Hanna goes international

The Hanna Basin Museum was recently given access to an audience in the millions. 

ARD German Radio & TV is the largest public broadcasting network in Europe. It serves 60 plus radio stations with over 39.7 million listeners. The website has approximately 2 million hits a day. 

While Hanna Basin Museum Director Sunshine Solaas was interviewed by ARD, she also extended an invite to Carbon County historian and former Hanna resident Bob Leathers.

The reporter, Jule Käppel, has been researching a story about if Wyoming will still be known as "The Energy State" as the demand for coal evaporates. 

"I came here to learn about the energy state, Wyoming, and how the development of coal happened and now with wind energy coming into the state, is there a future for both," Käppel said. "I'm really interested in energy and the economic changes as energy sources change and how it effects the future".

She said her interest in the area as a featured place in her story was triggered by an article called 'Wind Rises in Coal Country' that ran in the New York Times on March 4 and had Carbon County on the front page.

This story got the world's attention. The story came about because of the years Terry Weikum has spent learning about wind projects and how they can help the future of Wyoming and Carbon County, New York Times journalist Dionne Searcey reached out to him for a story she was looking to do on wind energy. Weikum suggested she come out for a visit to actually see the place she was going to write about. She did, and the result was front page exposure on the New York Times. 

Weikum said back in late March he was interviewed by over 50 national and international media companies about Carbon County.

Käppel came to learn about the past of coal culture in Wyoming and there is probably no better museum in the state on coal history than the Hanna Basin Museum. Käppel reached out to Solaas to learn about the history of coal in the state.

Solaas knew Leathers was the person for Käppel to interview. Leathers was raised in Hanna but left in 1965 and has been invaluable in putting the railroad and coal culture on the Hanna Basin Museum's website.

Solaas, Leathers and Käppel met at the museum on June 1. After Käppel broke out her microphone, Leathers explained how Carbon County became so important to coal culture.

Leathers explained coal was found near the town of Carbon in the 1880s, and the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) was its biggest consumer. Later, UP decided to found its own coal mining company town and bypass Carbon which became a ghost town by the early 1900s.

"Hanna was founded as a company town by Union Pacific Railroad Coal Company," Leathers said. "Hanna did well until the town busted in 1954 when UP decided they didn't need as much coal to run their engines. So they shut the mines."

UP sold the houses they had built to any residents that wanted them.

"Strip mining came in the 1970s and, because Hanna coal has low sulfur content, it was highly sought after and, for about 10 years, Hanna actually led coal mining in Wyoming," Leathers said. "It even out produced Campbell County. Then the demand ebbed, and Campbell County's cheaper coal killed the mines in Hanna.

Leathers said his family first came from England in 1885 to live and work in Carbon and, later, Hanna.

"My family has always had someone working in the mines while they were open and, until very recently, a family member always lived in Hanna," Leathers said. "That is why I am interested that the history of coal mining is recorded."

Käppel asked Solaas and Leathers if they think coal was still important to the energy supply to the United States.

"I do. I still think there is a place for coal and green energy and we can use both," Leathers said. "I think there are ways to clean coal up, if it is given the proper attention. I think the state of Wyoming is trying to do just that. "

Käppel took a tour of the museum and was thrilled to see how many artifacts from coal mines were on display in the main building. She toured the miners cottage and was pleasantly surprised how much there was to see.

After touring the museum, Solaas offered to take her to Old Carbon, so Käppel could see where coal mining all started.

Käppel thanked Leathers and Solaas for all their help in the story she was creating. She was happy she had come to the state.

"Wyoming has blown me away with its beauty all around it," Käppel said. "I love the people that I have met in Rawlins and Hanna. They are so open, friendly and warm hearted. What I have seen is a fantastic place that is surrounded by strong history that is not so common everywhere."