Coal wasn’t the only thing being produced in the mining community of Monarch along the Tongue River. When Wyoming enacted Prohibition in 1919, six months before the nationwide ban on alcohol, some residents found creative ways to keep the liquor flowing.
At one point, at least four illegal stills reportedly operated in a wooded area near an oxbow of the Tongue River. Others were hidden in basements, and rumors persisted that miners had put their digging skills to work constructing underground tunnels to help move illegal alcohol through town.
In this Voices of Our History interview, longtime resident John Buyok shares stories of moonshining, bootlegging and life in the coal camps, offering a glimpse into a colorful chapter of Sheridan County’s history.
Did You Know?
John Buyok’s family has deep roots in the historic coal mining community of Monarch. His uncle began purchasing land there in 1946 as the coal mines were winding down, eventually assembling what would become the Buyok Ranch. John and his wife, Vanessa, continued that legacy by partnering with Sheridan Community Land Trust to permanently conserve 844 acres along the Tongue River, protecting working agricultural land, open space, and wildlife habitat for generations to come.
SCLT is also helping keep Monarch’s history alive through projects like the Monarch Lutheran Cemetery Preservation Project, which documented marked and unmarked graves, and the Black Diamond Byway Driving Tour, which shares stories of the people and communities that shaped Sheridan County’s coal mining heritage.
