What’s Lurking Underwater in Wyoming?
Ever since the fur trapping trade arrived in the 1820s, Wyoming's lakes, rivers and streams have been filled with many shipwrecks, steamboats and submerged treasures.
Here's a few of the Cowboy State's most interesting underwater relics.
The ghost town of Kane, Wyoming - Founded in 1895 near the Shoshone and Big Horn Rivers, it was the original sight of the Kane Ferry. In 1961, construction began on the Yellowtail Dam in Montana and residents were forced to sell their homes and property. After the dam was completed in 1967, the remnants of the town were flooded by the newly created Bighorn Lake. Nearly 50 years later, the old ghost town of Kane remains underwater.
The E.C. Waters steamboat at Yellowstone Lake - The old steamboat is one of several submerged sights near the old Lake Hotel, which opened at Yellowstone Lake in 1891. The E.C. Waters arrived in 1905, but was only used for one season due to conflicts between the businessman and park officials. These days, the remains of the steamship are beached near Stevenson Island along with an old boathouse, dock and fishing hatchery.
The Green River Comet - In 1908, this steamboat was used to carry passengers and freight along the Green River from Wyoming to Utah. Unfortunately, it was too big to pass over many of the river's sandbars and was abandoned. According to legend, it now lies under the Wyoming Highway 530 Bridge near the town of Green River.
The Marshall Firehole Hotel - In the 1880s, the Firehole Hotel and post office were built along the Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park. Unfortunately, the settlement didn't last long. By 1891, the post office had been taken out of service and the hotel was evacuated. While most of the old structures have withered away, some remains of the building can still be seen under the river.
The 'Death Ship' of the Platte River - One of Wyoming's most popular urban legends dates back to 1862, when a trapper allegedly spotted a corpse on a vessel in the fog. Later that day, his girlfriend was found dead. In 1887, a cattlemen reported seeing the lifeless body of his wife on the deck of a similar ship. Later that day, she died. Several subsequent sightings have since been recorded and, although the physical remains of the Platte River 'Death Ship' have never been discovered, some believe that the boat can still be seen on foggy winter days.