The Riot That Burned An Entire Wyoming Town

Today, Bear River is a quiet little town in Uinta County, Wyoming, United States, incorporated in 2001. As of the 2020 census, Bear River had a population of 522.

But it was a dangerous and important place long before it was incorporated. Bear River was once at the center of one of the wildest railroad boomtowns in Wyoming.

Bear River City was established in 1867 during the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad across Wyoming Territory. At the time, it was just a temporary town, as were all that followed the railroad.

Those Hell On Wheels towns were temporary communities that followed the advancing railroad line, filled with saloons, gambling tents, boarding houses, merchants, laborers, fortune seekers, prostitutes, and more.

Maxim Petrichuk

Located near present-day Evanston, Bear River became an important supply point for railroad construction crews and timber operations supporting the Transcontinental Railroad. In only a short time, the population reportedly swelled into the thousands.

On November 19, 1868, the town erupted into violence during what became known as the “Bear River City Riot.” According to the Wyoming Historical Society, following tensions between vigilantes and suspected outlaws, gun battles broke out throughout the settlement. Several buildings were burned, many residents fled, and numerous people lost their lives before federal troops restored order.

Today, Bear River is a small community with a Wyoming Downs racetrack.

So let's take a look at the riot that burned down an entire town.

The "Bear River City Riot" of November 19, 1868, began when a murder suspect, who had worked for the railroad, was lynched.

But the man who was lynched had a few friends who claimed he was innocent. That's when the fight broke out.

There was only one marshal in the town. He had to take a stand against both sides. That's hard for a guy who had just been appointed to the job. But Marshal Thomas James Smith jumped in and did his duty.

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There were constant shootouts, and almost the entire town was torched, from private residences to government buildings. Marshal Smith had far more than he could handle. When it was all finally over, 16 people were dead.

A few town citizens were good enough to jump in and help the marshal. Together, they repelled an assault on the town jail. Several rioters were killed in that exchange.

When all else fails, send in the cavalry. Troops were dispatched from Fort Bridger, and martial law was imposed.

With the town now in ruins and tempers still high, most people decided to just walk away from Bear River City.

Even Marshal Smith moved on. Though he stayed in law enforcement and eventually became the Marshal of Abilene, Kansas. His brave stand during the riot earned him the nickname "Bear River" Smith.