Clay Spur Bentonite Plant & Camp, Power Plant-Machine Shop, Clay Spur Siding on Burlington Northern Railroad, Osage, Weston County, WY

Significance: The Clay Spur Bentonite Plant and Camp is associated with the early 20th century bentonite mining industry in Wyoming and the United States. The Clay Spur Bentonite District was the center of the pioneer Wyoming bentonite industry and remained the premier Wyoming producing district until reserves began to dwindle in the 1950s. The plant embodies the distinctive engineering technology of the bentonite industry. The camp also reflects early twentieth century company town architecture with simple buildings and floor plans that could be quickly and cheaply constructed and adapted to many different uses. The old power plant was later used as a machine shop and garage. The main portion of the building is composed of a two-story metal Butler building (32 feet square) with a gable roof and a concrete foundation and floor. The northeast elevation has a large opening for an overhead garage door that has been removed. Windows consist of nine-light units with metal frames. There is a small wood frame leanto addition on the southeast elevation covered with corrugated tin sheeting. Two brown tile additions were added at a later date on the northwest and southwest elevations. Both additions have nearly flat roofs covered with asphalt and have stepped parapets. The northwest additions have concrete foundations and floors. The windows have brick sills and cement lintels. Windows consist of fifteen-light units with six-light hinged centers with metal frames, and three-light fixed units with metal frames. Several of the window openings in the southwest elevation of the southwest tile addition have been filled in. The northwest tile addition has a set of double metal doors with six lights in the northeast elevation. There is a cyclone fenced area with a concrete pad off the southwest elevation of the southwest addition that appears to have once housed electrical transformers. The interior of the building is open with a garage area and a machine shop/parts area separated by cyclone fencing from floor to ceiling.
Survey number: HAER WY-23-M