June 27, 2023
Next activity: Fort Laramie, Wyoming, my final destination that is named in the book. Fort Laramie is huge and I could spend hours there. The only lines in the book: “After traveling several miles, we came to Fort Laramie which is on the opposite side of the Platte River from where we were (they were traveling along the North Platte at this point). Several of our men went across the river on a government ferry boat. This was a beautiful fort, well equipped considering it was so far out on the plains.” Joel States that they went by several prairie dog towns in this area. I saw none of these today. This as far as I am going as described in the book “A Long Trip In a Prairie Schooner”. I hope to continue this journey in the future. The trip started in March of 1859, and they were still having to deal with ice and some snow, and definitely cold temperatures. By the time that they reached Fort Laramie, it would have been approximately late June of 1859, about the same time I arrived here. So, what took them almost four months to arrive, took me three days. I went a little further up the trail. I will post the sites I visited next.
I should have taken waaay more photos, but these will be enough.
The Prairie Schooner:
No seat!!
These rear wheels were five feet in diameter!
The Cavalry Barracks. Not yet built in 1859.
The Cavalry Barracks from a distance
Cavalry Mess Hall Kitchen and Storeroom
Cavalry Barracks Porch (north side of the building)
I did not take any photos of Officers Row
But I did take a photo of the privy behind Officer’s Row:
Sutler’s Store. This would have existed when the traveling party arrived there in 1859.
Old Bedlam. The second photo was taken from a distance. This would have also been there when the travelers arrived. The current building is a reproduction.
The Magazine. Also there when our travelers arrived in 1859. A restoration.
There were several ruins of what used to be:
Thanks for looking. On to more!