FRIDAY, June 19, 2026 |
Photo – Carbon County 250 Committee logo – Bigfoot99 file photo
The Board of Commissioners were updated on the county’s upcoming 250 celebrations.
This July 4th marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. To honor the semi quincentennial, the state of Wyoming has allocated federal funds toward local events. Last year, the Board of Commissioners formed the Carbon County 250 Committee to distribute the state money and plan the county’s celebrations. The committee is made up of several museum directors and local author Candy Moulton.
According to sources within the 250 Committee, Carbon County was the first county to request state funding, with nearly every museum using the grant money to create new exhibits.
Speaking at the June 16th Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, 250 Committee member Candy Moulton said 4th of July is quickly approaching, signaling the end of the committee’s work. She thanked the other members, including museum directors Tim Nicklas, Justin Horn, Lela Emmons, and Tom Mensik, for organizing the county’s festivities.
Moulton said the county‑wide celebrations will take place on July 10th, Wyoming Statehood Day, at Depot Park in Rawlins. She said the 250 Committee is working with city officials and the Rawlins Downtown Development Authority to organize the event. Moulton added that the celebration wouldn’t be possible without that help, noting that committee members lack the time to handle the planning on their own.
Moulton said July 4th will serve as the official kick‑off for the county’s 250 celebrations, with parades planned in both the Little Snake River Valley and Saratoga. The Wyoming Frontier Prison will also offer special tours that day.
Moulton said the Carbon County 250 Committee’s main focus has been the creation of a short documentary about the history of the area, called Journeys to Carbon County. She said the 28-minute film will premiere on the 4th of July in Saratoga.
The film will feature interviews with Carbon County residents and include reenactments of three historically significant events: the Stansbury Expedition, the Hanna mine disasters of 1903 and 1908, and a reenactment at the historic Virginian Hotel in Medicine Bow highlighting the former Lincoln Highway, the nation’s first transcontinental route.
Moulton played a one-minute trailer of the film for the Board, which included interviews with historian Mark Miller and Commissioner Sue Jones.
Commissioner Jones thanked Discover Carbon County, also known as the Carbon County Visitors Council, for funding the documentary.
On July 10th, the city of Rawlins will host a variety of events, including the Continental Divide Trail Coalition’s Halfway Days and the country’s 250 celebration. Moulton said the 250 Committee will present several awards during the festivities, including art and writing competitions.
On July 8th, Moulton said the county’s museums will take part in a nationwide reading of the Declaration of Independence. The event is meant to recreate the first public reading of the document, held in Philadelphia on July 8th, 1776. She said the reading will occur at 4 p.m. at the Carbon County Courthouse in Rawlins, but noted she still needs a volunteer reader.
Commission Chairman Travis Moore offered to read the Declaration of Independence on the 8th.
The Board of Commissioners thanked Moulton and the other members of the 250 Committee for helping to plan the county’s semi quincentennial celebrations.
