Town of Piedmont - Piedmont, Wyoming
Posted by: 
Tom.dog
N 41° 13.187 W 110° 37.189
12T E 531867 N 4563225
A sign that tells of the settling and later decline of the railroad ghost town of Piedmont.
Waymark Code: WM18P19
Location: Wyoming, United States
Date Posted: 09/02/2023
Views: 0
The text on the sign reads:
Town of Piedmont
Located west of the kilns, the town of Piedmont started out as a logging camp supplying ties for the approaching Union Pacific Railroad in the 1860s. It also served as a base camp for graders building the railroad bed over nearby Aspen Mountain. More and more people moved to Piedmont to work for the railroad or logging operations. The town became a thriving community - complete with a general store, hotel, school, post office, and several saloons.
First Residents
Among the first settlers in the area were the Moses Byrne family an the Charles Guild family. In fact, Piedmont was originally named Byrne, but the name was changed to prevent confusion with the nearby town of Bryan. Mrs. Byrne and Mrs. Guild - who were sisters and natives of Piedmont, Italy - chose the name Piedmont which means "foot of the mountains" in Italian.
Local Legends
In 1896, Butch Cassidy met up with his boys in Piedmont before riding off to rob the Montpelier, Idaho bank. Treasure seekers still search for the stolen gold reportedly buried nearby. Calamity Jane, frontierswoman and professional scout, apparently lived in Piedmont as a young girl.
Town's Passing
Around 1901, the railroad line was rerouted a few miles north of Piedmont through the newly completed Aspen Tunnel. Without the railroad, the logging and charcoal businesses collapsed - it was the beginning of the end. Piedmont struggled on until the 1940s, when the Guild Mercantile Store closed for lack of business. Remnants of old homes, the kilns, and cemeteries still exist today.
Marker Name: Town of Piedmont
Marker Type: Rural Roadside
Addtional Information:
This is one of four signs located at the Piedmont Kilns that describe the history of the kilns and the surrounding ghost town of Piedmont. All four of the signs, along with several nearby markers and monuments, can be found listed on the Wyoming State Parks' map of markers and monuments here: https://wysphst.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=70c906c090a0466da9781e2a88ac72b6
Group Responsible for Placement: Wyoming State Parks & Cultural Resources
Date Dedicated: Not Listed
Marker Number: Not Listed
Web link(s) for additional information: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
Please post a photo of you OR your GPS at the marker location. Also if you know of any additional links not already mentioned about this bit of Wyoming history please include that in your log.
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