ABSTRACT
The expansion of the coal industry in Wyoming between the years 1880 and 1890 contributed to the largest single rise in population the territory and state would experience to the present day. Wyoming would benefit from this expansion, and the coal industry would reap the benefits of this growth. The extensive network of Burlington tracks permitted northern Wyoming coal to be shipped not only to Denver but also to major mid western markets as well as to the Pacific Northwest. The building of new railroads throughout Wyoming during the 1880s created unprecedented growth in Wyoming's coal industry. The Oregon Short Line opened new coal lands for development in western Wyoming. In northeastern Wyoming the railroads found almost an inexhaustible supply of coal. Labor statistics at the turn of the century indicate P. J. Quealy was correct in the number of men he claimed worked in Wyoming coal mines.
