Lemley Mill and Miners Delight Saloon, WY 2023
Your Project Supervisor Scot Bowers!
Lemley Mill and Miners Delight Saloon are part of the South Pass Historic Mining Area, which contains remnants of five National Historic Trails. By 1872, the mines had played out, the prospectors left, and what remains of this part of the American story is at risk of being lost to time.
PROJECT PARTNER: Bureau of Land Management
SESSION DATES: July 23-28, July 30 – August 4, August 13-18, August 20-25, and August 27 – September 1
PROJECT SUPERVISOR: Scot Bowers!
CREW LEADER: TBD!
Project Site Description & History
Located just 40 minutes from the outdoor-lovers’ destination of Lander, WY, gateway to the unforgettable Wind River Range, Lemley Mill is part of the 30-square-miles South Pass Historic Mining Area. This area is included in the traditional homelands of the Crow, Cheyenne, and Eastern Shoshone Nations. A small gold discovery in 1867 bolstered the local population but quickly fizzled out following the mines playing out in the area. The Lemley Mill was constructed during a failed attempt to revive mining here during the Great Depression, but was abandoned just a decade later due to its unprofitability. It was acquired by the BLM in the 1960s. Today, just handful of folks live in the area. The historic gravity mill retains distinctive construction methods of the period and gold-milling components. The last major renovation was by the BLM in the 1970’s and included adding electricity, adding new structural support, and exterior water proofing. The building, as it stands today, needs an overhaul to stabilize many areas of collapse and deterioration.
HistoriCorps will provide work to support stabilization efforts that include interior structural reinforcement and replacement of exterior wood areas to protect the building. The project will first clean the interior areas of collapsed debris, protect the historic items in place, and replace damaged roof sections, and assist in long-term BLM site interpretation to tell the story of the miners and history of the land for generations to come.
The South Pass Historic Mining area contains remnants of five National Historic Trails. Emigrants used these trails to travel across the continent, often in search of new livelihoods. An estimated 400,000 people traveled the Oregon Trail (the most famous of the five) between 1830 and 1870. An additional historic route, the Wyoming Women’s Suffrage Highway, runs near here as well.
Intrepid travelers willing to go “where the rails end and the trails begin” will certainly enjoy exploring the natural and historic features found throughout this region. Volunteers on this project will have the opportunity to learn about mining history in Wyoming, experience dramatic and ever-changing landscapes where the Red Desert meets the Wind River Mountains, and learn the skills necessary to ensure the history contained in this site can be interpreted and explored for generations to come.
HistoriCorps is grateful to the Alliance for Historic Wyoming and the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund for their support of this project! AHW is dedicated to protecting our historic and cultural resources in both the built and natural environments.
WCTF envisions Wyoming as a place where the cultural life and heritage of the state thrives, and is valued, enjoyed, and supported by all.
Wyoming’s Red Desert is a stark contrast from the Wind River Range. This area was historically one of the most important overland routes for settlers, miners, and traders.
Mill equipment was simply left behind when the mines closed.
Location and Logistics
SESSION DATES: July 23-28, July 30 – August 4, August 13-18, August 20-25, and August 27 – September 1.
Please plan to arrive at our campsite no earlier than 5pm and no later than 7pm on the first day of your session.
Located 45 minutes from Lander, WY!
SITE INFORMATION:
The majority of our volunteers will camp at the Lemley Mill just on the outskirts of the main strip in Atlantic City. A few RV spaces are available just down the road at the Dexter Mill RV Park with hookups. Coin operated showers are located at the Dexter Mill RV Park as well! Our primary campsite at the Lemley Mill is accessible for tent campers, truck campers/campervans, and small RVs/trailers and the ground may not be perfectly level.
LOCATION:
HistoriCorps projects are free for volunteers! HistoriCorps will provide all meals, tools, training, equipment, and a campsite. Volunteers are responsible for their own transportation to the campsite, sleeping equipment, work clothes and boots, and other personal gear.
Scope of Work
PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: 
HistoriCorps is committed to educating and training volunteers in preservation skills, with an overarching mission of inspiring a preservation ethic in all those involved. Learning and working alongside expert HistoriCorps field staff, volunteers will learn the skills necessary to preserve and stabilize the historic Lemley Mill and Miners Delight Saloon.
Lemley Mill:
- Site cleanup and stabilization
- Repair and replace deteriorated structural members
- Roof framing repair and material (rolled roofing) instal
- Additional general repairs
Miner’s Delight Saloon:
- Site cleanup and stabilization
- Repair and replace deteriorated structural members
- Roof framing repair and material (metal) install
- Additional general repairs
Sign Up!
We’re thrilled this project has inspired you to volunteer!
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!
Visit our Job Calendar to see if a project session is full.
*All registrations submitted to projects at capacity will be automatically added to our waitlist.*
You will know your registration was successful when you receive a confirmation email. Contact volunteer@historicorps.org for assistance.
HistoriCorps does not charge for its volunteering projects. HistoriCorps relies on donations to continue engaging volunteers to save significant historical sites across America for generations to come. Your donation of any amount will make an incredible difference! Increase your impact – make a generous gift today.
Volunteer Logistics, Policies, and Advice
We’re so glad you’re interested in joining this project! If you’re new to our community, review the Volunteer FAQ first! Please note the following logistics and policies:
- Volunteering with HistoriCorps is free! We will provide all meals, tools, training, equipment, and a campsite or shared indoor lodging. Dinner is not provided on the first night.
- Volunteers are responsible for bringing their own gear, work gloves, sturdy work clothes and boots, and appropriate sleeping equipment. Check the average temperatures before you start packing – the nights and mornings may be colder than you anticipate! Then, read this advice about how to stay warm when tent camping in colder places.
- Campsite accessibility varies by project. Some projects can accommodate tents only; others can accommodate small RVs. Please review the project site description above for more information, and if you’re still not sure, email volunteer@historicorps.org for help.
- If this project does not offer showers, you might want to consider bringing a solar shower or research other methods to clean up after the work day.
- Volunteer crew sizes generally range from 4-8 volunteers, with two HistoriCorps staff that lead and train volunteers in the work.
- Safety is one of HistoriCorps’ top priorities, and volunteers can contribute to a safe working environment by ensuring their physical fitness is adequate for the work. See above for this project’s scope of work and difficulty level. Please, call us if you are not quite sure if a project is a good fit for your skills or fitness level. We may be able to suggest a project more suitable and enjoyable for you.
- Hard hats, eye protection, ear protection, gloves are standard personal protection equipment (PPE) required on all projects. Hard hats must be worn at all times on the project site, unless working in a designated safe space. Field staff will train volunteers on correct use of PPE.
- Dogs are generally allowed to accompany their humans in project campsites (actually, we love having dogs join us around the campfire!). Dogs are not permitted on the job site for everyone's safety. HOWEVER: HistoriCorps also follows the rules and regulations of our project partner. If the project partner does not permit dogs onsite then HistoriCorps is no exception. Please ask HistoriCorps or the project partner directly if you have any questions about whether Fido is welcome.