Constructed in 1907, the Centennial Depot is the oldest surviving depot of a unique Rocky Mountain railroad. The Laramie, Hahn’s Peak and Pacific Railway Company, formed in 1901, provided valuable rail service to a remote area of Wyoming, and was integral to the economic life of the Centennial Valley and the Medicine Bow Mountains. Ranching, lumbering, and mining interests all relied heavily on the 111 mile line. Originally planned in anticipation of a gold strike which never materialized, the railroad instead transported the more profitable products of the Centennial area: cattle, lumber, and coal.

The Centennial depot symbolizes the role the railroad has played in the settlement of the region. The building has often served as a center of community activity. At one time, the U.S. Post Office was located in the waiting room and a small grocery store was once operated in a corner of the structure.

The Flying Horseshoe Ranch is located in Albany County about two miles southeast of the town of Centennial. The ranch complex includes fifteen log buildings, two structures, and a stone root cellar. The ranch has operated continuously as a cattle ranch for over one hundred years. The buildings span the history of the ranch and depict its evolution from a small log homestead cabin to a substantial working ranch with a wide array of barns, stock shelters, and outbuildings.

The original homestead cabin probably dates from the late 1870s or early 1880s when Mads Wolbol, an immigrant from Denmark, settled in Centennial Valley. The Wolbol holdings gradually increased until by 1902, he owned approximately 2,400 deeded acres of land. Starting with a herd of only twenty cattle, Mads Wolbol built up his enterprise until he became one of the foremost ranchers in the region. The ranch holdings were sold several times and was known by several different names over the years. At present, it remains a working cattle ranch.

The district is representative of the huge sheep industry that was once a dominant economic force in Wyoming, particularly in the south central and southwestern part of the state. The Headquarters Park Historic District played an integral role in the yearly grazing cycle in which sheep wintered at the lower elevations and trailed to a summer range high in the mountains. For over 65 years, the district served as the summer headquarters for the Leo Sheep Company and Rocky Mountain Sheep Company, both established in 1903 by Lee Emmit Vivion.

The Rocky Mountain Sheep Company focused on wool production while the Leo Sheep Company concentrated on lamb products. Forest Service records show that a permit for 18,000 sheep was issued to the Rocky Mountain Sheep Company in 1907 for the Medicine Bow National Forest.

The Mountain View Hotel is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A. The hotel was an integral part of the settlement of the Centennial Valley in Wyoming. With strong ties to mining, railroad, and early tourism endeavors, the building has remained in service in numerous income-producing capacities for the past 100 years.

Construction of the building was first proposed in 1906 and was to be built by Eastern Capital at a cost of $8,000. The Boston-Wyoming Lumber Company ended up earning the contract, and construction began immediately. The plan called for 20 guest rooms and three baths with “the most improved system of plumbing,” however, the original bathrooms were placed outside in the livery stables for some reason. The hotel’s furniture was shipped from Chicago, and a gentleman by the name of R. Mettler was imported by the railroad to handle its daily operations.

In 1914, Gustav Sundby and his wife, Anna, bought the Mountain View Hotel. Reportedly, trout was served at every meal. For a price of $1.00 to $1.50, one could have accommodations and meals, which included a breakfast of fresh fried trout, toast, pancakes and eggs and a dinner of steak and trout.

County records are sparse, and existing documents show that the Sundbys owned and operated the Mountain View Hotel as it was originally intended until the 1940s. Following the Sundbys, many individuals owned the Mountain View Hotel throughout the 20th century, and an element of its function would change slightly with each new owner. Dorothy Fisher purchased the building and part of it became Fisher’s Gift Shop and the town post office for a short period of time. In the late 1950s, the building was converted into apartments.

Today, the building is in operation as a hotel once more, and a small restaurant inside contributes to the overall experience. The hotel is a survivor both physically and fiscally. It embodies the spirit of the early pioneers, miners, ranchers, railroaders and entrepreneurs of Centennial. Much like the town of Centennial, the hotel retains a sense of the community spirit that welcomes any traveler with open arms.