Gebo Ghost Town and Cemetery, Hot Springs County, Wyoming

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Gebo Ghost Town and Cemetery, Hot Springs County, Wyoming
N 43 47.511 W 108 14.407
1/4 Section 10, Twp 44N, R95W

This town was named for Samuel W. Gebo, who was a developer of the coal mines here in the 1880’s. Gebo, Wyoming was an active town for 32 years, 1906-1938. In 1929 there were about 1200 employees and families living in the area with over 600 employed in the coal mines of Gebo. Thus, these deaths represent only a few of those that must have occurred at Gebo, Wyoming and Crosby, Wyoming (the closest town to Gebo). The first car of coal was loaded at Gebo on August 27, 1907, and there were no more paychecks to miners after 1932. The coal mines were closed in 1938.

In 1971, an event occurred, upsetting some Hot Springs County residents, when what remained of the town of Gebo was leveled by the Federal Bureau of Land Management. It is now a ghost town, but still interesting to visit. Remnants remain here and there, including the remains of a stone house built on a rocky ledge. The Gebo cemetery remains mostly intact.

There is a short historical review of the town of Gebo by Mary Hanssen, a Gebo Resident. It is recorded in the Thermopolis Independent Record Newspaper; June 21, 1979 issue.

There is a Master’s Degree paper written about Gebo. It is titled, The Social Interaction Among The Residents of Gebo, Wyoming by Iris K. Guyn, 1971. It was presented at Black Hills State College, Graduate Division and a copy is kept at the Hot Springs County Library. It has some interesting information about immigration patterns in Gebo.

This is an isolated, small, kept-as-well-as-can-be cemetery, but well fenced for protection from livestock. Many of the headstones can be read and identified, although some have deteriorated. Some gravesites do not have a headstone. To reach the cemetery from Worland, travel South on US Hwy 20, about 22 miles, until you reach the crossroad to the town of Kirby. Turn to the right, or West, on Sand Draw Road, Hot Springs County Road #18, the sign of which is well shot up with bullet holes. Follow the pavement for 1.3 miles to a “y” in the road. Bear left, on Hot Springs County Rod #30. This sign is even more shot full of holes than the former sign. Continue for another 1.3 miles, passing the old ruins of the town of Gebo and you will see a fenced-in area with the gravestones and a little “doghouse” style grave marker inside. This cemetery can be reached by regular automobile.

The cemetery used to be much larger, extending to the east. In the 40’s and 50’s many graves were moved by family members, and the cemetery was fenced to its current size.

Gebo Cemetery Transcription

SurnameGiven NameBirth dateDeath dateComments
AkermanNels Ernest27 Dec 191521 Aug 1917Son of Mr & Mrs Ernest Akerman (should be Ackerman)
AlbrightByron E.4 Dec 19284 Dec 1928Son of Ray and Fern Albright
BanisterMrs.ng1914
BergerAliceng7 Mar 1922(see note in preface)
Borbey/BarberBen18771920Died Tick Fever, she remarried to Sidney Curl
BrazielArthur15 Jun 186314 Mar 1922body moved to Billings, MT 1925, stone remains, son Wayne
CassidyBabyng15 Feb 1923Dau of Mr and Mrs Val Cassidy
DennisHarry(grandson of Thaddeus Lebecous Hall)
DeromediVirginia10 Deb 191814 Nov 1921Dau of Joe and Lena Deromedi
Dickeyinfant sonng29 Mar 1916Son of Ray & Abbey Dickey
EastonMary19 Jan 192023 Sep 1920
Eastonbabyng2 Sep 1916
HallClaude B.18851920(son of Thaddeus Lebecous Hall?)
HallThaddeus Lebecous4 May 184922 Oct 1917(maternal grandfather of Mrs. Bertha Gebo?)
HobsonAlbert Willis19121932buried back and west of Ida May Wedlock
HumborgAnnieunmarked grave
HurlbutBetty Jong15 Jun 1925Dau of Ted and Margaret (Rae) Hurlburt
JarvisLeong1915
JohnstoneWilliam James10 May 19__2___1924Tombstone mostly unreadable
JubarMinnieng10 May 1914Shortened from Jubiotti
JubarBabyng1915
LyonsDavid25 Feb 191927 Aug 1919
MarivichDiana12/25/191310/16/1925dau of Dan and Milli (Tomivich) Maravich see note in preface
MarusichSam187810/9/1925(see note in preface)
MatsonOlavi P.19151916
McGirrSarah J.ng1914died of “summer complaint”
PohovichS. C.ng1914 age 27Should be Petrovich (died of polio)
PohovichCngngprobably Petrovich
Pottsbabyng1915
Schweighartdau and sonngMay 1929
Simsngngngchild of Bill and Annie (Humborg) Sims [unmarked grave
SkinnerManford187111/13/25son of Thos Skinner (see note in preface)
SmithGladys Doris5 Jan 192210 Jan 1922Dau of William Smith and Doris Viola Dennis Smith
Sponskeybabyng1918
Szeesbabyng19146 mos
TschiggMary Lena25 mar 191619 Aug 1919Family lived on lower Cottonwood
WedlockIda May18931915Wife of Nathan Hobson
WedlockAlice Rennie18981914
WedlockRobert Henry18611924
WorkmanAndrew M.3/17/186411/4/1925Son of Fiema Workman (see note in preface)
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