Fort Laramie National Historical Site

Visiting this park was on our bucket list this summer and I am so glad we finally made it! We had attempted to come to the eastern part of Wyoming back in May/June but there were no campsites available - many rodeos going on.  Even though we are in Casper, our drive was shorter by driving from Casper than waiting to go when we get to Cheyenne, a difference of 25 miles.  No biggie, but was still a long 115 miles to get to the park.  Along the way we crossed the actual Emigrant trail - showed with a X-crossing so you get the idea of the their route.

Prairie until getting near turnoff to Fort Laramie, Laramie Mountain to left

Lots of pronghorn

We followed the North Platte River the entire way, going south on Interstate 25, then east on State Route 26.  Desolate, barren, no cattle, no horses, no ranches, lots of pronghorns.  Just wide open prairie grass and rolling hills and the occasional trees near rivers or creeks.  Passed a large power plant right on the North Platte River.  Platte is a French word meaning flat, also the Pawnee had their name for it which translated to flat and wide.  Back in 1714 when two Frenchmen named the river, they said it was a mile wide and an inch deep.  Not today.  It is deep in some areas but maybe 200 feet wide for the most part.

Crossed the North Platte River a number of times

To summarize Fort Laramie - it started out as Fort William (named after William Sublet, the mountain man and trapper) in 1834 to trade and supply the trappers coming and going from the Rocky Mountains and the Indians.  Then it was Fort John in 1841, a rebuilt bigger fort to compete with Fort Platte that was built just down the road, then in 1849 the Army purchased the fort to assist and supply the emigrants and travelers until 1890 when it was abandoned.  The fort is located on the Laramie River, the North Platte is just a few miles away.

Amazing - we have been to quite a number of these places 

So, it saw the trapper and mountain men era, then the waves of emigrants, then miners as the moved to the gold fields of Montana and California, always being around the Indians where treaties negotiated were kept or broken, then finally the disbandment.  This fort put it all together for us, referencing places we had visited, people we had learned about.  Many buildings were still standing, some restored, some with just skeletons of the structure, history and purpose of each building was noted, whether the building was there or not.

Barracks

Mess hall inside barracks - first floor

Sleeping quarters - upstairs

Officers Row - looking across from parade ground

Parade ground

Captain's quarters

All buildings had history and purpose stated

Of course - a quilt!

Officers quarters ruins with restored one beyond

Old Bedlam - oldest building in Wyoming

Zoom in on the flag!  Oh yeah - Ohio!

Orignial Sutler's building from 1841

Inside Sutler's store - authentic to the 1850's

We thought we were 'forted' out, but so glad we got to see this fort, so much history is located at this sight.  We were amazed as to the size of it.  And was pleasantly surprised at so many buildings still standing, and had been furnished in the period. Fort Bridger was big, but Fort Laramie, much bigger in scale.  Oh - the stories this fort could tell!  An ah-hah moment - there was a marker commemorating the ride of John Portugee Phillips from Fort Phil Kearny who fled on horseback in the dead of winter and only traveling at night to elude the Indians, to seek aid from the Army at Fort Laramie. Learned about him and his mission while at that fort.  236 miles he road in 4 days - how did he do it?

On our trip back we passed through Douglas and saw two wild fires.  One was near the railroad, had burned a lot of acres and was still going; the second was off in the distance, at least a mile away and we could see the flames shooting way up.  Scary.  The Glendo reservoir was very very low - a sign of the severe drought going on in the state.

Blackened area is fire burned

Big time drought