Wyoming Almanac and History of Wyoming

DAY 6: Fort Laramie, Register Cliff, Oregon Trail Ruts

Many of the 42 travelers had visited Fort Laramie at some point. Nonetheless, many noticed new restorations and changes made in fort buildings or on the grounds. Established by fur traders William Sublette and Robert Campbell in 1834 as a cache for trade goods while en route to the rendezvous, Fort Laramie became the first permanent settlement in Wyoming. Sublette and Campbell sold the fort the following year and later owners turned the stockaded post into a center for the buffalo robe trade.

Because of its location where the Laramie River emptied into the North Platte, it became a stopping-point for travelers en route to Oregon, Utah and California. In 1849 the U. S. government purchased the fort for $4,000 and Fort Laramie became the primary army post on the trail east of the Rockies. By the end of the trail period (1843-60), some 350,000 people passed by the fort.

During its existence as an army post, Fort Laramie never had a stockade surrounding it. The post never suffered an attack and army units rode from there to participate in such incidents as the Sioux wars and to protect emigrants and stagecoaches along the major trails.

The iron bridge built over the river north of the post, the first iron bridge west of the Missouri, allowed for easy stagecoach travel to the Black Hills. (The bridge, now a historic landmark, also served for car travel to the post as late at the 1950s). 

After a self-guided walk around the post, the group visited a nearby campsite for a visiting party of fur trade re-enactors. Later, the travelers enjoyed a barbecue lunch, prepared by trip organizer Barbara Barnes' sister and brother-in-law, at the fort picnic area. 

Register Cliff and Oregon Trail Ruts

One of three major landmarks where travelers carved names on the rock, Register Cliff is south of the river, just beyond the boundaries of Camp Guernsey National Guard training center (located here in 1938 after the guard moved all training facilities from Pole Mountain, east of Laramie). 

Farther west is one of the best locations for viewing ruts made by Oregon Trail wagons en route west. A short walk up to the location featured interpretive signs about local sites. Thousands of wagons, pulled by horses and oxen, carved out the deep ruts into the sandstone. Over the years, erosion added more depth to the ruts, providing the viewer with the sense of how difficult the obstacles must have been for the traveling wagon trains.

Travel commentary by Phil Roberts

Trip organizer was Barbara Barnes, assisted by Kim Viner. The sponsoring agency was the Laramie Plains Museum. For further information about the trip, contact Mary Mountain, Director, Laramie Plains Museum. Comments on the history commentary should be directed to Phil Roberts, UW Department of History.