Famous Wyoming Hotel Saved From Near Destruction

Did the old Virginian Hotel in Medicine Bow, Wyoming almost burn down?

According to The Carbon Comet, a local county newspaper, it was a close call.

The story is that the hotel staff saved the old place by alert, quick thinking.

The event took place on October 19th.

Some hotel employees were downstairs with the washers and dryers. They smelled something a little off.

At first, the smell was thought to be coming from the kitchen. Perhaps it was related to food being cooked.

But as the smell persisted one of the employees thought to go up and mention it to the manager.

The manager was halfway downstairs to the cellar and thought the smell was bad enough to call the fire department and evacuate the customers in the restaurant.

The Medicine Bow fire chief entered the building first and followed the smell down into the cellar.

It seems that something in the dryer had caught on fire.

The flame was quickly put out.

Because of the smell and safety concerns the hotel stayed closed for dinner that evening.

A new dryer was ordered that day.

Construction on the hotel began in 1901 and was completed in 1911.

It was built by August Grimm, the first mayor of Medicine Bow, and his partner George Plummer.

The hotel was named for the famous novel written in Medicine Bow, The Virginian by Owen Wister.

The hotel is as far out in the middle of nothing as a person can get in Wyoming.

But don't let looks or location fool you.

A lot of history happened in that little town.