ROCK SPRINGS — The Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, marking nine decades since the organization was formally incorporated in 1936.

Chamber CEO Rick Lee said the chamber has a letter of incorporation dated to 1936, though he believes some form of the organization likely existed before that. Rock Springs began as a Union Pacific coal camp, and Lee said businesses didn’t organize formally until commerce in the young town had grown enough to need it.

“They were mining coal, and building bars, building churches, and from that came a community,” Lee said. 

He said there is no surviving record of how many businesses belonged to the chamber when it incorporated, but the Union Pacific railroad and mining company was a founding member, although the company is no longer part of the chamber.

The chamber now has 653 members, a number Lee said has held steady for several years after a period of significant growth in the 1990s and early 2000s under former chamber leader Dave Hanks. Lee credited Hanks with building the chamber’s advocacy work and fostering cooperation among community organizations.

Lee took over as chamber CEO in 2018, when Hanks retired after leading the organization for more than two decades.

Lee said the central purpose of the chamber is to support the broader growth of the community, not just its dues-paying members.

“To be a member of the chamber means that you’re contributing to the advancement and growth of a community that supports you in your business,” Lee said.

That work includes legislative advocacy through the state and U.S. chambers of commerce, Lee said, tracking bills related to taxes, employee protections and other business issues on behalf of members who don’t have time to follow them closely.

The chamber also works closely with the City of Rock Springs and Sweetwater County government, though it operates independently, governed by a board of directors elected by chamber membership. The chamber has a memorandum of understanding with the City of Rock Springs and is funded through membership dues and non-dues revenue from events, Lee said. He also said the Rock Springs and Green River chambers are not competitors. They work as partners and some businesses belong to both.

“We’re partners in helping Sweetwater County become better,” Lee said.

Rather than plan a single large celebration for the anniversary, the chamber has spread recognition of the milestone throughout the year, including a recurring “Chamber Is” social media series highlighting longtime member businesses, some of which have operated in the community for over five decades.

The anniversary celebration will culminate with two annual chamber events later this year: the Patriot Golf Tournament, which recognizes military veterans and first responders and falls on Sept. 11 this year, and the Rock Stars Awards on Nov. 6, which recognize standout local businesses and individuals.

Looking ahead to the chamber’s 100th anniversary, Lee said he’s optimistic about the next decade for both the chamber and Sweetwater County as a whole.

“I think that growth and development should be steady and sure rather than quick and careless,” Lee said. “When we make good decisions, when we elect strong, good people to serve us as leaders, then there’s nothing we can’t overcome.”