A series where we take a #lookback at the stories and history of our community, brought to you by Mick Pryor, Financial Advisor with Edward Jones.
By Seth McFarland
The year 2026 marks the tenth anniversary of the rebuilding of downtown Dubois, a milestone that reflects both loss and resilience in the heart of the community.
Reconstruction of the historic downtown site began in 2016 under the direction of Jeff Sussman, following a devastating fire that broke out late in the evening on December 30, 2014. The blaze started at the back of the Dubois Mini Mart around 8:00 p.m. and quickly spread, destroying the old Mercantile building and three additional structures on the north side of the town center. One building was later determined to be salvageable, but in total, half a block at the historic intersection of Ramshorn and First streets was lost.
Businesses affected by the fire included the Dubois Mini Mart, Western Ledgers, Marlow Fly Shop, Stewart’s Trapline Gallery, the office of Absaroka Lodge, and several other offices. The historic wood-frame Mercantile building, which dated to the early twentieth century, was among the structures destroyed.
Fortunately, no one was injured. However, firefighters faced extreme conditions, with temperatures plunging between twenty and twenty-five degrees below zero. The bitter cold severely limited firefighting efforts, as hoses froze and equipment malfunctioned in the subzero temperatures.
Under the leadership of Fire Chief Mike Franchini, approximately fifty firefighters and six fire engines from Riverton, Kinnear, Lander, and Crowheart battled the blaze. Crews were rotated to prevent hypothermia and frostbite. Community volunteers supported the effort by dragging hoses, clearing shops, providing coffee and food, and offering rooms to exhausted firefighters.
National news agencies reported on the fire and the extraordinary weather conditions that hampered emergency response. Photographs captured dramatic scenes of flames lighting the winter night, followed the next day by ice-shrouded ruins encased in massive stalactites.
In the days that followed, residents helped sift through the ashes in search of salvaged remnants. Fire investigators later theorized that the blaze may have started when dried building materials were stacked near a stove chimney.
The fire’s impact lingered for nearly two years as investigations were completed and insurance settlements finalized before rebuilding could begin. Despite the tragedy, the winter tourism season of 2014 remained strong, with abundant snowfall drawing visitors and supporting local motels and restaurants.
The destroyed Mercantile building had deep historical roots. The Dubois Mercantile Co. building opened in 1913, one year before Dubois was incorporated. It once supplied goods delivered by rail and hauled by wagon into town, standing for decades as a central landmark visible in many historic photographs.
A tangible reminder of the fire’s legacy remains on display at the Dubois Museum: a nine-foot carved Mountain Man sculpture that survived the blaze. The sculpture was recently repainted by Andrea Billingsley, though its feet were intentionally left unpainted as a testament to the fire damage.
The carving was originally donated to the museum by Catherine “Kit” Stewart, former owner of Stewart’s Trapline Gallery. For more than twenty-six years, it stood on the gallery’s front porch, symbolizing the area’s nineteenth-century Native American and Mountain Man heritage. The sculpture was created in 1976 with a chainsaw by a seasonal sculptor who worked at Brooks Lake Campground.
The year 2026 also marks another milestone: the fiftieth anniversary of the Dubois Museum, which was established in 1976.
Over the decades, Dubois has endured multiple forest fires and other hardships. Ten years after the 2014 fire, the rebuilt downtown stands not only as a restored business district, but as a symbol of a community that rises from the ashes.
Next up for the Fremont County Museum
March 12, 9am at the Dubois Museum, “Crowheart Store & Haslam Family Ranch Trek” Wind River Visitors Council Adventure Trek Series
March 14, 10am at the Dubois Museum, “Kids Corner: Saddle Making & leather carving w/ Steve Mecum” Bailey Tire/Pit Stop Children’s Exploration Series
March 21, 6pm at the Dubois Museum, “Homesteading Series: High Altitude Bread Baking w/ Barb Lorentzen” Wyoming Community Bank Discovery Speaker Series
March 21, 1-3pm at the Pioneer Museum, “Women’s Tea” Wyoming Community Bank Discovery Speakers Series
Daily through December at the Pioneer Museum, “Sweetwater Ranch Life, The Paintings of Jack Corbett” Exhibition Opening
Rare Relics Road Show: Save the Date: Saturday October 10, 2026 Lander, WY Lander Community Center, You Are Invited!
Call the Dubois Museum 1-307-455-2284, the Pioneer Museum 1-307-332-3339 or the Riverton Museum 1-307-856-2665 for detail regarding their programs.
The Dubois Museum, the Pioneer Museum in Lander and the Riverton Museum need your financial support. In the current economic environment, the museums are more reliant than ever on donations from the private sector to continue to provide the quality programs, collections management, exhibits and services that have become their hallmark over the last four years. Please make your tax deductible contribution through the Wind River Cultural Centers Foundation https://windriverccf.funraise.org/ or by sending a check to Fremont County Museums 450 N 2nd Rm 320 or taking it directly to the museum you choose to support.