Small towns and their people

by Samantha Tylka

There are many small towns in today's world. One that really sticks out is Hanna in Carbon County, Wyoming.

The population was 841 during the 2010 census. The recent census of 2020 has the town at 673. 

The town was started as a coal supply location for the Union Pacific Railroad. Much of the town is built on top of the former Hanna No. 4 Mine. 

What really makes up the town though is the people.

We have a lot of events going on to make the town more interesting and fun not just for the kids, but families as well. Everytime there is an event going on at the Hanna Recreational Center or anywhere else, the community steps in and helps out. We work as a team. 

Hanna has an event called King Coal Days and it is a very busy three days. It has games, food, bouncy houses and so much more. We wouldn't be able to do anything like this without the help from our amazing community, which includes people from Elk Mountain and Medicine Bow.  The fire departments, law enforcement, emergency services and people from all over the community, help make this event a success.

At Hanna, Elk Mountain Medicine Bow (HEM) High School, we athletes are not just a team of students, we are family. When someone needs help, we step in and help them out because we are family. We all stick together as one, no matter what the incident.

Small towns like Hanna, are looked down upon because we are smaller than large places, but we have some of the biggest hearts.

Here in Hanna, we work together as a team to make this town the best it can be.

We are different in ways than other small towns around us, but we all share knowledge of what it is like to live in a small population and have a big in heart. 

Samantha Tylka is a sophomore student at Hanna, Elk Mountain, Medicine Bow (HEM) High School.