ROCK SPRINGS — The Rock Springs Historical Museum is pleased to announce it will be offering a regular schedule of Walking Tours beginning this fall. The first offering is a Walking Tour of the Rock Springs Cemetery scheduled for Friday, September 20th starting at 6:00 pm. The tour will begin at the directory located at the center of the cemetery and will last at least an hour.
Rock Springs native and local historian Corina K. Lee will be giving Friday’s tour. Lee is an avid local historian who has invested years researching her own family’s contributions to the history of Rock Springs. While walking the cemetery documenting her family’s plots, Lee became interested in other headstones and began researching those former residents. Four years ago Lee put together her first cemetery walking tour and the demand for them has grown each year. Each of her tours differs slightly based on new research, time restraints, and questions from tour participants.
“Lee offers a tour that teaches our local history through the lens of the lives of Rock Springs residents,” said Jennifer Messer, Rock Springs Historical Museum Coordinator. “Lee is incredibly respectful of the citizens she talks about, and make our local families accessible for the listener. There are so many individuals here who contributed to the community, and it is humbling to hear their stories.”
The Rock Springs Cemetery is more than 100 years old and has been an important city function since the city was founded in 1889. The people of Rock Springs believed it was important enough that in 1924 volunteers worked for months moving all the unregistered graves around the community into the cemetery. In the 1980’s the cemetery was completely surveyed and re-landscaped and the city began ongoing maintenance, and improvement.
Interested parties should note that as this is a walking tour there will be a good deal of walking over elevation changes and periods of standing. Please wear appropriate shoes and clothing for the weather as the ground can be both wet and uneven. Additionally we would appreciate guests leaving pets at home, the cemetery does not allow them on the grounds.
If you have an idea for a tour, or would like to host one yourself please contact the Rock Springs Historical Museum. They are preparing for spring and summer 2020 and would love to hear your thoughts!
Located in the historic City Hall building at 201 B Street in downtown Rock Springs, the Rock Springs Historical Museum is open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is closed Sundays and major holidays. Find out more about the museum by calling 307-362-3138, visiting the citywebpage at www.rwy.net or check them out on facebook.com/rsmuseum. The Museum staff invites residents and visitors alike to stop by and satisfy their love of history any time they are in downtown Rock Springs.
