In the early 1900s, the west had many small mining towns. One of these towns was Gebo, Wyoming. Gebo was well documented by former resident Mileva Maravic.
Maravic grew up in Gebo. She collected photos and memories from the town.
Gebo was operated by the Owl Creek Coal Company. The coal company owned all of the houses and businesses. They did not charge rent.
Maravic called Gebo a melting pot of people. Most were from various parts of Europe. She also recalled two families from Japan. There were no African American residents because the company would not hire them.
By 1938, the mine had closed and Gebo became public land. As late as 1968 people were still living there illegally.
Today, Gebo is mostly gone. Only the graveyard and a few structures remain.
You can visit Gebo in the Mileva Maravic papers at UW’s American Heritage Center.