conflicts
The volatile relationship between miners and railroad graders formed the foundation of Tubb Town’s social unrest. Economic rivalry between these groups sparked fierce territorial disputes as they competed for control over critical resources and work opportunities.
You’d find both groups constantly vying for dominance in this booming frontier settlement, where Deputy Swisher struggled to maintain order amid frequent brawls. The lack of proper mine safety laws before 1886 only intensified tensions between the competing factions. Early miners were primarily British Isle immigrants, establishing the first wave of workers in Wyoming’s growing mining industry.
Key factors that fueled the conflict:
- Overlapping claims to land and labor resources
- High financial stakes in coal extraction and railroad construction
- Lack of effective legal mechanisms to resolve disputes
The intense competition reflected broader challenges in frontier boomtowns, where rapid population growth strained limited resources.
With ineffective law enforcement and no clear dispute resolution system, these conflicts ultimately contributed to Tubb Town’s decline and eventual abandonment.
Economic Activities and Business Life
Established in spring 1889 by DeLoss Dewitt Tubbs, Tubb Town’s economic life centered initially around a general store that supplied essential goods to settlers, cowboys, and railroad construction crews.
The town’s saloon economy quickly became dominant after F.R. Curran opened the first drinking establishment, catering to the transient workforce of railroad laborers.
You’d have found a bustling mix of businesses during the town’s peak, including a newspaper, Chinese laundry, two-story hotels, and a milk ranch.
The entertainment district grew rapidly, with brothels and dance halls drawing crowds. An informal custom required newcomers to buy rounds for locals, setting the town’s wild culture.
When the railroad announced its bypass of Tubb Town in September 1889, businesses swiftly relocated to nearby Newcastle, leading to complete abandonment by November.
Notable Characters and Daily Life
In Tubb Town’s heyday, you’d find miners and railroad workers engaged in frequent bar brawls that proved too much for Deputy Swisher, who quit his position due to the constant violence.
You’d also encounter daily operations of a Chinese laundry, one of the few stable businesses in this chaotic frontier settlement.
The sheriff’s attempts to maintain peace ultimately failed, particularly when he threatened to shoot anyone who fired weapons in town – a desperate measure that proved ineffective in taming the settlement’s wild character.
Miners and Bar Brawls
During its brief but volatile existence, Tubb Town attracted a diverse mix of hard-working miners and railroad laborers who shaped the settlement’s rowdy character.
The miner camaraderie forged in coal mines and railroad camps often spilled into the town’s saloons, where a unique barroom etiquette required newcomers to buy rounds of drinks as an entrance toll.
You’d have witnessed these colorful scenes in Tubb Town’s heyday:
- Burlington & Missouri Railroad crews flooding local saloons after long shifts
- Coal miners from the Cambria mines settling disputes with their fists
- Transient laborers testing their luck at gambling tables between jobs
The town’s lack of law enforcement meant that bar brawls erupted frequently, especially when tensions rose over cards, claims, or the mandatory drink toll that some newcomers resented.
Chinese Laundry Operations Daily
While miners and railroad workers filled the saloons, Chinese immigrants carved out their own essential economic space in Tubb Town through a thriving laundry operation.
You’d find these hardworking laundrymen starting before dawn, skillfully combining traditional Chinese laundry techniques with Western methods to clean the town’s garments and linens. They’d issue their distinctive “washee tickee” claim checks and work tirelessly to meet quick turnaround demands. Similar to Joe Wah of Homestead, these workers often faced mockery in newspapers when advertising their services.
Beyond its practical function, the laundry served as a cultural hub where Chinese immigrants could speak their native language, share news from home, and maintain their traditions.
Despite facing discrimination, these enterprising businessmen proved indispensable to Tubb Town’s economy, keeping miners and railroad workers presentable while preserving their own cultural significance in the American West.
Sheriff’s Failed Peace Efforts
Despite his best efforts to maintain order, Deputy Swisher faced overwhelming challenges in controlling Tubb Town‘s rampant violence, particularly as rivalries between railroad graders and miners erupted into frequent street brawls.
The lack of formal government infrastructure severely undermined sheriff authority, leaving Swisher powerless against the town’s lawless atmosphere.
Consider these stark realities of Tubb Town’s community dynamics:
- An August 1889 brawl involved nearly the entire population.
- Swisher ultimately abandoned peacekeeping duties, only threatening to shoot anyone using firearms.
- The town’s economy, dominated by saloons and brothels, fostered a volatile environment resistant to law enforcement.
While some civilians like dairyman A.M. Nelson attempted to establish legitimate businesses, the transient population’s disregard for order made lasting peace impossible.
The town’s violent reputation ultimately stunted development of stable community institutions.
The Railroad’s Fateful Decision
In late 1889, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad shattered Tubb Town‘s dreams of prosperity when it announced its tracks would bypass the settlement entirely.
The railroad’s impact on settlement dynamics proved absolute – within two months, you’d have found Tubb Town completely deserted.
Abandoned towns littered the frontier as railroads wielded the power to determine which settlements would thrive and which would vanish.
The Lincoln Land Company, the railroad’s real estate arm, had already mapped out their preferred locations for towns along the tracks.
Their strategy centered on accessing the rich coal deposits near Cambria, about nine miles northwest of Tubb Town.
When business owners learned of the decision, they didn’t hesitate – they quickly packed up and moved to the newly platted town of Newcastle.
One enterprising merchant even transported his entire shop by wagon to the new location.
The Town’s Swift Decline
After the railroad’s fateful announcement on September 1, 1889, Tubb Town’s decline proved shockingly swift and absolute.
Within days, you would’ve witnessed an unprecedented community exodus as residents scrambled to secure their futures in nearby Newcastle. The rapid abandonment was so complete that within 48 hours of Newcastle’s first lot sales, Tubb Town stood completely deserted.
- Determined residents dismantled entire buildings, transporting them piece by piece to Newcastle.
- The town’s saloon owner kept spirits flowing with a mobile bar during the relocation.
- Many displaced residents ended up living in dugouts along Cambria Creek due to Newcastle’s housing shortage.
The transformation from a bustling frontier settlement to a ghost town happened faster than anyone could’ve imagined, marking one of the most dramatic town collapses in Wyoming’s history.
Historical Markers and Modern Remnants
While bustling crowds once filled its streets, modern-day Tubb Town exists primarily through historical markers and commemorative symbols.
You’ll find a state historical marker near Salt Creek detailing the town’s brief but notorious existence, founded by DeLoss Tubbs in spring 1889. The marker chronicles the settlement’s historical significance, from its first ordinance requiring drink tolls to its colorful mix of businesses including a milk ranch and Chinese laundry.
Today, you won’t see any original buildings standing – just sagebrush and open land.
The only physical reminder is “Tubb Town Trixie,” a statue of a prospector and mule in nearby Newcastle.
The Wyoming Historical Society works to preserve the cultural memory through written records, photographs, and oral histories, ensuring this Wild West chapter isn’t forgotten.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Happened to Deloss Tubbs After the Town Was Abandoned?
Like a ghost fading into mist, you won’t find clear records of DeLoss Tubbs’ path after Tubb Town’s fall. His legacy remains frozen in that brief 1889 moment of frontier ambition.
Were There Any Deaths or Murders Recorded During Tubb Town’s Existence?
Despite rumors of ghostly occurrences, you won’t find records of deaths or tragic events during the town’s brief existence. Violent brawls occurred, but no confirmed murders or fatalities were documented.
How Many People Actually Lived in Tubb Town at Its Peak?
Like a flash in the pan, you’ll find no exact population statistics were recorded, but historical significance suggests the boomtown likely peaked at 100-300 residents during its brief months of existence.
What Was the Average Cost of Land or Property in Tubb Town?
You won’t find precise land prices from 1889, but property values likely ranged from $10-50 per commercial lot, with informal transactions dominating the rapid boom-and-bust cycle of this frontier settlement.
Did Any Famous Outlaws or Gunfighters Ever Visit Tubb Town?
A million tales have been told, but you won’t find any confirmed outlaw sightings or gunfighter legends here. Historical records don’t support claims that famous Wild West figures ever visited.
References
- https://kids.kiddle.co/Tubb_Town
- https://cowboystatedaily.com/2024/09/21/wyoming-history-tubb-town-the-rowdiest-town-in-wyoming-territory/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubb_Town
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=34872
- http://www.wyomingtalesandtrails.com/gillette.html
- https://www.gutenberg.org/files/60361/60361-h/60361-h.htm
- https://wyomingwhispers.com/wyomings-ghost-towns/
- https://en.wikipedia-on-ipfs.org/wiki/Tubb_Town
- https://sites.rootsweb.com/~wytttp/ghosttowns.htm
- https://www.laramiecountywy.gov/County-Government/Elected-Officials/Laramie-County-Sheriffs-Office/History
