When you think of Wyoming, you think of our peaceful mountain state, and I’m certain you feel safe. We know all of our neighbors here, and it’s easy to get involved with our towns and get to know local businesses. Perhaps that’s why it’s so shocking to hear the horrific story of Wyoming’s first – and worst – serial killer, who committed her (yes, her) crimes in a quiet mining town. When it comes to creepy places in Wyoming, South Pass might just take the cake.

South Pass is a small, nearly abandoned town located south of Lander, Wyoming.
Flickr / Graham Styles
In the 1860s, it was a busy, bustling mining town in an area that drew prospectors from all over the nation.
The town was also a stop on the Oregon Trail, and even Mark Twain wrote about his visit to South Pass City.
Jackson, W.H. 301 jwh00301/U.S. Geological Survey Photographic Library/Wikimedia
There was a hotel, a tavern, a blacksmith shop and pretty much everything else you needed for a stay in Rocky Mountain mining country.

One South Pass family, the Bartletts, had opened up a small inn, where they hosted travelers coming through the city.
If these visitors were on their way back east, they often had some gold with them.
Anna-Katharina Stöcklin/Wikimedia
These are the poor, unfortunate souls that might have met their death at the hands of young Polly Bartlett.
You see, the family had obtained a quantity of arsenic, under the guise of controlling the rodents that made their guests uncomfortable.
Flickr / Tom Woodward
What the arsenic was actually used for is an entirely different story.

You see, Polly Bartlett had gotten word of travelers coming back through South Pass with gold and money in their possession. Her greed got the best of her, and she began poisoning the men that stayed overnight.

One prospector, heading back home, stopped at Bartlett's for the night. He asked Polly to make him a steak and offered her $10 for her trouble. It proved to be a fatal mistake. Many other men - Tim Flaherty from Omaha, Edmund Ford from South Pass itself - disappeared after a stay at the Bartlett Inn.

Eventually, their boldness caught up with them. One young man, Barney Fortune, disappeared after staying the night. This drew the Pinkertons out to investigate the string of disappearances.
With the law on their tail, the Bartlett Family fled town.
Flickr / Jimmy Emerson, DVM
Once the detectives realized they were on the lam, a $13,000 reward was put on their heads. It didn't take long for a former cop to shoot Mr. Bartlett in a duel, and Polly was arrested and held in Atlantic City Jail. While she awaited trial, one of Barney Fortune's friends shot her right through the window of the jail cell - ending the case once and for all.

Shortly after Polly's death, investigators found 22 bodies buried at the Bartlett Ranch.
Today, the town is a tourist destination, and only a few souls still keep South Pass as their address.
Flickr / m01229
You can tour the Carissa Mine and visit the South Pass Mercantile shop, but as you stroll the town's main street, be sure to keep in mind those who were never able to leave.
Throughout Wyoming, you'll find historians who call the tale of Polly Bartlett and Wyoming's first serial killing spree an urban legend.
Flickr / Don Barrett
However, those who've walked the streets of South Pass City, and who have seen the former Bartlett Inn, will find themselves with a sinking feeling in their stomach as they make up their own minds about what truly happened in this eerie ghost town.

South Pass City isn’t the only ghost town in WY, and if you take a look at some of these other abandoned towns in Wyoming, you might find yourself wondering what other uncovered history may be hiding in the hills. Where are some of your favorite creepy places in Wyoming? Let us know in the comments!

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Creepy Places in Wyoming

Tori Jane | May 15, 2023
  1. What are some creepy places in Wyoming?

Wyoming is a beautiful state... but it’s also quiet, lonely, and at times desolate, which makes it perfect for a good old-fashioned creepy place or two. There are lots of spooky, creepy places in Wyoming (which are “creepy” for all sorts of reasons), and some of the most chilling are:  

  • The Historic Occidental Hotel – Said to be haunted by the daughter of a lady of the night from the old western days, this gorgeous historic hotel is as creepy as it is awesome.  
  • The Hot Springs County Library – Yes, seriously. A haunted library in Wyoming! Folks who work there have made the most reports for obvious reasons, but guests have also seen some pretty bizarre stuff in the stacks.  
  • Fort Laramie National Historic Site – Once upon a time, this place was a trading post. Supposedly, it’s haunted by the spirit of an old cavalry officer.  

Learn more about each of these creepy places in Wyoming, and then some! 

  1. How many ghost towns in Wyoming are there?

Speaking of spooky, what about ghost towns? Ghost towns are eerie, too, and who even knows what kind of spirits linger there after the often-dark times in mining days? Some notable ghost towns in Wyoming include places like:  

  • Miner’s Delight – With a population of zero, Miner’s Delight is a legitimate ghost town. It’s currently managed and preserved by the Bureau of Land Management.  
  • Piedmont – All that’s left of this one is a cemetery (yikes), some collapsing and/or collapsed buildings, and some old charcoal kiln ruins.  
  • Kirwin – This Wyoming ghost town is truly unsettling, as there are quite a few buildings left. Oh, and it’s supposedly haunted... so do with that what you will.  

Learn more about all these creepy ghost towns in Wyoming! 

  1. What were some old mining towns in Wyoming?

Not all mining towns in Wyoming are ghost towns (though most are); some old mining towns are still alive, be it for tourism or for having never “died” in the first place. Some notable old mining towns in Wyoming you can still visit today are towns such as:  

  • Hartville – This is the oldest still-living mining town in the state! It’s steeped in history and home to the old Miners and Stockman's Bar (which is also the oldest in the state).  
  • Atlantic City – This town is another historic mining town with a small population of under 100 at any given time. It’s a stop along the Continental Divide Trail.  

Learn more about Atlantic City, an old mining town in Wyoming. 

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