After the work was completed on the RV we set off to Fort
Laramie – not to be confused with Laramie, which is a different town.
The route was uneventful and the campsite owner very
friendly. Unfortunately the site was
right next to a railway crossing with trains coming through, blasting their
sirens, 24/7. Wyoming is a major coal
mining state and these trains were carrying their loads from open-cast mines,
along with other freight cargo. So after two days without sleep we were glad when
it was time to move on.
4th July
American Independence Day
We spent the day at the National Historic Site of Fort
Laramie. They were having a special 4th
July celebration. Entry was free for the
day. Burgers, hot dogs and drinks such
as root beer and sarsaparilla were on sale.
The day’s program included an Ox Team demo, Pony Express
Mail Exchange, Trotters Equestrian
Drill Team, side-saddle demo, Warrior
Horsemanship and the firing of the canon at mid-day.
The Fort was originally established in 1834 to promote trade
of buffalo hides with the Northern Plains tribes. It later became a major base of military
operations against the native peoples of the Great Plains.
The location hosted several treaty
negotiations; one of the most famous being the Horse Creek Treaty of 1851, and
was the largest recorded gathering of around 10,000 Native American Indians
from many tribes.
Through this point passed thousands of emigrants during the
1850s travelling to Oregon, to California for the gold rush, and to Salt Lake on
the Mormon Trail. The Fort was a station
for the Pony Express until the establishment of the Telegraph and then the
Railroad. After the Indian Wars came to
a close it was eventually abandoned and sold in 1890. Eleven structures have now been restored and
refurbished.
In the evening we went along to the fireworks display in the
town of Fort Laramie.
No comments:
Post a Comment