Established in 1967 to preserve the history of Sweetwater County, the museum contains permanent and temporary exhibits, a large historical photograph collection, and local history research material.

Sweetwater County’s history began long before written records. In prehistoric times the landscape was swampy and inhabited by great dinosaurs. Thousands of years later Native Americans, mostly Shoshone and Ute, claimed the land. The first white men moving through the area with any regularity were the mountain men. The first Rocky Mountain Rendezvous was held in 1825 in Sweetwater County, as was a later gathering in 1834 which is said to have been the largest rendezvous ever.

Several major emigrant trails passed through the county including the Oregon, California, Mormon, Overland and Cherokee Trails, as well as the 1861 transcontinental telegraph line and Ben Holladay’s Central Overland Express stage line. Vitally important to the history of the county was the coming of the transcontinental railroad in 1868. This was instrumental in the creation and development of Sweetwater County’s two major population centers, Green River and Rock Springs. Green River was the major railroad town due to the nearness of a water supply, while Rock Springs became the coal mining center of the county.

The railroad and coal mining industries brought many people of different nationalities and races to Sweetwater County. European and Oriental immigrants as well as Americans from back east made the area their home. As a result the cultural diversity represented by the county’s populace was unmatched in the state of Wyoming.

As coal mining decreased in the mid-1900s, trona mining became increasingly important to the county’s economy. Trona is an ore which is refined into soda ash, a commonly used industrial chemical. In fact trona is in such great abundance in the county that Wyoming’s Governor Mike Sullivan proclaimed the area “Trona Capital of the World” in 1989.

In an effort to preserve their rich mining heritage, the Sweetwater County Historical Museum acquired the Reliance Tipple in 1987. Visitors are encouraged to take the short drive to Reliance and examine the structure which was used to sort and grade coal and load it onto railroad cars. At the site you may take a self-guided walking tour along the paved path to view the tipple and the accompanying interpretive signs.

A highlight of the museum is a fine ethnic collection of items from Sweetwater County’s diverse population. A Lakota Sioux pipe bag, Greek ceremonial sword and Chinese theater banner add color to the exhibits. The museum also contains an excellent mining collection of three-dimensional objects, photographs and documentary material which show the mineral exploitation industry and its impact on area history.

The museum is open from April through December, Monday–Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Winter hours are Monday–Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.