7-6 & 7-7-2023 Lingle and Guernsey, WY

Lightning, thunder, rain and hail last night brought out the big guns for the first time on this trip.  Time to pack up “go bags;”  water, wallets, phones, money, keys, password machines, computers, charge cords, meds, toothbrush and paste, Cubby and Sunnie and, in this case, warm clothes.  Oh, and a hat to protect from hail balls while running to the shelter.  We withdrew the slides and assumed the tight-pack sardine position.  This morning in the sunny blue sky, upon assessing our condition, we sustained no obvious damage.  Now, where were we?

 

The bar at Fort Laramie, second oldest
building in Wyoming

Overview of Fort Laramie

This was called, "Old Bedlam,"
the single officers' quarters

Inside the barracks

The surgeon's quarters and
emergency room

Fort Laramie is a stone’s throw north of Lingle.  It’s a tiny little town that is a remnant of the original fort community.  Fort Laramie was originally a privately owned fur trading facility strategically located at the confluence of the Laramie and North Platte Rivers.  In 1849, the Army purchased the fort for $4,000 and staffed it with soldiers to protect wagon trains of travelers on the Trails.  Things were relatively peaceful for a decade or 2 and the US assigned the Black Hills area to the Sioux and Cheyenne nations with the Treaty of Fort Laramie in 1868.  But then, gold was discovered in the Black Hills.  The gold seekers from the east violated the treaty, trespassed and confiscated the Indians’ private sacred lands (with the blessing of the US government) and the deadly, bloody Indian Wars were launched. By 1890, with the establishment of the railroads, fewer emigrants heading west and the Native Americans largely subdued, the necessity of the fort dwindled and it was decommissioned. 

 

The North Platte River in those days was impossible to cross with the wagons of supplies, goods and ore.  Enter the Army.  In 1875, iron beams and channels (dated 1867 on the plaque) were obtained from the King Iron Bridge and Mfg. Co., Cleveland, Ohio.  The King Iron Bowstring Bridge was a vital link between Fort Laramie and Cheyenne, the Indian agencies and the gold fields.  Prior to this bridge, settlers had to go as much as 150 miles out of the way to get across the wide, ferocious Platte to continue their travels.  The bridge is considered to be the oldest existing wrought-iron military bridge in the West and was used until 1958.   

The Old Army Bridge

Pretty sturdy bridge!

Rob draws me a cross-sectional
view of the bridge beams

 

7-7-2023 GUERNSEY, WY

 A little further north of Fort Laramie is the town of Guernsey (pop. 1,138).  The emigrants passed through here on their journeys to religious freedom (Mormon), elbow room on fertile farm land (Oregon) and gold (California).  It is said that this was one of the largest migrations of people in the history of the world, although Moses might take issue with this statement.  All 3 of the trails followed particular paths that had been established by fur trappers and Indian tribes many decades earlier.  The Mormon Trail probably deviated a bit here and there because they were pulling handcarts as opposed to driving horses and oxen pulling wagons.  A small portion of the trail is still intact near Guernsey because it was carved by decades of wagon wheels grinding over rock and sandstone.  This site is designated the “Oregon Trail Ruts State Historic Site.” 

The ruts are to the left
and right, almost as narrow
as some of the roads on which
we've been driving 

Original Oregon Trail ruts

 

A mile or so farther, the emigrants carved their names and dates on “Register Cliff,” to leave their mark or legacy.  They are quite worn from 150 years of wind and weather but about 700 determined authentic can still be seen, one dated 1829 and another dated 1797, maybe early fur traders.

Register Cliff

Signatures on Register Cliff (sorta)

 

Two hundred and six hardy souls still populate the town of Fort Laramie and most of them were in the Fort Laramie Bar and Grill where it was “steak night.”  We joined the cowboys and tractor jockeys, first with fried pickles and then a big fat Wyoming ribeye.  Life is good.

Fort Laramie Bar and Grill