Kemmerer, county seat of Lincoln County, was founded in 1897 by Patrick J. Quealy (1857-1930) with the formation of the Kemmerer Coal Company.
The coal company and the town were named after Quealy's financial backer, Pennsylvania coal magnate Mahlon S. Kemmerer. The town was established as an "independent town"; that is, a town in which lots were sold rather than leased from the coal company. This permitted independent businesses to be established. When founded, the town was also served by electricity provided by the company-owned Frontier Supply Company. The electrity was generated with a used $1,150.00 generator acquired in Utah.
