Fort Laramie, WY Fur Rendezvous

Saturday  6/15 (Day 291)
Happy 38th anniversary! 

We decided to stick around today and see the fur rendezvous re-enactment and Fort Laramie. On our way there, we had to stop and do a little geocaching, of course. Our first one was a magnetic cache at this statue which became the official symbol of Wyoming.

Our second was at this bridge. It was built in 1875 and is an historical landmark now.

(info taken from the official brochure of Fort Laramie)
Fort Laramie was first built in 1834 near the confluence of the Laramie and North Platte rivers. (First named fort William, then John, and officially named Laramie in 1849). It was first a trading post between Indians and trappers. Then it became an important stop for the emigrant trains on their way to Oregon, California or Utah. It became a military post in 1849, and soon became the principal military outpost on the Northern Plains. The fort was also the primary hub for transportation and communication through the central Rocky Mountain region as emigrant trails, stage lines, the Pony Express, and the transcontinental telegraph all passed through the post. Fort Laramie played an important role as host to several treaty negotiations with Northern Plains Indian Nations. When the Indian wars ended, its importance diminished and the fort was abandoned in 1874. Some buildings have been restored, and others are just the foundations.

At the campground outside the fort, different characters told us a lot about the fur trading days. This man was a "free" trapper, meaning he worked for himself and not a company. He told us all about each piece of equipment he carried.

 These 2 guys gave talks about the various rifles and pistols of the period.

One woman, dressed as an Indian, explaining her weaving and dye methods.

 These guys are discussing the various types of saddles (cost between 7-14 dollars back then).

This man was a trader and is demonstrating a neat trick with the tobacco tin. You could keep the tobacco in the tin, then, use the magnifying glass on top to get the sun to light your pipe.

Another shot of the trapper who talked about spreading pelts, lead, clothing, and everything else in 200 pound units for the horses and mules.

and his camp.

Here are trade goods spread out for display by an independent trader. These traders tried to sell goods to people before they made it to the fort to trade.

This woman was at the fort itself, demonstrating her crochet. She reminded Judy of the quilt figure "Sunbonnet Sue". Her bonnet completely hid her face.

Barracks at the fort.

Harris just liked this tree...shade is great on a hot day like today!

Harris took this shot, trying to demonstrate how large the fort grounds were. Like most midwest forts, there was no wall due to a lack of funding. This probably led to much larger forts in terms of land area.

We came back to camp in the afternoon, just relaxing in the shade. Harris listened to the Mariners win and cooked a great steak dinner. 38 years! hard to believe.

Total miles driven today = 15