Section 4 Southwest Area Including Evanston, Kemmerer, Green River and Rock Springs

Home , Bear River State Park, Denis Julien, Expedition Island, Jim Bridger, Mioplosus, Mormon Trail

SECTION 4 SOUTHWEST AREA INCLUDING EVANSTON, KEMMERER, GREEN RIVER AND ROCK SPRINGS

Wyoming, over half of the workforce in Rock Springs is employed by industry, principally mining, petroleum, power generation and related services. The coal mining industry continues to produce over ten million tons of coal annually, and the trona mines and plants are one of America’s most important natural resources, pro- ducing approximately fifteen million tons of trona per year. The five plants in the area produce 95% of the world’s natural soda ash. Sweetwater County’s trona deposit is large enough to produce at the same rate for the next 6000 years. The nearby Jim Bridger Power Plant is the largest electric generating plant in Wyoming. Located thirty-two miles east of Rock Springs, it has a generating capacity of 2000 megawatts. The plant is a coal-fired steam turbine. The county is also the largest producer of natural gas in the state. Some eleven billion cubic feet of gas can be produced annually. Much of the history of Rock Springs is based on its multi-ethnic influence. Rock Springs was once known as the “Melting Pot” of the West, with over 57 nationalities having lived here. Most came to work in the coalmines, and later in the oil and Section 4 The Black’s Fork River south of Green River gas fields. Although this was once an uneasy mixture (as with the Chinese Massacre of 1885), the town now embraces its cultural diversity. the underground flow but a monument now Information courtesy of 1 No services commemorates the location. Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce I-80 Exit 111 In the mid 1850s, US Army Captain Howard Stansbury and his party stopped at Rock T Camp Pilot Butte Springs and made detailed reports of the large 633 Brider in Rock Springs 2 Food, Lodging coal outcroppings. Days later, at Salt Wells to Workers were encouraged by mining companies the east of Rock Springs, the Captain’s party to migrate to Rock Springs. At one time, more learned from trappers that the Blair Brothers than 56 different nationalities were represented, were working on the coal outcroppings in the resulting in Rock Springs being named the “melt- site now known as Blairtown. ing pot of Wyoming”. The need for more workers During August, 1868, the Union Pacific brought Chinese contract laborers to work in the Railroad was completed to Rock Springs, and mines in 1875. This precipitated the Chinese from that time on Rock Springs was the Central Massacre of 1885 when white miners chased the Terminal for the Stock herds being shipped to Chinese out of town and burned Chinatown. market on that side of the state. By 1875, the K Soldiers were sent to establish Camp Pilot Butte EMMERER railroad was hauling supplies for the army, set- S

in the center of Rock Springs and were stationed OUTHWEST tlers had arrived, and the coalmines were there until 1898 when the Spanish American War working constantly. broke out. The officers’ quarters and buildings Robert Parker (“Butch” Cassidy) spent some

have been destroyed but the enlisted men’s bar- , G of his youth in Rock Springs, working in some racks now serve as a Catholic School. REEN

butcher shops. It is believed that is how he got A

his nickname. T Weidner Wildlife Exhibit REA Rock Springs still has the largest coal Western Wyoming Community College. R I

382-1600 AND IVER

Rock Springs reserves west of the Mississippi River. Rock NCLUDING Pop. 18,708, Elev. 6,271 Springs is also the center of the rapidly growing Situated on the Western Wyoming Community As you approach Rock Springs, you can almost oil and gas production industry, power plant College Campus, this new museum showcases a imagine travelers bouncing along the Overland development, and the center of mineral resource collection of more than 100 wildlife mounts from

Stage route toward the stage station that was the development program that is marked by the around the world. Exhibits include an elephant, R E beginning of this southwestern Wyoming town. continual expansion of the trona industry. hipopotamus, zebra, lion, alligator, several bears, OCK VANSTON Rock Springs derives its name from a large spring Sweetwater County has been designated as the and the elusive jackalope. Open Monday and that flowed from the rocks. The springs disap- “Trona Capitol of the World”. Wednesday, 10 a.m. to-1 p.m. and Thursdays S peared when the coalmine operations interrupted As the most industrialized county in 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. PRINGS , Rock Springs Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual Average Max. Temperature (F) 31.7 36.9 43.7 55.3 66.5 77.1 86.4 83.7 73.5 61.0 44.0 34.2 57.8 Average Min. Temperature (F) 10.6 15.2 20.7 28.8 37.5 45.3 51.8 49.5 40.0 30.6 20.7 13.4 30.3 Average Total Precipitation (in.) 0.44 0.42 0.59 0.96 1.29 1.07 0.56 0.66 0.76 0.74 0.53 0.48 8.51 Average Total SnowFall (in.) 8.0 6.6 7.1 6.2 1.9 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.6 3.8 6.7 8.2 49.2 Average Snow Depth (in.) 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 www.ultimatewyoming.com 205 Section 1 Utah

SECTION 4 Section 4 All Wyoming Area Codes are 307

Utah

0 Miles 14 25 One inch = approximately 14 miles

206 Ultimate Wyoming Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia 30

N Side Belt Dr 80 Legend Swanson Dr Mabel Ave Van Dyke A Locator number (matches ve 00 11th St Perry St 30 Dr numeric listing in section) 10th St Dora Ave 9th St El R Reliance Dr Paulson St ncho Dr io Camino a Joan Ave Powell St Dr El

Railroad Ave. Clark St El R Campsite (number matches ne St Lowell Ave f SoulsbyMil St Ridge RugbyAve St 00 number in campsite chart) Lyle Blvd Mitchelson St N St Arapahoe St illie St B 2 Creek Ave k Fishing Site (number matches O St ilot Butte Ave Pearl St 00 P N S number in fishing chart) t 8th St 30 M St James Dr Channel St7th St Elias Ave 6th St Liberty Dr St Virginia Rest stop Front St Opal St Delgas St Elm Dr L St Yalecrest Dr Noble Dr Juniper Dr Euclid Ave Coral St Edgar St Agate St Liberty St Interstate St Lee St Hill St 5th St Angle St Elk St 2nd Way Westview Ave

Gale St Collins St

N Center St G St

de St

H St

Lewis St

S Main St Hay St

Ashley St

Fremont St

Pioneer Dr Aspen U.S. Highway GarnetParkview St Ave Ja McCabe St Agate St Carson St 30 'Donnell St StF St O th St Gobel 7 Thorpe St 24 Paved State or County Road Wendt St 30 Broadway St E St e

I St

R St

P St Q St St St rk Av t 3rd Pa C St Hickor 2nd St B S Blair Ave Fremont Gravel/unpaved road 1st St A Emerald S t de Belt y St Si St Wardell Ct S

Cedar St T Sweetwater Community New Hampshir Fine Arts Center PineWalnut St St OCK PRINGS W Blair Ave e St R S Read St Vermont St 400 C St in Rock Springs. 362-6212 Alder St Wyoming St This collection by local artists originated in 1939 Massachusetts Ave BUSINESS

Maple St

Ash St Hickory St Willow St

Washington Ave

Lincoln Ave and now numbers over 300 works of art, Jefferson Ave

Thompson St Section 4

Bushnell Ave Young Ave DISTRICT acclaimed the best owned by an American High Marchant St

School. The collection was featured in Time New Hampshire St Fancher St

Magazine in 1952. The permanent collection McKinley Walnut St Walnut

Adams A

Lincoln A includes original paintings by such notables as Map not to scale Norman Rockwell, Grandma Moses, Rafino

v Tamayo, and Rafael Soyer, to name a few. The v facility has areas for traveling exhibits, sculptures and is used as a community events center. Open Yellowstone Rd Monday through Thursday and on alternating Elk St Fridays and Saturdays. K St Lionkol Rd ROCK SPRINGS 3 Food, Lodging AREA I-80 Exit 103 4

Elk St T Western Wyoming K 104 Community College Art Gallery 3 EMMERER 2500 College Dr in Rock Springs. 382-1600 S 30 OUTHWEST This gallery features regional and national artists 80 representing a great variety of mediums. It fea- Community Creek Rd tures a semiannual art student exhibit and several , G 4 ceramic exhibitions. Open Monday through 9th St 103 2 107 REEN Friday and admission is free. A 30 REA James Dr 80

T Western Wyoming R Madison Dr

Edgar St I VRAND IVER

Community College NCLUDING Sweetwater C St McCabe St Center G S Natural History Museum Dr College A St 5 t t 7 l and Archeological Services Cascade Dr Pinon St S Side Be Foothill Blvd At Western Wyoming Community College. Clearview Dr White Mountain Rd Alder St

382-1666 R Thompson St 102 6 E 80 OCK

Dewar Dr VANSTON The Museum of Natural History offers artifacts 30 reflecting the archeology, geology, and natural his- S tory of the region. Several Wyoming dinosaur St Walnut 80 PRINGS

McKinley Ave skeletons and fossils are displayed for public 30 Map not to scale viewing throughout the campus facility. Sunset Blvd , T Rock Springs Family Recreation Center M Western Wyoming students enrolled for college credit courses. 3900 Sweetwater Dr in Rock Springs. Community College Student numbers were over 5,000 in 2002. 352-1440 2500 College Dr in Rock Springs These figures include all students of varying Recreation facility for residents and visitors with Western Wyoming Community College, the ages and interests, enrolled in the credit, non- swimming pool, ice arena, and fitness facilities. fifth of seven community colleges in Wyoming, credit and extension programs. Western Open Monday through Saturday. was established in the Fall of 1959 with forty Wyoming Community College is located in www.ultimatewyoming.com 207 Rock Springs and has an extended campus center in Green River, Sweetwater County, Wyoming. The campus consists of 435 acres with modern facilities and equipment. Western Wyoming Community College envisions providing lifelong learning opportunities in an environment characterized by a commitment to quality and success.

5 Food, Lodging I-80 Exit 102 North 6 Food, Lodging

7 Food, Lodging T Union Pacific Freight Station Downtown Rock Springs The 1917 freight station serviced the Rock Springs coal field mines, which had a daily out- put of 2,000 tons of coal and operated for nearly forty years. It was the largest mine ever operating through one opening. Additions to the original freight station closed the street, and the railroad comany constructed a steel pedestrian viaduct above the tracks so residents could cross eight tracks dividing the town. Walk along the grass toward the train depot, and you’ll see the Western Wyoming Community College. dates and names inscribed near the tops of the buildings across the street. from when it was in operation. Few tipples 8 No servoces remain from the era when coal was king. Modern mining methods and a shift to gasoline Reliance and diesel powered locomotives made under- Pop. 334, Elev. 6,510 ground coal mining too expensive to compete The dependability of the coalmines established in the energy market while using the technolo- here in the 1870s gave rise to this name. Reliance gy of the early twentieth century. Tipples such Section 4 was the original site of Western Wyoming as this one were torn down and the equipment Community College when it opened in 1958. It sold as salvage. In Wyoming, only the Reliance was later moved to Rock Springs. tipple remains as an example of a large industrial coal handling facility. It is a silent marker of a by-gone age and serves as a tribute to the miners and their families who worked to establish homes in southwest Wyoming and to the men who lost their lives in the coal mines of Sweetwater County. H Reliance Tipple: Placque #1 T Rock Springs At Reliance Tipple in Reliance Historical Museum The tipples constructed here were designed to 201 B St in downtown Rock Springs. serve all the Reliance coal mines. Union Pacific 362-3138 Coal Company opened their mines in phases. Located in the 1894-95 City Hall, the most The coal mines were all located east of here imposing exhibit of the museum, the building with portals located along the sides of the val- itself, houses a variety of long term and tempo- ley. Coal from these mines was hauled to the rary exhibits. Restored in 1991, the building surface by either electric locomotives or hoists. offers a sense of 1890s Rock Springs’ pride at its From the portal, the coal was shipped over a growth and survival along the major East-West H The Reliance Tipple tramway to the tipple The distance from the No corridor. The history on display covers cowboys, 5 mi N of Rock Springs, Hwy 191 at Reliance 7 mine portal to the tipple was about 1.2 miles. outlaws, railroading, ethnic diversity, labor issues Once the coal cars were inside the tipple you and, underneath it all, coal. Coal brought the This is one of only two such structures left in the state. The tipple was used to sort and grade see today, they were set on a rotary dump. The Union Pacific Railroad, which, in turn, imported coal car was fastened down, rolled over, and a great variety of workers. The museum is open coal and load it on to rail cars. The tipple is open during daylight hours. Interpretive signs emptied into the coal hopper. From the hopper, year round, Monday through Saturday. Call for the coal moved over conveyors to the shaker hours. Admission is free. are present for a self guided walking tour. The tipple is handicapped accessible. screen. The screen sorted the coal by sizes. The It was in 1910 that coal mine operations coal then fell through the screens into a chute T Children’s that carried it to the picking tables. At the pick- Discovery Foundation began at Reliance. These mines were opened All Wyoming Area Codes are 307 ing tables, men, boys, and, later, women sorted 501 S Main St (the Train Depot) by the coal mining company of the Union through the coal looking for stones or checking in Rock Springs. 362-8306 Pacific Railroad. Here, where the tipple now stands, the first coal loading facility was con- the size of the coal. Good coal was loaded into The Children’s Discovery Foundation promotes waiting rail cars while stone and refuse were learning through hands-on or interactive activities structed in 1912. The stone foundations for the earlier wooden tipple are still evident east of conveyed outside the tipple into the refuse bin. in their exhibits at the Discovery Station. Open The tipple you see in front of you, contructed in on Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and other times the metal tipple. The tipple you see today was completed in 1936 and still contains machinery 1936 at a cost of $232,700, was designed to by appointment. be a model of efficiency.

208 Ultimate Wyoming Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia Dominquez and Escalante, Spanish explor- Reed, Jim Reed, Dennis Julien and Augustus ASHLEY NATIONAL FOREST ers, were probably the first white men to set foot Archambeaux, French traders from Kentucky, in the Uintah Basin. They entered the Basin in entered the Uintah Basin and set up a trading post Forest Facts 1776, traveling from Santa Fe, New Mexico, near a spring of water just south and east of the • 1,384,132 National Forest System Acres attempting to find a shorter route to Monterey, present settlement of Whiterocks. They brought in (1,287,909 located in Utah, 96,223 in California. They did not cross the Uinta the first butcher knives, coffee beans, and other Wyoming) Mountains, but proceeded westerly across the articles traded to the Indians for fur. south face of the Uinta Mountains, up the Antoine Rubidoux entered the Basin in 1832. • Of the total acres: 276,175 are High Uintas Strawberry River and into Utah Valley. When he decided to build his fort, Reed and oth- Wilderness (180,530 additional acres of High In 1822, Major Andrew Henry, a partner of ers sold out and eventually left the Basin. Fort Uintas Wilderness are located on the General W. H. Ashley who organized a fur com- Rubidoux, a center for fur traders, had a life of 12 Wasatch/Cache National Forest) pany, pushed his way through with a party of years. In 1844, this fort was burned to the • Elevations range from 6,000 feet to over trappers from St. Louis, Missouri, up the ground. Antoine Rubidoux and a guide were 13,500 feet. Missouri River to the mouth of the Yellowstone away from the fort at the time and escaped. • Remarkable features include Kings Peak (high- River. Here he established a post and spent the In 1861, all the valley of the Uinta River was est peak in Utah), Flaming Gorge National winter of 1822-23. In the spring he came to the set aside as an Indian Reservation. The reserva- Recreation Area, Flaming Gorge-Uintas National point where a stream, which now bears his tion extended to the crest of the mountains. Scenic Byway, The Green River Corridor (a name, enters the Green River. Here he was able The first settlement of the Uinta Basin took world-class blue ribbon fisheries) to obtain a rich harvest of pelts. He then head- place in 1872 by Captain Pardon Dodds. ed back to St. Louis. Following Captain Dodds, Morris Evans trailed The Ashley National Forest, with headquar- The following year, General W.H. Ashley about 2,000 head of cattle into the valley. In ters in Vernal Vernal, Utah, comprises 1.3 million directed the expedition and arrived on the banks 1874, A. Hatch and Company brought in acres located in the northeastern portion of of the Green River in the spring of 1825. At this about 2,500 cattle and a large band of horses. Utah and southwestern portion of Wyoming. point, he dispatched his men in different direc- In a few years, all of the surrounding ranges National Forest System lands are located in tions. All were to attend his “general ren- were fully stocked. three major areas: the northern and southern dezvous” on the Green River on July 10. Following the settlement, came another era slopes of the Uinta Mountains, the Wyoming Ashley, with six of his men, started down the of the west—the advent of the famous outlaws Basin, and the Tavaputs Plateau. river in boats constructed from buffalo hides and and rustlers. In the 1880s and 1890s Butch The Ashley National Forest is bordered by local timber on April 21, 1825. On Saturday May Cassidy and his gang, known as the “Wild the Uintah and Ouray Ute Indian Reservation, 2, Ashley wrote “we entered between the walls of Bunch”, roamed the Intermountain Area. Butch the Uinta and Wasatch-Cache National Forests, this range of mountains, which approach at this shines in western legend as one of the brightest Section 4 private property, and lands administered by the point to the waters edge on either side of the river lights in his profession: leader of one of the Bureau of Land Management and State of Utah. and rise almost perpendicular to an immense largest organizations of cowboy outlaws the Dinosaur National Monument is located approx- height.” Thus, the explorers passed through the west has ever seen. imately 10 miles east of the Forest. Flaming Gorge, the first recorded entry of white One of Butch’s famous hideouts was found The Ashley National Forest was established men into the area now included in the Ashley in the northeast corner of Daggett County by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908. Its National Forest. Later as they were passing known as Brown’s Hole. It was here that he forest and range lands are protected and man- through Red Canyon, they found it necessary to organized his famous band, composed of such aged to ensure timber, grazing, minerals, water, portage their boats around some falls, “produced notorious characters as Elza Lay, Matt Warner, and outdoor recreation for the American people. from large fragments of rock which had fallen George Cutty, Tom Horn, Tom O’Day, Harry The vast Uinta Mountains watershed within from the wall and settled in the river.” From this Longabaugh, and others. the Forest boundary provides vital water supplies incident, “Ashley Falls” received its name. On July 15, 1905 President Theodore for power, industry, farm, and city use in Utah, General Ashley and his party pushed on Roosevelt, by proclamation, added part of the Nevada, Wyoming, and California. Sheep, cattle, down the river to the point near where Green area within the Indian reservation to the Uinta and horses graze under permit on over a half River, Utah is now located apparently seeking Forest Reserve. By executive order on July 1, million acres of the Forest each season. Timber an outlet for his fur business to the Gulf of 1908, he created the Ashley National Forest is managed in harmony with other resources to Mexico. At this place he was finally convinced from that portion of the Uinta Forest Reserve insure a continuing supply and a quality environ- by the Indians that the Green River emptied east of the Rock Creek and Smith Fork ment. Over 2.5 million visitors come to the into the western ocean. He secured horses drainages. These boundaries did not vary K EMMERER

Forest each year to participate in outstanding from the Indians and worked back north to and greatly until 1953 when a change in Forest S outdoor recreation activities, such as boating, across the Uinta Mountains, “through a maze boundaries between the Wasatch, Uinta, and OUTHWEST fishing, camping, hiking, backpacking, horseback of little streams and valleys over the top of the Ashley National Forest was made. All of the riding, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. Uintas near what is now called “Mount Baldy” north slope of the Uinta Mountains west of , G Forest landscape ranges from high desert (Marsh Peak)”. the Burnt Fork drainage was transferred from REEN

country to high mountain areas. The elevation It has been said that “the written history of the Ashley National Forest to the Wasatch A

varies from a low of 6,000 feet to a high of the country west of the Rockies where National Forest. The Ashley received the Rock REA 13,528 feet above sea level at the summit of Americans made their first stand for possession Creek and Duchesne River drainages from the R I VRAND IVER

Kings Peak. begins with a single name and a date painted Wasatch Forest and Tabby Mountain and NCLUDING Topographical diversity and intensive land high on a mountain precipice.” The name is Avintaquin units from the Uinta National management has served to protect the visual “Ashley” and the date is “1825”. The precipice Forest. Today the boundaries are essentially quality on the Forest. The existing vegetation on which W. H. Ashley wrote his name overhung the same, except the Phil Pico and Tabby

patterns and the geological formations further a river flowing through eastern Utah. The name mountain units were exchanged with the State R E add to the aesthetic value. The Forest bound- and date are now covered by waters of the of Utah in 1966-1968. OCK VANSTON aries include places such as the Sheep Creek Flaming Gorge Reservoir. On October 1, 1968, President Lyndon B.

Geological Area, the High Uinta Wilderness area, Ashley National Forest, Ashley Creek, and Johnson approved legislation establishing the S the Green River, and the Flaming Gorge National Ashley Valley received their names from this Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area as part PRINGS

Recreation Area. early explorer. The imprint of Ashley’s party is of the Ashley National Forest. This legislation , still evident in the name Bridger Valley named added approximately 120,000 acres to the History of the Ashley National Forest for Jim Bridger; David Jackson for which Forest. From a small handful of dedicated men The history of the Ashley National Forest is a Jackson Hole is named; Etienne Provost, for in 1908, the personnel force has expanded to colorful parade of trappers, explorers, outlaws, which Provo River and the City of Provo is more than 280 persons employed during the and settlers. Their deeds and lives create a col- named; and William Sublette for which Sublette summer months on the Ashley National Forest. orful and interesting picture in the development County, Wyoming was named. of this area. In the year 1828, four white men, Toopeechee Reprinted from U.S. Forest Service Brochure. www.ultimatewyoming.com 209 H Reliance Tipple: staff these mines, people from a variety of T Killpecker Dunes Placque #2 countries were hired. During World War II there N of Rock Springs approx 11 mi to Tri-Territory At Reliance Tipple in Reliance were not enough mine workers to extract the Rd past the Boars Tusk turnoff coal. People were brought in from Oklahoma The wooden, coal-loading facility, which was Don’t let your first look at the seemingly barren and Arkansas and housed in railroad cars. Yet completed in 1912, went through a number of Killpecker Dunes fool you. Upon closer inspec- there were still not enough workers, and changes during its life time. The original wood- tion, as you walk over occasional patches of pur- women entered the work force in the coal en tipple was a frame structure set on top of ple vetch and quiet, endless dunes you’ll find industry. Women had long been considered bad wooden piers. Windows were located on much more. The constantly shifting sand, stretch- luck underground, and this superstition died either side of the structure to let in light and ing out in a band for more than 55 miles, slowly. One of the first places women found let out coal dust. Coal came into the tipple records, and then erases tracks of birds, coyotes, work was in the Reliance tipple. Working along- from the south. The coal was sorted by men deer, even insects. Seasonal ponds, fed by melting side men in the black dust, women sorted coal or boys and sized according to need. The snowdrifts and insulated by the creamy sand, pop throughout the war years. Here, at the “picking Workers picked out stone or odd-sized pieces up unexpectedly to greet visitors. Waterfowl fre- tables” inside the Reliance tipple, dust-covered of coal and dropped these pieces into the quent the waterholes in the springtime. women sorted coal amidst the deafening noise appropriate conveyor or outside the tipple. The As with any desert clime, temperatures in the of the now silent shaking screens. stone wall southwest of here is all that Dunes area are extreme. Bone-chilling winter remains of the tipple today. nights may reach 40 below; summer’s heat can T Winton bring temperatures well over 100. It was not uncommon for boys to work Approx 8 mi NW of Rock Springs alongside men in the tipple. Some miners began their lives in the coal company’s employ Mining slag dumps, a roofless hotel, and the H Greater Sand Dunes At Killpecker Dunes parking area by first working in the tipple. The wooden tip- foundation and basement of the Union pacific ple was contructed long before safety regula- store are all that remain of the former town of The greater sand dunes area of critical environ- tions were in force. Though working in the Winton. Six mines operated well into the 1940s. mental concern (ACECO), encompassing tipple was much safer than working under- At one time, a boarding house, pool hall, doctor’s approximately 38,650 acres, was established to ground, it was still dusty. Tipple workers often office, tipple and bath house graced the area. protect unique resources in the Killpecker Sand complained that you could not even see the Dunes. The Killpecker Dunes is one of the person working beside you. T Dines largest active dune fields in North America. The N of Reliance critical resources present include wildlife, cultur- H Reliance Tipple: Placque #3 The town was named for Courtland Dines, one of al, wilderness, and scenic values, which offer At Reliance Tipple in Reliance the owners of the Colony Coal Company. The outstanding recreation opportunities. From 1910 to 1955, the mines at Reliance pro- mining community once boasted its own baseball Part of the Killpecker Dune Field is a duced coal for the Union Pacific Railroad. To team. Dines whithered away in the early 1900s. Wilderness Study Area. The spectacular noth- ern dunes show little sign of human activity. One of the unique features of the sand dunes locations worldwide. There are deposits in Africa, is the Eolian Ice-Cells that feed pools at the TRONA China, Turkey, Mexico and the Green River Basin base of many large dunes. These are formed of Wyoming. Sweetwater County is the only site as snow and ice accumulate on the leeward History where trona is commercially mined. side of the dunes and then are covered by

Section 4 Ancient Egyptians first used soda ash over Where did trona come from? About fifty mil- blowing sand. The buried ice cells then slowly 5,000 years ago. They recovered the chemical lion years ago the Green River Basin and sur- melt during the summer months to supply from dry lake bed deposits or manufactured it rounding areas were covered by a 20,000 these ponds with fresh water. by burning seaweed and other marine plants. square mile land-locked lake. As the climate Valuable habitat for big game is found This crude, impure product was used to make changed over thousands of years the water throughout the area. The dunes help support glass ornaments and vessels. The Romans evaporated, leaving behind several beds of a the only herd of desert elk in Wyoming. also used it for baking bread, making glass and mineral mixture called trona wedged between Cultural values vary from prehistoric Indian as a medicine. layers of sandstone and shale. There are an campsites to historic homesteads. Numerous When European cultures came to the New estimated 100 billion tons of trona in the basin, scatters of ancient artifacts have been found at World, they continued to make soda ash, using enough to meet the world’s needs for another various points throughout the area. the ancient process of burning plant materials. 2000 years. These deposits cover about 1,000 In the late 1700s a French scientist named square miles and vary in depth from 800 to LaBlanc invented a method for manufacturing 3500 feet below the surface. Actual mining soda ash using salt, limestone and coal. Belgian occurs at a depth of 800 to 1600 feet in beds scientists Ernest and Alfred Solvay created a that are eight to ten feet thick. more efficient method in the 1860s using What is Trona and Soda Ash? ammonia instead of salt. This is the method that Trona is a naturally occurring mineral that is is still used today in creating synthetic soda ash. chemically known as sodium sesquicarbonate. Trona was discovered in Sweetwater County Trona is the raw material from which the chem- in 1938 during oil and gas explorations. The ical soda ash (sodium carbonate) is refined. first mine shaft was excavated in 1946 and Soda ash in turn is used to make glass, paper, commercial production of soda ash began in laundry detergents and many other products. It 1948. Up until that time all soda ash in the is also used in the manufacture of other chem- United States was produced synthetically using icals including sodium bicarbonate (baking the LaBlanc and Solvay methods. soda) and sodium phosphates (detergents). Since that initial discovery five mines and Over 90% of the soda ash produced in the processing plants have been opened. These United States and about 25% of the world’s sup- companies produce over 15 million tons of ply is natural soda ash from Sweetwater County. T White Mountain Petroglyphs trona and over 8 million tons of soda ash each Trona Capital of the World 24 mi NE of Rock Springs. Take Tri-Territory year as well as being the major employer in Road 12 mi E from U.S. 191, to turnoff, go 4 both Sweetwater and Uinta counties. In recognition of the importance of the mi to sandstone cliff All Wyoming Area Codes are 307 New uses are being found for soda ash, par- trona/soda ash industry to the economy of the Before early settlers arrived in this area, the ticularly in the areas of environmental protection. State of Wyoming, on November 3, 1989 Shoshone people inhabited regions of the Red Soda ash is used to clean smoke stack emissions Sweetwater County was proclaimed as Trona Desert. Carving their art into the soft sandstone which, if left untreated, would cause acid rain. Capital of the World by Governor Mike Sullivan. cliffs, they recorded hunts of elk and bison. Over Geology a dozen panels, including hundreds of figures, Reprinted from Sweetwater County were etched more than 200 years ago into the Trona is a rare mineral found in only a few Historical Museum brochure. sandstone bedrock of the Ecocene Bridger forma-

210 Ultimate Wyoming Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia Cadastral Engineer, E.V. Kimmel, with a brass tablet seated in a concrete monument. This monument is one of the corners of the national Rectangular Cadastral Survey System, inaugurated in 1785, that has aided the development and orderly settlement of the public lands in the western states. From these monuments, state and local governments and private citizens are provided with easily identifiable boundaries. Such monuments serve as a base for the work of private surveyors in making accurate land subdivisions and descriptions.

10 Food, Lodging Green River Pop. 11,808, Elev. 6,100 Established by the river of the same name, the Green River encampment area was known to the Crow Indians as “Seed-ska-dee,” their name for the sage hens, or “prairie chickens,” which gathered here. When trappers arrived, they called it the Spanish River, and then Rio Verde, Spanish for Green River. The river’s bright color is a result of the soapstone cliffs dissolving their mineral content into the stream. The water Killpecker Dunes source, abundance of game, and shelter of nearby rock formations made it a natural gathering place. Castle Rock, an impressive sandstone cliff, tion.Some of the petroglyphs may be as much as T Ute Mountain Fire Tower overlooks the area. 1,000 years old. Because several of the drawings W of Sheep Creek Geologic Loop The site became an Overland Stage Station in depict animals within animals, it is believed by on Forest Rd 221 1861, a Pony Express Station, and finally, in Section 4 some that the area was a birthing place for the This is an old wooden lookout with spectacular 1868, a railroad camp and tie float station, where Plains and Great Basin native American people. views, located at the southwestern end of the over 300,000 ties were sent down the river while Handholds worn in the stone may have served for Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. It was the railroad was under construction. In 1869, generations of women to grip the rock during built in 1935 by the CCC. It is the first fire tower Maj. John Wesley Powell arrived on the train here labor. It is a sacred place for the Native American in the state and the last operating. The tower is to begin his expedition down the Green and people, and visitors are encouraged to respect the open June through Labor Day. Colorado Rivers, eventually exploring the Grand reverence of the area. Canyon. He returned in 1871 with a large group H Chinese Massacre of scientists who helped map the region, and later I-80 Exit 99 directed the US Geological Survey. In 1885, more than 700 Chinese miners lived Green River is now largely supported by its in Rock Springs. Complaints about wages and extensive trona mining industry. Trona is an competition for work, coupled with racial preju- important mineral used in making glass, deter- dice, sent mobs of white miners into the gents, paper, metal refining, and baking soda. Chinese settlement, setting fire to their homes One third of the worldwide supply of trona is and beating all in their wake. More than one derived from the 1000 square mile bed deposited hundred Chinese men fled on foot, running to north of Green River by an ancient lake. Five dif- the hills for sanctuary. Governor Frances Warren ferent mining concerns delve into the area, but FMC Corporation has the world’s largest mine, K

sought help from President Grover Cleveland, EMMERER who ordered federal troops into the melee. with tunnels more extensive than the streets of a S OUTHWEST Soldiers from Utah arrived and escorted the large city. FMC alone extracts more than 900 tons Chinese back to Rock Springs. More than a of trona an hour. The massive size of the trona dozen men were charged with crimes against bed makes this rate of extraction sustainable for the Chinese; all were released. The Union the next 600 years. , G

Green River is also noted for being the first REEN

Pacific Coal Company reinstated the Chinese in A

T Boar’s Tusk their jobs, but as pressure built from the white town in the nation to ban door-to-door salesmen. REA E of U.S. Hwy 191 between Eden and Reliance community, the Asian men’s positions were They became a nuisance to the mine and railroad R

shift workers who often had to sleep during the I VRAND IVER Located in the heart of the Red Desert region is slowly phased out. Eventually, most of the NCLUDING Chinese left the area. day. The law became known as the Green River Boar’s Tusk, a unique rock formation that juts up Ordinance, and was adopted by several other out of the desert. The remains of a volcanic H Tri-State Corner of the States communities nationwide. The Fuller Brush plug, the Tusk looms 400 feet above the dunes, of Wyoming, Utah & Colorado Company fought it all the way to the US Supreme and is an open invitation to rock climbers and R

S of I-80, Exit 99 on U.S. Hwy 191 for 31 mi, Court, and lost. E OCK photographers alike. Turn E on dirt rd. After 11 mi directional signs VANSTON lead you through last 10 mi to monument 11 Food, Lodging S 9 Food This point was monumented by U.S. surveyor, PRINGS Rollin J. Reeves, on July 19, 1879, while com-

T Sweetwater County , T Firehole Canyon pleting the survey of the western boundary of Hwy 191, S from Interstate 80 near Rock Historical Museum the State of Colorado and the east boundary of 3 E Flaming Gorge Way in downtown Green Springs Utah Territory. The boundary line separating River. 872-6435 See unique scenery and interesting geological Wyoming Territory from Colorado and Utah Established in 1967 to preserve the history of features include two fingerlike projections Territories was surveyed by U.S. surveyor, A.V. Sweetwater County, the museum contains per- known as North and South Chimney Rocks. Richards in 1873. manent and temporary exhibits, a large histori- Along with the interesting geology you will often The original monument was found to be cal photograph collection, and local history see large flocks of sheep. disturbed in 1931 and was remarked by U.S. research material. www.ultimatewyoming.com 211 d White Mountain R 80 set Street GREEN RIVER Trona Dr Sun Hillcrest Way

N 8th West Rd tery W 2nd North St

N 7th West St w Ceme w

W Railroad St Rivervie N 6th West 11 3rd North St N 5th West

N 2nd West St N 1st West E 2nd North S W 2nd South St h East St Center St Sweetwater County Historical Museum N 4t N 1st East St N 5th East t N 2nd East St N 3rd East St 10 1st Nzh due to the nearness of a water supply, while Rock Springs became the coal mining center of the S Center St E 3rd 80 county. E 4th South South St St 91 The railroad and coal mining industries brought many people of different nationalities Uinta Dr and races to Sweetwater County. European and Oriental immigrants as well as Americans from back east made the area their home. As a result the cultural diversity represented by the county’s Riverview Dr populace was unmatched in the state of Wyoming. 12 Astle Ave As coal mining decreased in the mid-1900s, Pipeline Service Rd Roos trona mining became increasingly important to evelt St Andrews St E Wilkes Dr Bramwell St Clark St the county’s economy. Trona is an ore which is Andrews St T Jensen St eto

Logan St refined into soda ash, a commonly used industrial

n Blvd chemical. In fact trona is in such great abundance St in the county that Wyoming’s Governor Mike

Monroe Ave Ave dison Sullivan proclaimed the area “Trona Capital of the Ma Jefferson Monroe St World” in 1989. In an effort to preserve their rich mining her-

Uinta Dr itage, the Sweetwater County Historical Museum

Section 4 acquired the Reliance Tipple in 1987. Visitors are

lvd encouraged to take the short drive to Reliance Hitching Post Dr and examine the structure which was used to sort Run away Rd and grade coal and load it onto railroad cars. At

W Teton Blvd E Teton B the site you may take a self-guided walking tour Bridger Dr along the paved path to view the tipple and the accompanying interpretive signs. E Teton Blvd A highlight of the museum is a fine ethnic ton Blvd collection of items from Sweetwater County’s

W diverse population. A Lakota Sioux pipe bag, Upla nd Way Flam Greek ceremonial sword and Chinese theater ban- lorado Dr

Co ing Gorge Way ner add color to the exhibits. The museum also contains an excellent mining collection of three- dimensional objects, photographs and documen- Map not to scale tary material which show the mineral exploitation industry and its impact on area history.

Sweetwater County’s history began long Several major emigrant trails passed through before written records. In prehistoric times the the county including the Oregon, California, Wyoming Tidbits landscape was swampy and inhabited by great Mormon, Overland and Cherokee Trails, as well dinosaurs. Thousands of years later Native as the 1861 transcontinental telegraph line and Green River was the home to Wyoming’s Americans, mostly Shoshone and Ute, claimed Ben Holladay’s Central Overland Express stage first brewery. The Sweetwater Brewing the land. The first white men moving through the line. Vitally important to the history of the county Company won medals at world fairs and at area with any regularity were the mountain men. was the coming of the transcontinental railroad in The first Rocky Mountain Rendezvous was held 1868. This was instrumental in the creation and its peak, bottled nearly 20,000 bottle of in 1825 in Sweetwater County, as was a later development of Sweetwater County’s two major beer a day. With the enactment of the gathering in 1834 which is said to have been the population centers, Green River and Rock Volstad Act (Prohibition), the company was largest rendezvous ever. Springs. Green River was the major railroad town forced to close.

All Wyoming Area Codes are 307 Green River Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual Average Max. Temperature (F) 32.0 37.4 46.0 57.1 68.1 78.4 87.4 85.1 75.3 62.4 45.0 34.5 59.1 Average Min. Temperature (F) 4.3 9.4 18.9 27.8 36.3 43.5 49.9 47.5 37.6 27.5 16.4 7.3 27.2 Average Total Precipitation (in.) 0.38 0.42 0.58 0.94 1.14 0.82 0.62 0.72 0.78 0.83 0.47 0.37 8.08 Average Total SnowFall (in.) 4.7 4.8 4.6 4.0 1.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 2.0 3.9 4.2 29.5 Average Snow Depth (in.) 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

212 Ultimate Wyoming Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia H Pavilion decent of the river gradually spread in the At Expedition Island in Green River “States” letting others know that river travel This pavilion was built in the early 1930s with down the Green was possible. Later mountain the bid for construction being awarded to the men used dugout canoes made from cotton- Green River Lumber Company for $17,790. wood logs to float the Green. Throughout the years it has been used for a dance hall, public gatherings, wedding recep- tions, a roller skating rink. National Guard Armory, Teen Town, and 4th-of-July and Flaming Gorge Days celebrations. The building was renovated in 1979 through efforts of the Green River Bicentennial Commission and the Expedition Island Pavillion Restoration Committee at a cost of $256,412. The island has been known by various names since it was originally claimed by S.I. Field when he platted Green River City in early 1868. It was known as the Island, Johnson Island, Island Park and Expedition Island. It had been in private ownership until Green River City purchased it in October 1909. The Island Expedition Island bridge. Park’s name was changed to Expedition Island on May 24, 1969. The old Green River Brewery In 1949, a plaque was placed on the island H Norm Nevills & A.K. Reynolds— by the Historical Landmark Commission of 194O’s Wyoming “Marking the spot from which Major At Expedition Island in Green River The museum is open from April through Weslely Powell and party departed May 24, Norman D. Nevills took his first major voyage in December, Monday–Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1869, to make first exploration of Green and 1938, floating from Green River, Utah, through 6 p.m. Winter hours are Monday–Friday from Colorado Rivers, arriving mouth of Grand the Grand Canyon. This journey included the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Canyon Aug. 29, 1869.” first woman ever to float Cataract and Grand On April 16, 1969, Expedition Island was Canyons.

designated a Registered National Historic Section 4 In 1940, Nevills decided to float from Green Landmark by the U.S. Department of the River, Wyoming , to Lake Mead. The party Interior National Park Service, indicated that included his wife Doris and one other woman. “This site possesses exceptional value in com- Their departure from Expedition Island on June memorating or illustrating the history of the 20th, 1940 was marked by ceremonies with United States.” Wyoming and Utah state officials who present- H William Ashley - 1825 ed Nevills with special license plates for his At Expedition Island in Green River boats. The trip was successful, but not without hardship. Leaving Missouri in 1824, William Ashley led a During the 1940s, Nevills ran commercial large group of men west in search of riches- river trips on several western rivers. On June beaver. Ashley and his crew arrived on the 21st, 1947, Nevills returned to Wyoming for banks of the Green River (or Seeds-ke-dee as it another commercial trip on the Green River to was called then) on April 9th, 1825 near the Jensen, Utah. By the time of his death in T Castle Rock, Tollgate Rock, mouth of the Big Sandy River north of here. The September, 1949, Nevills had run the Grand and Mansface Rock men divided into four groups to explore the Canyon more times than any other person and These distinctive rock formations above Green area for beaver. was known as “the world’s number one fastwa- River have many stories behind them. Pick up a Ashley supervised the building of “bull ter man.” brochure at the visitor center to learn about these boats” - clumsy crafts of buffalo hides stretched K

When Nevills was at Expedition Island in EMMERER

buttes and other fascinating rock formations in over a willow frame and led 7 men down the S 1947, he inspired a local man, A.K. Reynolds, to the area. Green River. His was the first recorded river trip OUTHWEST start his own river outfitting business. Reynolds, on the Green. Mike Hallacy, and G.G. Larson all Green River H Called to the River The voyagers passed by Expedition Island residents, built cataract boats to Nevills’ specific- At Expedition Island in Green River on Sunday, April 25th, 1825. They walked , G You’re standing on an historical landmark of the tions and started Reynolds-Hallacy River

around many rapids including Ashley Falls, now REEN

Expeditions. Reynolds ran trips on the upper A Green and Colorado Rivers exploration - under Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Green until the early 1960s and the inundation REA Expedition Island. Named long after the Powell They continued downriver through the

of the river under Flaming Gorge Reservoir. R expeditions 1869 and 1871, the island com- Green’s canyons until they arrived in the Uinta I VRAND IVER memorates early western river exploration. Basin (now Utah) on June 16th. From there, H The French Trio - 1938 NCLUDING As you walk around this path, you will read Ashley left the river and made his way back to In September 1938 on the eve of World War II, about the river runners who answered the this area for the first of the great annual ren- three young people from France came to south- “call to the river” and floated here in the dezvous held on Henry’s Fork in July 1825. west Wyoming for a trip down the Green River. Green River path before and after Powell’s Though not widespread, word of Ashley’s R E

The Frenchmen spent a week in Green OCK celebrated expeditions. River making preparations and on September VANSTON There were almost as many reasons for river

14th, they launched - the first kayakers on the S travel on the Green as there were people float- upper Green River. Though only 22 years old, PRINGS ing. There were fur trappers, explorers, gold Wyoming Tidbits Genevieve was the star of the trip. She ran her seekers, dam builders, developers, and finally Green River, Sweetwater County seat, was the own boat, did her share of the work, and was , the adventurers who came for the excitement home to so many railroaders working the the best boat “person” of the three. She and to see nature’s wonders. night shift, that the town enacted the “Green kayaked much slower than the men, but never These signs were erected by the Green River River Ordinance” prohibiting door-to-door damaged her boat or flipped in rapids. Parks and Recreation Department in celebration salesmen from soliciting during daytime The trio continued downriver and resupplied of Green River’s 100th birthday as an incorporat- hours. Adopted by other towns, the ordinance in Jensen and Green River, Utah. They ended ed city and in honor of the men and women assured quiet so the shift workers could sleep their journey November 9th at Lee’s Ferry, who answered the call and ran the river. during the day. Arizona. The river was icing up and they were www.ultimatewyoming.com 213 popular at the amusement park, which made many pleasure excursions around the Island Park. Also, many pleasure trips were made up and down the river. The “Sunbeam” carried LYMAN pleasure seekers as far down the river as Buckboard and up the river as far as Big Piney. Fir Ave Elm Ave Birch Ave Greasewood Dr

E Clark St Dogwood Ave Cottonwood Ave The “Sunbeam” was eventually convert- E Blackner St ed from a stern-wheeler to a propeller- St propulsion boat. W Clark E Walnet St On its last river trip, the “Sunbeam” sheared Pine St its propeller at Big Piney. It was left there at Big Piney and eventually was hauled overland to 2nd East St 3rd East St Lyman St Owen St Fremont Lake at Pinedale, where it was repaired Grant St East St Main St Sage St and continued in service for long years afterward. Lincoln St

Tiara St H George Flavell - 1896 Platts St Meadows St At Expedition Island in Green River Willow St W Willow St Franklin St Trapper, hunter, prospector, and tattoo artist - Canal St George Flavell and his passenger/partner Map not to scale Ramon Montez were the first men to float the “distance” of Green River, Wyoming to Needles, California primarily for the “adventure.” The two arrived in Green River in mid - unable to continue. the brothers with their camp gear, the expedi- August 1896, built their own boat - the Fanthon, Returning to Europe in time for World War II, tion launched on September 9,1911. and launched on August 27th, 1896. Far down- the three fought in the French Resistance, lived The brothers made it all the way to the Gulf stream in Yuma, Arizona, Flavell told a reporter quiet lives in France and died in the 1970s. of California without incident. They returned to the reasons for the journey, ”First, for the adven- their photo studio and lived at the Grand ture; second, to see what so few people have H The Damsite Surveys Canyon until they died in the 1970s. seen; third, to hunt and trap; fourth, to examine 1914–1922 the perpendicular walls of rock for gold”. The search for “Practical” uses of the canyons of H Julius Stone - 1909 One of the major river controversies which the upper Green River had been on since the At Expedition Island in Green River remains today is whether it was actually George turn of the century. In 1914, a U.S. Geologic An Ohio millionaire and no stranger to the river, Flavell instead of Than Galloway who was the Survey expedition led by Eugene LaRue floated Julius Stone wanted to duplicate Major Powell’s first to use the facing downstream method of to the Utah border and noted several damsites run down the Green and Colorado Rivers. Stone running rivers and to build the newer style in the Flaming Gorge area. even went to Washington to meet with the aging boats better suited for river travel. In 1917, the Utah Power and Light Company Powell. Major Powell, however, was jealous of his In any event, Flavell’s diary records running floated their own men down the river to search achievements and refused to help Stone. all the rapids except for six on the entire jour- for suitable sites for hydro-electric dams. Undaunted, Stone hired Than Galloway to ney from Green River to the ocean. Section 4 Head boatman for the trip was Bert Loper, a travel to Ohio and build the boats. Stone had seasoned runner on the Colorado River. The floated Glen Canyon on the Colorado River H Nathaniel Galloway - 1890’s other boatmen, who also served as rodmen for with Galloway in 1899 and the two had At Expedition Island in Green River the servey, were E.B. Lunt and H.E. Blake. become friends. A sometime trapper and prospector from Additional men survey as cooks, helpers, and On September 12th, 1909 the Stone- Vernal, Utah, Nathaniel “Than” Galloway revolu- engineers completed the crew. Galloway party launched from Green River, tionized river travel on the Green and all other The party launched on July 22nd, 1922; Wyoming. A local man, Mr. Morris, had let them western rivers. Galloway was convinced that again with tales of disaster from the townspeo- use his barn to organize their gear and gave both beaver and gold could be found in the ple. The group floated to Green River, Utah, Stone a bottle of rye whiskey in case of an acci- canyons of the green River. located 14 potential damsites and thoroughly dent. Twenty five years later, Stone still had the He made several shore runs on the Green mapped the canyons of the upper Green River bottle, unopened! between 1891-94 and his first lengthy trip start- Though still untamed, the “Great Unknown” of The party included Stone, Galloway, C.C. ed from Green River, Wyoming in 1896. the Green River was reduced to lines on maps. Sharp, Seymour Dubendorff, and Raymond Galloway’s greatest historical contributions Cogswell. Arriving in Needles, California on were the design of his boats and the way he H Kolb Brothers-1911 November 19th, 1909, the men made the entire ran the river, particularly rapids. Galloway At Expedition Island in Green River journey in less than two months, the fastest designed and built his own boats - They were Ellsworth and Emery Kolb were photographers descent of the rivers and canyons at the time. about 214 feet long and 4 feet wide with a with a studio on the south rim of the Grand Julius Stone’s reason for floating the Green “cockpit” for the oarsman, they had a slight rise Canyon. They wanted to make a complete pho- River was significant, he had no other motive both fore and aft, and they weighed only 400 tographic record of the canyons of the Green than to seek the experience itself - which made pounds. His crafts were very maneuverable and and Colorado Rivers themselves. him the first paying tourist on the river. could “turn on a dime.” Arriving in Green River, Wyoming in early Most significantly, though, Galloway’s river September 1911, the Kolbs brought a relatively H Sunbeam - 1908 running technique was brand new. Instead of new invention with them - a movie camera. At Expedition Island in Green River rowing backwards for power and speed and They were to take the first moving pictures of J.F. Moerke, Frank Briggs, M.C. Peterson and looking over one’s shoulder, Galloway simply the river and canyons. C.W. Johnson, the owners of the amusement turned around and faced downstream. This new Ellsworth Kolb later recorded the town’s park on Island Park, purchased the “Sunbeam” approach allowed him to see rocks and obsta- reception of their plan, “The whole of Green and a companion craft, the “Teddy R,” in 1908. cles in the river and steer around them. River City, it seemed, had learned of our project, These were stern-wheeler, gasoline propelled The “Galloway” technique of river running is and came to inspect, or advise or jeer at us. motor launches which were to be used for used to this day.

All Wyoming Area Codes are 307 The kindest of them wished us well: the other pleasure excursions on Green River at the sort told us “it would serve us right” but none amusement park. H Paddlewheeler Comet - 1908 of our callers had any encouragement. Many The boats were seven feet wide and twenty At Expedition Island in Green River were the stories of disaster and death with five feet in length and seated twenty adults. The paddlewheeler or steamship the Comet which they entertained us.” They were used at the amusement park for the represented a new form of transportation on The Kolbs’ boats soon arrived on the Union enjoyment of those fond of a glide over the tur- the upper Green River—the use of power other Pacific railroad. With the arrival of James Fagin, a bulent waters of the Green River. than oars. The flagship of the newly organized young man from San Francisco hired to help These stern-wheeler launches were very Green River Navigation Company, the Comet

214 Ultimate Wyoming Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia made its maiden voyage from Green River, Wyoming south to Linwood, Utah on July 4, 1908. The purpose of the steamship was to MOUNTAIN carry freight and passengers to ranches along the Green River to Linwood at the confluence VIEW 7th St with the Henry’s Fork. The launching was the major event of the year combined with the 6th St d Dr

niper Dr

Fourth of July celebration. Ben

lm Dr

Built at a cost of $25,000, the Comet was 5th St R Ju E Oa not a success. The first trip to Linwood and

4th St Willow Dr

Birc Pine

back took 33 hours and was hampered by low 3rd St Ce

Oa dar dar

water, swift current and rocks. After only a few h

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t St trips, the Comet was abandoned in the river Cottonwood St Dr several hundred yards downriver from here. 2nd St Other boats which operated on the Green in 1st St that period included the power launch Teddy R Glen Rd which was made for pleasure excursions up Center St Alder St

Rd and down the river, and a stern wheeler, the

Sunbeam which was used until it broke down Oak upriver from here at Big Piney, Wyoming. Map not to scale Afterwards, the Sunbeam was hauled to Fremont Lake and used as a pleasure boat for many years. The 41st Parallel H Major Wesley Powell and Party 12 Food, Lodging Expedition Island in Green River The Utah-Wyoming border, located on the 41st Marking the spot from which Major Wesley T Green River Greenbelt and parallel, ran directly through the middle of Powell and party departed May 24, 1869, to Scott’s Bottom Nature Area Linwood making it an interesting community make the first exploration of Green and At Expedition Park in Green River since it was in two different states. Colorado Rivers, arriving mouth of Grand This area contains assorted paved and dirt river- Henry’s Fork Canyon August 29, 1869. side trails beginning at Expedition Island. Water fowl and other types of birds nest in the tall grass Named for Maj. Andrew Henry, the fork was an H Powell-Colorado River and bushes which grow throughout the area. early camping and gathering place for trappers, Section 4 Expedition Further to the south of the southern edge of the traders and explorers. Gen. William H. Ashley Expedition Island in Green River river is Scott’s Bottom Nature Area. Like the originated the “rendezvous” system for fur trade On May 24, 1869, the Powell-Colorado River Green Belt, the Scott’s Bottom Nature area has here. Early in July, 1825 , 120 trappers and Expedition, ten men and four boats strong, paths and interpretive signs which tell of the mountain men arrive d at the first rendezvous embarked from these environs on a voyage of wildlife which live in this riparian habitat along site, approxijmately 15 miles up Henry’s Fork, to adventure resulting in civilization’s first definite the edge of the Green River. trade furs and supplies. knowledge of this continent’s last unexplored Uncle Jack Robinson’s Cabin major river drainage. Out of the still shaded but H Linwood-Lucerne Valley no longer unknown depths of that river’s Grand Interpretive Sign The first permanent settler in the area was John Canyon came, 98 days later, six tattered river About 42 mi S of Green River on State Hwy Robinson, known as ‘Uncle Jack Robinson,” who veterans to triumphantly beach two water-torn 530 built a cabin on Lower Henry’s Fork in 1834- and rock-mauled hulks. Linwood Bay 35. The cabin was moved to a location near This adventure, no odyssey if measured by Flaming Gorge Recreation Area. elapsed time alone, easily qualifies by the other Linwood—The Town that Drowned Other Points standards of suspense, danger and action. Its From this point you can see Linwood Bay of the successful completion captured and held the Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Beneath the surface of Also located in the area was Jim Baker’s Trading admiration of a nation. the reservoir at the far western end, lies the site Post, established in 1839. Soon after, the K John Wesley Powell himself—cast in the famous explorer, Jim Bridger, built a fort at EMMERER of the town of Linwood. When Flaming Gorge S

Bridger Bottom. The famous Colorado River OUTHWEST hero’s role and endowed with rare executive Dam was built in the early 1960s, the rising expedition led by John Wesley Powell camped and scientific talents—rode the crest of national waters of the reservoir covered the small town. below this point in 1869. acclaim into public service and the highest It was laid out in 1900 by George Solomon councils of the republic. Over the years his ever- who carefully planted many rows of cottonwood , G sharpening executive ability resulted in the cre- Two Canals

trees, giving the town its name “Linwood.” REEN ation and productiveness of important federal The Lucerne Valley Land and Water Company A

This area is a reminder of the colorful and REA agencies, while his scientific genius contributed exciting days of Indians, trappers, explorers, set- Canal and the People’s Canal were completed to the advancement of such divergent disci- near the turn of the century. The canals brought R

tlers, cowboys and outlaws. Although Linwood I VRAND IVER plines as ethnology, geology and agronomy. itself has vanished, the memory of one of the irrigation to the settlers in the dry valleys. NCLUDING Perhaps his greatest gift to the nation, con- last towns of the “Old West” lingers on. ceived during Colorado River explorations, was Bob Swift’s Bucket O’Blood Saloon the theory of arid-land culture. As developed, The Green River Located a few hundred yards from Uncle Jack’s through his success in fathering the Bureau of cabin, the “wild and wooly” saloon was fre- R E In front of the vista point is the original bed of OCK

Reclamation, this theory has changed the face VANSTON the mighty Green River, the major source of quented by such outlaws as Butch Cassidy and of western landscapes and caused extensive the Sundance Kid, the McCarty boys, and the geographic regions to blossom and thrive. water for Flaming Gorge Reservoir. S

Curry gang. PRINGS , Mountain View Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual Average Max. Temperature (F) 32.7 35.4 43.8 52.9 63.8 73.2 80.3 79.4 70.5 57.8 42.1 33.3 55.4 Average Min. Temperature (F) 11.8 12.7 19.9 26.0 34.1 41.6 47.4 45.9 37.9 28.9 18.5 11.3 28.0 Average Total Precipitation (in.) 0.44 0.37 0.52 0.93 1.20 1.02 0.97 0.86 1.01 0.94 0.57 0.44 9.28 Average Total SnowFall (in.) 5.6 5.0 5.1 6.1 2.9 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.5 3.9 5.6 5.3 40.3 Average Snow Depth (in.) 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 www.ultimatewyoming.com 215 The Linwood School or “Stateline School” mountains of present-day Colorado and Utah, vis- isters recreation facilities in the area. With over 300 ited Flaming Gorge country. During the early miles (483 kilometers) of shoreline, boat ramps and The school, which was constructed in the fall of 1800s, fur trappers searched the mountains of the marinas, campgrounds, and full service lodges, 1904, has the distinction of being the only West for beaver. William H. Ashley, organizer of a Flaming Gorge Reservoir is an aquatic paradise. school in the country to be run by two different large fur trading company, came to the Green While motor boating, sailing, swimming, windsurf- state school boards—the north half of the River in 1825, loaded trade goods into buffalo ing, water skiing, and scuba diving are popular school was in Wyoming and the south half was hide boats, and set out on an epic first exploration recreation activities, the reservoir is most famous in utah. The school is now used as a grainary of the Green River. Ashley returned the same sum- for its fishing. Its cool, clear depths are ideal for one mile north of its original location. mer for the first of the famous mountain men ren- growing enormous trout. These famous angling Octagonal Dancehall dezvous, held on Henry’s Fork, near Burnt Fork, waters have produced fish of state and world record Wyoming. The Ashley National Forest was named size, including lake trout (“Mackinaw”) over 50 The dance hall was a beautiful and magnificent in honor of this early western explorer. pounds (23 kilograms), German brown trout over structure and had the first real hardwood floor On a spring day in 1869, John Wesley Powell 30 pounds (14 kilograms), and rainbow trout over in the region. and nine men boarded small wooden boats at 25 pounds (11 kilograms). Flaming Gorge also sup- Nearby Points of Interest Green River, Wyoming to embark on a daring ports cutthroat trout, kokanee salmon, smallmouth exploration of the Green and Colorado Rivers. bass, and channel catfish. Ice fishing is a popular The Uinta Mountains Powell and his men slowly worked their way pastime in the winter. Anglers should check with downstream, successfully completing their jour- local offices or businesses for ice conditions as The only major mountain range in the ney in late summer. On May 26, 1869, Major warm weather and fluctuating water levels may Western Hemisphere to run east and west, Powell named Flaming Gorge after he and his cause hazardous ice. the Uinta Mountains form the southern men saw the sun reflecting off the red rocks. The Green River below the dam is famous for boundary of this area. In the 1870s, the first ranchers moved to the its trout fishing and rafting. White water rapids Flaming Gorge mountain valleys near Flaming Gorge. It was and gorgeous canyon scenery also lend to the harsh, rough country for earning a livelihood. popularity of river rafting below the dam and Named by John Wesley Powell in 1869, Backbreaking hours were spent grubbing sage- hiking Little Hole National Recreation Trail. Flaming Gorge is probably the most interesting brush and laying irrigation ditches on the land. Water that flows from the dam in the summer is and dramatic geological feature in the area. It is Many of the early pioneers gave up the struggle cold, about 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 degrees located in front of you to the left at the end of and moved on. celsius) or lower. River levels may vary as power the range of mountains. Many outlaws and fugitives would hide out generation fluctuates. A permit is not needed in the isolated valleys along the Green River. when rafting to the Gates of Lodore — beyond Different Geological Formations Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch were the that point, contact officials at Dinosaur National It’s interesting to note the different geological most notorious. Monument for a permit. Special safety precau- tions are required when rafting. Rafters must wear formations of the area. The rocks generally lie Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area flat and are light colored and soft. In Utah, the life preservers at all times. Common sense and The Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area rocks are more colorful and have been bent and respect for the river will help make the trip safe was established in 1968. The Forest Service admin- forced upward by tremendous earth pressure. and enjoyable.

13 Food, Lodging THE BEAR RIVER REGION a source of water for their steam engines and Section 4 for ice that was cut, stored in nearby ice hous- McKinnon Beginning high in the Uinta Mountains south of es and used to protect perishables before the Established by Mormon pioneer, Archibald Evanston, the Bear River meanders more than advent of refrigerator cars. McKinnon, this little town didn’t get electricity until 500 miles through Idaho, Wyoming and Utah, Geologically, this region is part of the the 1960s. There is still a store and a post office. ending in the Great Salt Lake, less than 100 Overthrust Belt, a series of folds and faults that miles from it’s origin. This route makes the Bear formed over a vast period as two enormous Washam River the Northern Hemisphere’s longest river land masses compressed together. These land When the post office opened here, it was named that does not flow into an ocean. mass movements caused the crust of the earth for postmistress Pauline Washam. During the late 17th and 18th century, before to overlap by as much as 60 miles, burying the white man’s arrival, this region was widely petroleum source rocks deep beneath the sur- 14 No services used by Shoshone, Arapaho, and Uintah Indians face where high tempertures stimulated the who camped here while hunting the abundant generation of oil and gas. Oil, gas and minerals wildlife and gathering berries. They called the river play a major role in southwestern Wyoming as “quee-yaw-pah” for a tobacco root growing along evidenced by the presence of many energy and it’s bank. Trappers called it the “Bear River” mineral related companies. The world’s laargest because of the many bears that frequented the deposits of trona are located just east of here. area, Indians and trappers sometimes held ren- Mines in this region produce two thirds of the dezvous in this region. The Burnfork Rendezvous world’s supply of soda ash (a trona derivative). held in 1825, just 50 miles southeast of here, Today the Bear River is used for recreation, was the first rendezvous of traders and trappers agriculture and municipal water. Many species to be held in the Rocky Moutains. of wildlife use the river habitat. Visitors enjoy Between 1840 and 1870, more than viewing antelope, deer, an occasional moose or 500,000 emigrants traveled through this area elk, and many small animals. Bird watchers bound for opportunity in the Oregon Territory, enjoy Eagles, Great Blue Herons, Sand Hill the Great Basin, and the California gold fields. Cranes, several species of ducks, Canada Geese, in 1843 famed mountain man, Jim Bridger, and and many song birds. his partner, Louis Vasquez, established a trading Bear River State Park, established lin 1991, post that soon became Fort Bridger. Located provides visitors with the opportunity to hike the just 35 miles east of here, it became a wel- trails following in the footsteps of Jim Bridger, T Flaming Gorge Dam come spot to rest, resupply, trade animals, and Cut Face Sublette, Hugh Glass, and Chief and Reservoir get necessary blacksmith work done. Washakie, or enjoy viewing the bison and elk All Wyoming Area Codes are 307 Near Dutch John S of Wyoming border in Utah. During the development of America’s herds. Visitors can fish for Bear River Cutthroat (435) 784-3445 Transcontinental Railroad, tie hacks cut railroad Trout or just relax under a large cottonwood tree History ties in Uinta Mountains to the south. The Bear and imagine what it might have been like to PetrogIyphs and artifacts suggest that prehistoric River’s spring runoff was used to float them to confront a 600-pound grizzly along the river’s people of the Fremont culture hunted game near the railway to construct and maintain the rail- edge. Winter provides unique viewing opportu- Flaming Gorge for many centuries. Later the Ute road you see on the west bank of the river. The nities from numerous cross country ski trails. tribes, whose members spread throughout the Union Paific Railroad depended on this river as —Reprinted from State Park brochure

216 Ultimate Wyoming Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia H Explorers of the Green Had Lives of Rugged Adventure At Red Canyon Visitor’s Area Legends of Indians hunting, explorers braving the unknown, mountain men trapping and trading, and outlaws and ranchers competing for living space give the Flaming Gorge area a colorful history. Fur-trader William H. Ashley was the first to attempt to float the Green River to the Gulf of Mexico. He passed through Red Canyon on May 3, 1825, and was followed by William Manley, on a gold-seeking venture to California in 1849. It was Major John Wesley Powell that gave us the names Flaming Gorge and Red Canyon in 1869, while exploring the rough water and unknown territory of the Green and Colorado Rivers. After years of gunfights and land battles, the area became the Ashley National Forest, part of the National Forest System, signed into effect by Theodore Roosevelt.

15 Food, Lodging Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area T Dutch John S of Wyoming border on U.S. Hwy 191 Flaming Gorge Reservoir releases were cold and clear. Consequently, the Dutch John, Utah, located about two miles (three Flaming Gorge Dam is a thin-arch concrete types and numbers of animal and plant species kilometers) northeast of the Flaming Gorge Dam, Section 4 dam. From the streambed, the dam stands 502 present in 1964 have changed and now represent was founded by the Secretary of the Interior in feet (153 meters) high and contains 987,000 those commonly found in cold water reservoirs 1958 as a community to house personnel, cubic yards (754,616 cubic meters) of concrete. and dam tailwaters throughout the United States. administrative offices, and equipment for con- Construction of the dam began in 1958 and was Both the reservoir and downstream fisheries at struction and operation of Flaming Gorge Dam, completed in 1964. The dam was dedicated in Flaming Gorge are among the best in the world Reservoir, and Powerplant. The community was 1964 by former First Lady Mrs. Lyndon B. for cold water species, including brown, rainbow named for a pioneer settler of the area. Since “Ladybird” Johnson. The Bureau of Reclamation and lake trout. However, there are native species completion of construction, the community has operates and maintains the dam and power- of fish that inhabited the Green River prior to been managed by the Bureau of Reclamation and plant. Water is released from the dam through 1964 that now exist in very reduced numbers has served primarily as a residential area for large pipes called penstocks into the powerplant and are in danger of becoming extinct. those involved in the operation, maintenance, where the water turns turbines that generate Since 1985, there have been numerous physi- and administration of the dam and surrounding electricity. Warmer water can be released cal and biological resource studies and experi- area. In 1998, Congress passed legislation that through the penstocks, to benefit downstream mental flows from the dam, all directed at provided for the disposal of most lands, struc- fish, by adjusting the selective withdrawal struc- determining the needs of the surviving endan- tures, and community facilities in the Dutch ture located on the upstream face of the dam. gered fish. As a result, changes to dam operations John area and transfer of administration respon- Additional water can be released through the have been made to benefit the endangered fish sibility to local government. outlet works and the spillways. species. These changes have been in combination Excerpted from Bureau of Reclamation Brochure.

Flaming Gorge Dam impounds waters of the with other fish recovery activities being taken by K

Green River to form Flaming Gorge Reservoir many federal, state and local agencies and groups EMMERER T Swett Ranch S which extends as far as 91 miles (146 kilometers) throughout the Upper Colorado River Basin. The W of U.S. Hwy 191, NE of Dutch John OUTHWEST to the north. When the reservoir is full at eleva- goal is to recover the endangered fish so they are Swett Ranch is located along the Flaming Gorge- tion 6,040 feet (1,841 meters) above sea level it no longer in danger of extinction, while seeking Uintas National Scenic Byway and is administered has a capacity of 3,788,900 acre-feet (4,674 mil- to sustain the existing cold water fisheries and , G by the Ashley National Forest. Homesteaded by lion cubic meters) and a surface area of 42,020 support future water development projects. REEN

Elizabeth Swett and her son Oscar in 1909, the A acres (17,005 hectares). buildings were built to secure the claim to the REA There are two distinct types of land in the Excerpted from Bureau of Reclamation Brochure. land. It is now offers a glimpse of local pioneer reservoir area: a mountainous area in Utah com- R I life, as well as a collection of tools used to work AND IVER posed of benches, canyons, and forest; and a 14 No services NCLUDING the land during the early 1900s This National desert area in Wyoming composed of low hills, Historic Site is open in the summers only for shale badlands, and desert shrubs. These diverse H Red Canyon walking tours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. of the prop- areas provide habitats for a variety of birds and Depth 1700 FT—Width About 4000 FT. At Red Canyon Visitor’s Area erty. The setting and sunsets are spectacular and animals, such as deer, elk, bighorn sheep, prong- R E the wildlife abundant. OCK horn antelope, prairie dogs, Steller’s jays, Clark’s General William H. Ashley, politician, fur trader, VANSTON nutcrackers and eagles. and explorer, descended the Green River H Flaming Gorge Dam through Red Canyon May 3, 1825 seeking a S

S of Dutch John on U.S. Hwy 191 PRINGS Environmental Issues route to the Gulf of Mexico. He was followed by This impressive view of the dam reveals its The construction of Flaming Gorge Dam and William Manley (on his gold venture to , Reservoir in 1964 resulted in permanent changes California) in 1849, Major John Wesley Powell mass and height. The dam stands 455 feet to the Green River and the immediate surround- in 1869, and again in 1871-72. Indians, explor- (140 meters) above the river channel. It ings. Prior to 1964, the Green River was charac- ers, mountain men, hunters, trappers, outlaws, extends below the river bottom for another 47 terized by periods of high snowmelt runoff with stockmen and ranchers have given the canyons feet (14 meters), where it is anchored in low fall and winter flows. After 1964, the amount and valleys a colorful history. This area became bedrock. One million cubic yards (765,000 of water in the river was controlled by the dam, part of the National Forest System by an execu- cubic meters) of concrete were used to build and much of the muddy snowmelt was captured tive order signed by President Theodore the dam and powerplant. The project was start- in the reservoir and the regulated downstream Roosevelt July 1, 1908. ed in 1958 and completed in 1963. www.ultimatewyoming.com 217 one name. John Boardman, an 1843 pioneer He lived until 9 1/2 o’clock A.M. When he was THE GREEN HOUSE called it “Soloman’s Temple” and described it as, no more he was buried at sunset near the road “…of the shape of a large temple and decorated in a very decent manner. His grave was marked with all kinds of images: gods and goddesses, by a neat stone. His disease was the bloody Across from the Cumberland Cemetery was everything that has been the subject of the sculp- flux. There are 10 more get the same disease once a thriving brothel known as the Green tor: all kinds of animals and creeping things.” The but none serious.” House, once the most impressive house for butte is said to have provided a spectacular back- Daniel Lantz left a wife, Mary, and five chil- miles around. Built in 1896 by Madam drop for Mormon religious services conducted by dren behind in Indiana to mourn their loss. The Isabelle Burns with the money she recieved Brigham Young early in July 1847. Centerville company reached Johnson’s Ranch when her husband died in Salt Lake City, the Source: BLM brochure. near Hangtown in the California goldfields on establishment employed about 50 practition- September 15. ers of the world’s oldest profession. Local miners kept the place busy, even after No services Madam Isabell left town in 1926. That same 21 year, scandall erupted when some murders I-80 Exits 48, 53, 61 involved certain occupants of the house. A confrontation with one of the fathers of a vic- tim resulted in a fire which reduced the 22 Food house to ashes. The Southern Hotel was built on the site, and the ladies carried on with H Wyoming Wildlands business as usual. A new sheriff finally closed At I-80 Exit 41 Lyman Rest Stop them down in 1967. Do yourself a favor! As you travel Wyoming slow down and enjoy a taste of wildness. Wyoming is one of the lst places in North America with great expanses of wild lands. 16 No services H The Old South Bend Much of wyoming is similar to the way it Stage Station was before the West was settled. Take a break- I-80 Exit 85 E edge of Granger smell the sage, hear a meadowlark, and feel the freedom of these wildlands. One of the river crossings on the Oregon Trail The migrations of many of our elk, mule No services 17 was at Ham’s Fork. As with all river crossings, deer and pronghorn antelope herds are exten- this afforded emigrants an opportunity to rest sive, as long as 200 miles, as they move H Bryan travel-weary livestock. Ham’s Fork later became through these vast habitats on seasonal treks as 3 mi W of I-80 Exit 83. Access from westbound known as South Bend Station. In 1868, the lanes only old as time itself. Union Pacific Railroad came, and the town of The feelings of desolation you experience One mile north of this spot stood the boom Granger was established. when traveling 1-80 across southern Wyoming town of Bryan. Founded in 1868 as a division H Daniel Lantz are not shared by the mule deer or pronghorn point of the Union Pacific Railroad, it grew rap- antelope. Their survival depends upon being idly and had, at one time, as many as five About 1.5 mi NE of Granger on the Oregon Trail able to move freely between summering and Section 4 thousand inhabitants. A twelve-stall round- wintering areas. Sagebrush and large expanses On April 2, 1850, a California-bound company of house and huge freight warehouses were con- of native habitat in which to roam make gold seekers left their homes in the Wayne structed and from the latter canvas-topped Wyoming home to two-thirds of the world’s County, Indiana, towns of Richmond, Boston, and wagons piled high with goods of all types, population of pronghorns, numbering over one- Centerville. Daniel Lantz, age 45, a wagon maker departed daily for the south Pass gold mines, half million animals. from Centerville, was a member of this party. eight miles northeast. The water supply soon So, while traveling throughout Wyoming, The company arrived here at Black’s Fork on proved inadequate and when the South Pass remember that much of what you see is still July 9. Daniel Lantz had been ill for several gold mining bubble had burst, the railroad wide open, untrammeled wildland and part of days, but on July 10 his condition was so much moved its division headquarters to Green River the formula critical to conserving Wyoming’s worse that the company agreed to stop “until and Bryan became a ghost town. outstanding wildlife resources. there was change in him for better or worse.” No services They camped all that day and the next. The 18 dying man was tended by the company’s doc- 23 Food, Lodging I-80 Exit 72 to Trona Mines tor, Dr. David S. Evans of Boston, who did not believe that Lantz could live another morning. Lyman James Seaton of Centerville recorded the Pop. 1,938, Elev. 6,695 19 No services death of Daniel Lantz in his diary entry for July Founded by Mormon apostles Francis M. W. 12, 1850: “Mr. Lantz is still alive but insensible. Lyman and Owen Woodruff, the town was origi- Granger nally named Owen, and later changed to Lyman. Pop. 146 Fort Supply was once nearby. Although the rail- Originally a stage stop and Pony Express station OYSTER RIDGE road did not come here, Lyman made its way by named for Gen. Gordon Granger, this town means of canal construction and agriculture. For became a UP railroad camp in 1868. It was an MUSIC FESTIVAL a while, the University of Wyoming ran an agri- important junction between the main line and the cultural experiment station from Lyman. Today, it Oregon Short Line. Granger was also a railroad tie The third weekend of June, Kemmer hosts houses many of the Bridger Valley’s businesses, as float station, where the timber could be received Wyoming’s largest free music festival – the well as several city and county offices. from Ham’s Fork and loaded on the trains. Once Oyster Ridge Music Festival (ORMF). The a key point on early travel routes, from the days Oyster Ridge Music Festival started in 1993 T Trona Mining Museum of covered wagons to the early highways, the cur- as the brain child of Keith Chasteen a local of Bridger Valley rent course of I-80 bypasses it to the south. Forest Service employee and a picker of 100 E Sage, Town Hall Complex some repute. He wanted to find a home for in Lyman. 787-6916 All Wyoming Area Codes are 307 20 No services the newly created Wyoming State Flatpick Some people say trona is the most important Guitar championship. The holder of this title mineral you’ve never heard of. It is a sodium car- T Church Butte could represent Wyoming at the National bonate/ bicarbonate compound used as a raw 10 mi SW of Granger on the Black’s Fork Rd, Flatpick Guitar championships held each year material in the soda ash manufacturing process. gravel road. Make local inquiry in Winfield, Kansas. He approached the local Soda ash is the ninth most widely used chemical Like many trail landmarks, this butte in the valley Chamber of Commerce and the Music in the US. Almost every day we come in contact of the Black’s Fork of Green River, had more than Festival was born. At the Kemmerer Triangle. with a product that uses soda ash as a raw materi-

218 Ultimate Wyoming Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia al: glass, fiberglass, detergents, cleansers, sodium pers could replenish supplies and trade furs the American West, it affected, or was affected by, chemicals, petroleum precuts, paper, aluminum, without traveling to St. Louis each summer. Fort Bridger. baking soda, sugar refining, and pharmaceutical North of this point on Henrys Fork of the Green Established by Jim Bridger and Louis Vasquez products. Come discover more about trona and River, between Birch and Burnt Fork Creeks, the in 1843 as an emigrant supply stop along the how it is mined, processed, and used in your day first Rocky Mountain Rendezvous was held dur- Oregon Trail, it was obtained by the Mormons in to day world. Wyoming has the largest reserve of ing June and July, 1825. Held under the direc- the early 1850s, and then became a military out- trona in the world and at the current rate of min- tion of William Ashley the gathering was post in 1858. ing the supplies could last for about 1,300 more planned for the Green River, but was moved up In spite of temporary times of abandonment years. Open daily Monday through Friday year Henrys Fork because that site provided better during the Civil War and then again during the around. Call for hours. forage for animals. One-hundred twenty trap- late 1870s, Fort Bridger remained U.S. pers gathered to barter their furs at Burnt Fork. Government property until 1890. After the post 24 Food Among those assembled were some of the was abandoned, many of the buildings construct- industry’s most colorful characters: General ed by the army were sold at public auction and Urie Ashley, Jedediah Smith, Bill Sublette, Davey moved off of the fort grounds to become private Elev. 6,787 Jackson, Tom Fitzpatrick, Etienne Provost, James homes, barns, bunkhouses and the like. For a Beckwourth and a still green Jim Bridger. On time, the buildings that remained were allowed to This settlement was named for homesteader July 2, 1825, Ashley and his men headed for fall into disrepair. But after a period of neglect, Nicholas Urie. St. Louis with a load of furs worth $50,000. various groups and individuals took interest in Held annually throughout the region until preserving and restoring what remained of old 25 Food 1840, when the demand for beaver pelts Fort Bridger. In 1933 the property was dedicated decreased, the rendezvous is remembered as as a Wyoming Historical Landmark and Museum. Mountain View one of the western frontiers most colorful tradi- Pop. 1,200, Elev. 6,760 tions. Modern day mountain men still reenact Fort Bridger Annual With a view of the rugged Uinta Mountains to the these 19th century “for fairs”. Mountain Man Rendezous south, this little community is the second largest This exciting annual event is always held on Labor Day Weekend. Over 200 lodges and tepees in the Bridger Valley. The Town Park has over two 29 Food, Lodging miles of beautifully landscaped paths. are set up for the four day event. Traders, buck- skinners, mountain men and hunters demonstrate Fort Bridger, the Town 1840-era crafts and occupations, trade and sell 26 No services Pop. 150, Elev. 6,675 authentic goods, and compete in tomahawk The town of Ft. Bridger provides practicalities for throwing and muzzle loading contests. Millburne the nearby historic Fort. A few homes surround Excerpted from Wyoming State Parks and Historic John Wade owned the first flourmill in the valley, the curve in the highway, and the road by the Sites Brochure Section 4 built in a clearing here created by a fire. post office will take you past the local cemetery, and on to other parts of the valley. H Fort Bridger Interpretive Signs Robertson Fort Bridger - Fort Bridger, Wyoming The first agricultural settlement in the Bridger T Fort Bridger State Historic Site Fort Bridger Valley, Robertson was named for trapper and I-80 Exit 34, 3 mi S on Hwy 30 in Fort Bridger mountain man John “Uncle Jack” Robertson. Jim Bridger established Fort Bridger in 1843 as History of Fort Bridger a fur trading post. It was composed of two dou- “I have established a small fort, with a blacksmith ble-log houses about 40 feet long that were 27 No services shop and a supply of iron in the road of the emi- joined by a pen for horses. The Mormon grants on Black Fork of Green River, which Pioneer Company reached the fort on July 7, Burntfork promises fairly…” 1847, and spent a day there but considered its The arid climate here often makes the land vulner- In the summer of 1842, mountain man Jim prices too high. able to brush fires. Burntfork is named for the Bridger announced that he was building a trading Thomas Bullock commented, “several creek nearby which is lined with blackened tim- post, in the road of the emigrants on Black’s Fork brethren go to make trades with the French & ber. Although there’s no longer a post office here, of the Green River.” From its beginnings as a log Indians, but few succeeded, as they could not the site is still important for being the place where and mud trading post, Bridger’s “fort” matured obtain sufficient for their goods.” Here the main General William Ashley first met with trappers, into a modern frontier military post before the Oregon-California Trail turned north toward Fort traders, and Indians already in the area in 1825. days of the covered wagon emigration were over. Hall, and the Mormon Trail/Hastings Cutoff con- The Mormons purchased the fort from Bridger’s tinued west to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake. K Lone Tree EMMERER partner Louis Vasquez in 1855 and operated it, The fort served as a Pony Express, Overland S

Once a post office and stage stop, this town was OUTHWEST known for its solitary pine tree, a landmark that together with Fort Supply 12 miles to the south, Stage and transcontinental telegraph station in travelers could see for miles. until the fall of 1857. With the onset of the the 1860s and was garrisoned by the U.S. Army Mormon War and the approach of Johnston’s between 1857 and 1890. H 1825 Rocky Mountain Army, Mormon proprietor Lewis Robinson , G The Post Trader burned both forts to the ground before departing REEN Rendezvous A The buildings in this area are virtually all that State Hwy 414 between Burntfork and for Salt Lake. The U. S. Army assumed ownership REA McKinnon and command of Fort Bridger the following year. remain of the once thriving commercial empire R

of Judge William Alexander Carter and his wife I

A very successful ranching operation grew around AND IVER “When all had come in, he (Ashley) opened his Mary, Fort Bridger’s only two Post Traders. NCLUDING goods and there was a general jubilee…We the Fort under the direction of Post Sutler Judge William A. Carter. With the ranch came settle- Carter arrived at Fort Bridger with Colonel constituted quite a little town, numbering at Albert S. Johnston’s Army in 1857 and soon least eight hundred souls,…half were women ment and, eventually, the town of Fort Bridger, the only community in Wyoming with direct received the appointment as Post Trader. and children. There were some…who had not R

Selling to soldiers, emigrants, railroad builders, E seen any groceries, such as coffee, sugar, etc. roots to the earliest days of the Oregon Trail. OCK cattlemen, settlers, and Indians, William Carter VANSTON for several months. The whiskey went off a Today Fort Bridger is operated by the State of Wyoming as an historical attraction. amassed a fortune and became one of freely as water, even at the exorbitant price he S

Wyoming Territory’s most influential citizens. PRINGS sold it for. All kinds of sports were indulged in Thus spoke Jim Bridger in a letter he dictated to would-be suppliers in 1843. While that small His interest extended into lumbering, agricul- with a heartiness that would astonish more civi- , fort only lasted a little more than a decade, ture, livestock, mining, and politics. Carter’s lized societies.” “Bug” brand was known on the cattle ranges of Taken from The Life and Adventures of Bridger’s words did prove to be prophetic. Not only did the location “promise fairly,” it proved to four states. Carter County, Dakota Territory James P. Beckwourth, as told to Thomas D. (antedating Wyoming Territory) was named for Bonner, this passage describes a raucus social be one of the main hubs of westward expansion used by mountain men and Indians to emigrants him as was Carter Mountain in northern event; the rendezvous. Here, mountain men Wyoming. The Carters entertained such nota- swapped stories, tested their skills, and shared and Mormon pioneers, the U.S. Army, the Pony Express, the Overland Stage and the Union bles as President Chester A. Arthur, James news of friends. The annual event was actually Bridger, Chief Washakie, Mark Twain, Jay Gould, begun as a time saving measure whereby trap- Pacific Railroad. If it happened in the opening of www.ultimatewyoming.com 219 Sidney Dillon, Generals Sherman, Harney, faced to the east to provide light and some Crook, Augur and Bisbee. additional warmth from the morning sun. This After William’s death on November 7, 1881, Wyoming Tidbits site measured 32 feet while the shorter ends

Section 4 Mary E. Carter assumed her husband’s position were 18 feet. and carried on the empire he began in 1857. The Wyoming Battalion of the National Guard With Fort Bridger’s abandonment in 1890, Mary raised the first United States flag in Manila became the caretaker until the government auc- during the Spanish-American War. tioned off the buildings in 1895. The Carter family maintained the family business through the early Twentieth Century. Judge and Mrs. telegraph and even telephone service in the Carter’s contrbutions to the Rocky Mountain store’s many years of operation. When Judge west, though of different nature, compare with Carter died in 1881, his wife, Mary, continued those of James Bridger. in her husband’s footsteps. She operated the store and its many facets, and when the government abandoned the fort in 1890, she became the custodian of the grounds until they were sold. The building itself was an “L” shape with one wing of white washed wood running to the east and west for the store and a stone section which stood to the northeast for a tavern. The School House, Milk House & Wash house remains of this last section measures 25 feet 5 As an indication of his wealth and influence inches by 53 feet 4 inches. The walls rise 10 William Carter provided three buildings not 1/4 feet and the peak of the roof is 16 feet. commonly available to the average person on the American frontier. The first frame building House, Warehouse and Mess Hall served the family as a private school. It meas- At the northeast corner of Judge Carter’s com- ured a mere 11 feet 3 inches by 14 feet 3 plex rose the log chinked ice house. Three inches. Here the six children of Judge Carter doors at the southern side appeared one over received their rudiments of education. The adja- the other, allowing this tall building of 18 feet cent stone structure was the milk house, an 11 The Post Trader’s Store 7 inches by 14 1/4 feet to be entered at all feet by 16 1/2 feet processing and storage Although Judge Carter dabbled in many areas, levels as the ice stock began to grow lower facility for luxury dairy products. The third build- his main responsibility revolved around his with the coming of warmer weather. Ice could ing, the wash house, a 20 feet 2 inches by 11 activities as post trader at Fort Bridger. In this be taken to the stone building next door, the feet 5 inches frame affair, made it possible for

All Wyoming Area Codes are 307 store he sold various items not supplied by two story warehouse and butcher shop-meat the Carters to bathe in relative comfort and also the Army to the garrison, including limited storage area. The lower story contained the to have the servants do the wash. Inside this amounts of liquor. A post council of adminis- beef and included a type of walk-in freezer small edifice is a ‘washing machine,’ a new tration set a ceiling on prices to make sure while the upper portion of this large 24 feet invention on the frontier. The walls of all these that the military received a fair deal. In addi- by 60 feet facility could hold stock such as buildings rose less than 10 feet. tion to food, dry goods and other items regu- dry goods. An “L” off the southeast corner pro- larly found in a general store of the period, vided space for Carter’s employees to take Post Trader’s House Carter also provided a post office, as well as their meals. Two windows and a center door Judge Carter began building his home in 1858

220 Ultimate Wyoming Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia and continually added onto it as his family grew Post Commissary and his status improved. The house was a The post commissary, erected in 1867, meas- FORT BRIDGER frame structure with board and batten siding. ured 28’ x 100’ and was built of cut stone quar- Two bay windows flanked the front porch. The ried about two miles west of the fort. A portion RENDEZVOUS Carter’s boasted one of the largest libraries in of the old cobblerock Mormon Wall was utilized the region, and enjoyed several conveniences to form a section of the building’s north wall. Experience the mystique of the fur trade era found in fine Eastern residences of the period. The commissary provided a vital service to at Wyoming’s biggest mountain man cele- For this reason noted scientists, generals, rail- the men of Fort Bridger. It was from this build- bration which takes place over Labor Day road executives and other distinguished traveling that the men received their rations. In addi- Weekend. Participate with this lively gather- ers welcomed an invitation to the house. A tion, a wide variety of supplies, including lighting ing of Mountain Men and Indians who gath- President of the United States and Mark Twain devices, stationery, pens and ink could be pur- er as costumed revelers and traders of even visited the residence in its hayday. chased here by the troops as well as by certain Unfortunately, a fire destroyed the historic struc- civilian employees. brightly colored goods. You’ll see black pow- ture in the early 1930s. During 1983 and 1984 the remaining part der shoots, Native American dancers, tepee of the commissary was restored. The interior village, primitive demos, knife and hawk now consists of a room that served as an office throw, and cannon shoots. Traders Row fea- and sleeping quarters for the clerk, and the tures 1840s period trade goods with 140 sales or issue room where the men were given different traders. See demonstrations of the their rations. The rear of the building, now miss- skills needed to survive this era. At Fort ing, was the storeroom for the supplies. Since Bridger State Historic Site. such storerooms were frequently targets of theft, the clerk’s sleeping quarters provide some extra security. former local resident and his wife, George V. Due to the completion of a new commis- and Phila Caldwell. It was built during 1985-6 sary and increased concern regarding the and according to archaeological evidence, sits building’s deterioration, in 1884 the army con- about 60 yards northwest of the original. verted this building into an indoor shooting gallery. By 1887 it was serving as a storage The Carter Cemetery area for rough lumber, and when the army left The decendents re-interred here in 1933 repre- in 1890, the commissary building’s value had sent a very significant cross section of those Carriage House, Stables and Chicken Coop dropped to only $20 individuals whose names and contributions will This set of buildings completed the holdings of ever be associated with Fort Bridger’s early day the Post Trader. The first board and batten history. Of particular interest are……. Section 4 building with the large double doors served as “Uncle Jack” (John Robertson - an early the carriage house. Judge Carter owned several mountain trapper who came to the vicinity in animal-drawn vehicles which lent an air of the 1830s and remained until his death. A col- wealth to the isolated frontier outpost. He also orful local character. It is said he was instrumen- constructed a stable next to the carriage house tal in convincing Jim Bridger of the wisdom of for his teams, as well as for use by the Pony establishing a trading post on the Black’s Fork. Express for the little more than a year that this Virginia Bridger Hahn - born at Fort Bridger service kept a station at Fort Bridger. A tack on July 4, 1849, daughter of the intrepid Jim room connected to the stables, as did a crude Bridger by his second wife, a Ute Indian. low wooden shelter for such stock as milk and “Judge” William Alexander Carter who came beef cows. Adjacent to this shelter is the frame to Fort Bridger with the United States Army in chicken coop. The Carriage House is the largest 1857, stayed to become a merchant -cutler, and of these buildings at 21 feet by 16 feet 3 inch- with his family and associates went on to estab- es while the enclosed stable measures 12 feet lish one of the most extensive business enter- 9 inches by nearly 16 feet. None of these struc- Bridger’s Stockade prises in Wyoming Territory. tures stand more than 10 feet high. These log buildings and corrals are a reconstruc- This Cemetery was established on the Fort tion of the trading post operated by mountain

grounds through the efforts of William A. K men Jim Bridger and Louis Vasquez in 1846. Carter, Jr. and the Historical Landmark EMMERER The post was originally built in 1843 when the S Commission of Wyoming. OUTHWEST fur trade was rapidly dying due to a change in Eastern fashions and the depletion of beaver The Road to Zion from Rocky Mountain streams. The establish- From the late 1840s through the 1860s, an , G ment of this trading post, known as Fort Bridger, exodus of more than 70,000 Mormons passed REEN

marked the end of the era of free roaming trap- by here on their way to their “New Zion” in A

pers and the beginning of the westward move- Utah. Starting from Nauvoo, Illinois in February REA ment of civlization. Thousands of emigrants

1846, the first group of at least 13,000 R I stopped here for supplies, smith work, or fresh AND IVER Mormons crossed into Iowa to escape religious NCLUDING animals on their way west to find land, gold, persecution, then spent the winter in the area religious freedom, or a fresh start in a new land. of present-day Council Bluffs, Iowa and Omaha, Jim Bridger’s original fort consisted of two Nebraska. pole stockades. One measured 100’ x 100’ and

In 1847, Brigham Young led an advance R E contained two log cabins at right angles to one party of 143 men, 2 women, and 3 children OCK another. Each cabin was divided into two along the Platte River. At Fort Bridger, Wyoming VANSTON Commanding Officer’s Quarters—1884-1890 rooms. The proprietors and their families split they departed from the Oregon Trail to head S This structure was of frame construction and one cabin and the other housed the black- southwest to the Great Salt Lake. Thousands of PRINGS completed in 1884 during a period of extensive smith/carpenter shop and the traderoom. The other Mormons soon followed. Today, a marked , improvement at the Post. It supplanted the old other enclosure measured 100’ x80’ and was 1,624-mile auto tour route closely parallels their log Commanding Officers Quarters which had used to corral the livestock at night to guard historic trek. been in use since 1858. them against theft. Many Mormon emigrants wrote diaries to After the abandonment of Fort Bridger in Fort Bridger was brieflly occupied by the describe their experiences. Appleton Harmon 1890, the building was sold and moved to a Mormons in the early 1850’s and then estab- wrote his journal in 1847. new location a short distance to the northeast. lished as a military post by the U.S. Army in After arriving, the Mormon pioneers set up The structure subsequently served as a hotel 1858. This reconstruction was based on diary communities and ferry crossing along the trail to for several years. accounts and made possible by a donation by assist later wagon trains going to and from Utah. www.ultimatewyoming.com 221 It is said that Thornburgh’s master lies in JIM BRIDGER carried with him for the next three years. When an unmarked grave in the city cemetery at the Reverend Samuel Parker and Dr. Marcus Salt Lake City. Whitman brought religion and “modern medi- Mountain men were the essence of the frontier cine” to the West in 1836, the doctor per- Fort Bridger in 1889 spirit, and Jim Bridger was the essence of the formed a publicly viewed surgery to remove the Above is a copy of a watercolor of Fort Bridger mountain man. His name graces many loca- arrowhead which established not only his done by Merritt D. Houghton (1845-1918) tions throughout the Rockies, but Wyoming was expertise, but also Bridger’s reputation as a known for his historic illustrations of Wyoming his primary stomping ground. Born in Virginia in tough customer. After this, the once far-ranging towns, ranches and mines. The view is toward 1804, he was orphaned at an early age, and adventurer began to slow down a bit, especial- the south and the Uinta Mountains. was raised by relatives near St. Louis, Missouri. ly when he saw the economic tide was turning In 1889, the date of this painting, the fort Since this was then the western edge of the away from the fur trade. He’d sold his share in had but one year remaining in its existence as a American Frontier, he quickly learned the skills the Fur Trading Company to William Sublette in United States military post. The following year, of survival, which included an apprenticeship as 1835, and with the Rendezvous drawing to a as a result of the vanishing frontier and the lack a blacksmith. When William Ashley’s call for close in 1840, he chose to throw in his lot with of a need for forts such as this one, the army “100 enterprising young men” came out in the the fortunes of Ft. Laramie. There, the trappers abandoned Fort Bridger. Missouri Gazette in 1822, young Bridger - then could go year-round for supplies. Capitalizing A number and name description is listed only 18 - was among the first to respond. He on this new trend, he established his own “Fort” locating all of the sites at Fort Bridger. was on the leading keelboat which took the Bridger as a stopover for travelers coming down adventurers up the Missouri River to the wilds from South Pass in 1842. Mormon Occupation of the Rockies. Fort Bridger life had its perks, and kept his The involvement of the Mormons in the affairs As the passage of time would demonstrate, finances more or less stable with the constant of Fort Bridger constituted a short, but eventful Bridger was driven by a will to push boundaries. influx of immigrants, but Bridger couldn’t sit still period. A few remnants of their industry may After his trek up the Missouri, he volunteered to for long. After the arrival of the Mormons in still be found. explore the Bear River, which led him to be the 1847, which Bridger directed to the Salt Lake After the establishment of Fort Supply, twelve first white man to see the Great Salt Lake in Valley, he began to act as a scout for various miles to the south, in 1853, Lewis Robison 1825, at the age of 21. He then volunteered to parties. He led numerous survey teams around acquired Bridger’s trading post in 1855, support- lead an expedition down the Big Horn River, the region, enabling them to map much of the ed in his endeavor by Brigham Young. Under during which he almost lost his life. By 1830, at West. His knowledge was so extensive that he Robison’s proprietorship, trade with the emi- just 26 years of age, he was well-respected as became known as “Old Gabe,” because it was grants, trappers and Indians continued much as a serious explorer, and had accumulated the said he knew his way around as well as the usual around the post for the next two years. Early in 1857, Brigham Young instructed means to buy out Ashley’s Rocky Mountain Fur angel Gabriel. Bridger also had an extensive Robison to fortify his property for protection from Trading Company when the older man retired. knowledge of Indian sign language, as well as the Indians. Brigham was probably also appre- The 1830s were significant in Bridger’s life the customs of various tribes, which could hensive about the clouds of discontent gathering as the Rendezvous years. He was always pres- prove very useful if people listened to it. They between the Mormons in Utah and the United ent, from the first get together at the Green often didn’t. States government. Throughout the summer, as a River in 1832, to the last in 1840. While the Bridger had three or four Indian wives punitive force of Federal troops marched west- other mountain men brawled and drank away (accounts vary) who tended to die young. ward across the plains toward Utah, Robison their hard earned winter fur stores, Bridger Perhaps he was just hard to keep up with. His Section 4 worked hard with cobblestone and mortar to would entertain them with his tall tales. He con- last wife, known as Mary, was the daughter of construct a walled enclosure. The main Fort, was tinued telling stories to travelers throughout his Chief Washakie. She must have been made of 100 feet square with walls 16 feet in height and life. Most of them had a grain of truth in them, tougher stuff because she was with him into his but many found the stories of the marvels of 5 feet at the base. Attached was a horse corral, old age. The only thing which could have kept 80 feet by 100 feet, with walls 8 feet in height Yellowstone and the Black Hills hard to swallow, Bridger from staying in the mountains forever especially after he’d just told them a story about and 2 1/2 feet wide at the base. was failing eyesight. As blindness overtook him, Robison completed the walls in August of being chased by Indians in which he died or got he was forced to return to Missouri, and lived 1857, just before “Johnston’s Army” reached scalped at the end. his last days with Mary on a farm in Westport. Fort Bridger in November, the Mormons institut- Bridger did have one encounter with the When he died in 1881, at the age of 77, he left ed a “scorched earth” policy and deserted and Gros Ventre Indians in about 1833 which left behind a legacy of adventure and discovery sel- burned both Fort Bridger and Fort Supply. The him with an arrowhead in his shoulder that he dom rivaled in the annals of U.S. history. fire-gutted stone walls then became a quarter- master storage facility. Subsequent military construction resulted in most of Robison’s fort From 1856-60, many European converts by Judge W. A. Carter, a prominent citizen in being leveled to the ground. walked more than 1,200 miles to Salt Lake City Territorial Wyoming. The east-west wing on the pushing and pulling handcarts loaded with 500 left was removed sometime after the fort was The Mormon Wall pounds of supplies. After 1860, the Mormon abandoned by the Army in 1890. The Carter On August 3, 1855 the Church of Jesus Christ church sponsored oxen-drawn wagons to bring family is buried in the cemetery on Officer’s Row. of Latter-Day Saints concluded arrangements emigrants to the “New Zion.” for the purchase of fort Bridger from Luis Thornburgh was a dog… Vasquez, partner of James Bridger, for Old Fort Bridger-Pioneer Trading Post Named after Major T. T. Thornburgh who was $8,000.00. final payment was made October The Fort was established about 1842 by Jim killed in a fight with the Ute Indians near the 18, 1858. A cobblestone wall was erected in Bridger, discoverer of Great Sale Lake; notable White River Agency, September 29, 1879. The the fall of 1855, replacing Bridger’s stockade. A pioneer, trapper, fur trader, scout and guide. dog was a survivor of a wagon train burned dur- few additional log houses were built within the Bridger was born at Richmond, Virginia, March ing the battle and grew up as a military camp Fort. The place was evacuated and burned on 17, 1804, and died at Westport, Missouri, July follower. Eventually he ended up at Fort Bridger. the approach of Johnston’s Army September 17, 1884. His unerring judgement regarding On several occasions Thornburgh distin- 27, 1857. A portion of the wall is here pre- problems of trappers, traders, soldiers, emi- guished himself by his heroic deeds including served. In 1855, Fort Supply was established grants, and gold seekers, bordered on the catching a commissary thief, warning a sentinel by Brigham Young six miles south where crops miraculous, and his advice was universally in of marauding Indians, saving the life of a sol- were raised for the emigrants. All Wyoming Area Codes are 307 demand in the early history of this state. dier in a knife fight and rescuing a small boy Bridger has been prominently recognized as from drowning. 1st Commanding Officer’s Quarters America’s greatest frontiersman and the west’s At fort Bridger, Thornburgh became the From 1858 to 1890 the area in the foreground most gifted scout. devoted companion of a freighter, “Buck” was occupied by the log and frame structure Buchanan, and the favorite of many who fre- shown in the photograph. The building was the Sutler’s Store quented the Post. Thornburgh died September fourth log Officers’ Quarters in a row of six con- The Post Trader’s or Sutler’s Store, shown as it 27, 1888 as the result of being kicked by one structed shortly after Fort Bridger was declared a appeared about 1871, was owned and operated of Buchanan’s mules. military post in 1857. For sixteen years it served

222 Ultimate Wyoming Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia as the Commanding Officer’s residence with frame extensions added in 1868 and 1873 to provide a kitchen, servants room, parlor and two bedrooms. A new frame Commanding Officer’s Quarters was completed in 1884 after which this building was divided into an Officers’ Quarters and into Court Martial and Military Board rooms. The First School House in Wyoming In 1860, Judge Wm. A. Carter erected this school house for the education of his four daughters, two sons and other children of the fort. Competent instructors from the East were employed and the students of this school were permitted to enter eastern colleges without further preparation. Thus, the way was paved for future education in Wyoming.

30 Food I-80 Exit 30

31 No services T Piedmont I-80, Exit #24, 7.5 mi S Almost a dozen wood cabins and structures, as well as a number of charcoal kilns, remain as tes- tament to the productivity of Piedmont. The town was abandoned when the railroad tracks were moved father north in 1901. Legend has it that Fort Bridger Stockade buried treasure from one of Butch Cassidy’s bank Section 4 robberies remains here. Calamity Jane’s dad lies buried in an unmarked grave in Piedmont. camped at Muddy Creek Campground. The shops and activities. An excellent recreation cen- U.S. Army camped here with 2,000 men in ter, golf course, cross-country ski trails, horseback June of 1858. Both the Martin and Willie riding, and other activities and adventures are handcart companies crossed here in available to entertain visitors. November of 1856 while traveling with rescue wagons. The Muddy Overland Stage Stop and Pony Express Station were located at this site, and foundation stones my still be seen along the west bank of Muddy Creek. The road by this marker was the original Transcontinental Railroad bed of 1869. The Transcontinental Telegraph, automobile road and stageline either go through the campground or are very nearby, making Muddy Creek Camp an important part of this area’s history. K

T Charcoal Kilns EMMERER

No services S About 5 mi S of Leroy I-80 Exit 24 32 OUTHWEST Located at Piedmont, southeast of Evanston and I-80 Exits 10, 18, 21, 23 Hilliard, south of Evanston. Wood was turned

into coke and used by the Union Pacific Railroad , G for its steam engines. At Piedmont, treasure 33 Food, Lodging

T Bear River State Park REEN hunters still dig the area for the loot Butch 1-80 Exit 6 at E edge of Evanston. 789-6547 A Cassidy supposedly buried there. Evanston REA Pop. 11,507, Elev. 6,748 History R I

Bear River State Park is located in extreme south- AND IVER H Muddy Creek The Uinta County Seat was named for James A. NCLUDING Camp and Crossing Evans, a railroad surveyor and engineer. The western Wyoming, within the city limits of The Muddy Creek Camp, which was northwest town was established in 1869. Sarah Bernhardt Evanston and just south of exit #6 on 1-80, near of this marker and on the west side of the was once stranded here when a landslide the Bear River. Native Americans named the river “Quee-ya-

Muddy Creek, was used by Brigham Young’s delayed the train heading west. Downtown, the R E first group of Mormon Pioneers who arrived restored old Evanston Depot was once among paw” for a tobacco root that grew along its banks. OCK VANSTON here on July 9, 1847. Thomas Bullock reported the finest stopovers on the Transcontinental Trappers called it “Bear River,” because of the that the brethren sang hymns for President Railroad. As a result of the abundance of many bears that frequented the area. Indians and S Brigham Young and they had a delightful Chinese immigrants who came to work on the trappers often held rendezvous in this area, PRINGS including one in 1825 near Burnt Fork, just 50 evening. This camp had good water and plenty railroad, part of Evanston became a Chinatown. , of grass, and the animals were well-fed by the This was a gathering place for Chinese from all miles southeast of the park. tall bunch-grass growing along the creek. around Wyoming, until it was destroyed by fire The nearly 300 acres that make up Bear River Erastus Snow described the campground as in the 1920s. State Park was opened to the public in 1991. The “very Pretty.” Now that the railroad’s glory days are past, park is connected to the Bear Project, a greenbelt It was one of the most heavily used Evanston has a more pedestrian quality. Evanston activity offered by the city. Although the Bear camps on the Overland-Mormon-California- claims agriculture, oil, mining, and logging as Project is not in the state park, it allows visitors Pony Express Trails. Approximately 70,000 central to its economy. Evanston welcomes to connect easily to downtown Evanston via an Mormon pioneers crossed, passed through, or tourism with decent samplinga of restaurants, interconnecting trail system. www.ultimatewyoming.com 223 1846, a year before Brigham Young’s initial trip west. A monument marks the site. —Source: BLM brochure. T Evanston Recreation Center 275 Saddle Ridge Rd in Evanston. 789-1770 The Recreation Center has a wide variety of equipment and areas to suit all fitness needs. The facility has swimming pools, gyms, raquetball, range, classes, indoor track, nursery and more. The Evanston Parks and Recreation District Offices are also located in this building.

Depot Square in Evanston.

Summer and Winter Trails county election, September 6, 1870, Evanston T Chinese Joss House Museum Nearly 3 miles of foot trails are within park was chosen county seat. Union Pacific Railroad 920 Front St in Evanston. 783-6320 limits. This includes 1.2 miles of asphalt-surfaced shops moved here in the fall of 1871. Timber The museum is housed in a reproduction of the trail and an arched footbridge that crosses the and sawmill operations were the leading busi- Joss House, a place of worship for the Chinese Bear River, allowing access to a natural area. ness. Cattle and sheep ranching became the in the area from the 1894 through the early Another 1.7 miles of packed gravel trails are basic industry of Uinta county. In the 1870s 1920s. Exhibits address the Chinese in Evanston located on the west side of the river. and early 1880s, a Chinese Joss House, one of from 1870–1939. Collections include artifacts The foot trails in the park also double as the three in the United States, attracted thou- from Chinatown Archaeological Digs, private cross-country ski trails in the winter. Evanston’s sands of Chinese for Chinese New Year’s Day Chinese collections (dates varying), historical Parks and Recreation Department and Bear River ceremonies. About four hundred Chinese nor- photographs, pottery, books, paintings, and State Park staff combine forces to provide high mally lived in “China Town” and worked in the Section 4 other Chinese items. Open Monday through quality, cross-country ski trails as an excellent Almy coal mines. The Joss House burned on Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. in winter, 8 a.m. to 7 way to dump the “winter blues.” When weather January 26, 1922. p.m. in summer. Admission is free, donations permits, the park road is closed to vehicles and are gratefully accepted. open to skiing and hiking. Numerous other trails C Phillips RV Park are maintained for those who ski and snowshoe. 225 Bear River Dr in Evanston. 789-3805 Reprinted from park brochure. 34 T Depot Square Wyoming Tidbits Downtown Evanston T Uinta County Museum The mideast oil embargo of 1973 led to Depot Square was designed with the preservation 36 10th St in Evanston. 789-8248 of Evanston’s history in mind. Refurbished Union The museum’s exhibits focus on the general histo- exploration in the Evanston area, known as Pacific Depot is the centerpiece of the square. The ry of Uinta County and Wyoming. Permanent the Overthrust Belt. The embargo resulted in Beeman-Cashin building, a historic wooden struc- exhibit topics include Indians, pioneers, mining, sky-rocketing crude oil prices and increased ture built in 1883, hosts ballet, wedding recep- the railroad, gambling, the Chinese, industries, the popularity of low-grade coal and natural tions and other community activities. The equipment, costumes, ranches, schools, stores gas as domestic fuel sources. Carnegie Library, built in 1906, now serves as the and parlors. It contains an extensive collection of Chamber of Commerce and Uinta County muse- Chinese artifacts, arrowheads, Indian artifacts, um. A gazebo in Martin Park, on the west end, is clothing, pioneer relics, furniture, and pictures. It H First Brick Church an area for concerts and picnics. The bandstand also has a room furnished in 1880s furniture. M- Just S of Main and 7th St in Evanston hosts concerts throughout the summer. A replica F, 9-5; Summer: Sat/Sun., 10-4. Admission is free Joss House, a Chinese sacred temple, serves as a and donations accepted. In February, 1873, a branch of the Church of Chinese museum. Depot Square is designed to Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized encourage people to stroll through the area and T Mormon Trail Crossing in Evanston by President William Budge of Bear experience the history and nostalgia of the area. 8 mi SE of Evanston on State Hwy 150 Lake Valley, Idaho. On May 23, 1873, William The Mormon Trail crosses State Highway 150 G. Burton was ordained Bishop. On June 24, H Evanston about eight miles southeast of Evanston, near 1890, this ward was incorporated under the E of fairgrounds on Bear River Dr in Evanston the Wyoming-Utah border. The Mormon Trail laws of the State of Wyoming and named Evanston was established by the Union Pacific follows the Hastings Cutoff to California that Evanston. The Board of Trustees were James Railroad Company late in 1868. In the first was pioneered by the ill-fated Donner Party in Brown, Thomas Parkinson, John Whittle, Frank

All Wyoming Area Codes are 307 Evanston Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual Average Max. Temperature (F) 31.1 33.9 40.6 51.9 62.3 72.2 81.1 79.5 70.8 58.1 42.9 33.1 54.8 Average Min. Temperature (F) 7.4 9.8 16.3 25.2 32.3 38.6 44.6 43.2 35.1 26.6 16.7 9.0 25.4 Average Total Precipitation (in.) 0.83 0.90 1.06 1.20 1.36 1.02 0.84 0.97 0.99 1.14 0.87 0.76 11.95 Average Total SnowFall (in.) 10.1 9.8 9.3 5.1 2.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.7 3.1 6.8 8.3 55.5 Average Snow Depth (in.) 8 8 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 2

224 Ultimate Wyoming Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia Welcome to Evanston, Wyoming… Make us your vacation and travel headquarters while visiting the area’s historic trails, spending time at famous Fort Bridger, seeing Wyoming’s newest state park (the Bear River State Park), the pristine Uinta Mountains, and more.

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Mills and Arthur W. Sims. In 1890 this group, with James Brown as Bishop, built the first brick church in Wyoming. T Bear River EVANSTON There is little to see of what was once a bustling d little lumber town. There was a mill and lumber County R was brought into town from the Uinta Mountains. Originally established in the late 1800s, along a

railroad spur line, it was destroyed by a fire in K

1900 and never rebuilt. Before that the Army EMMERER S briefly used the town as a fort. Bear River Dr OUTHWEST St 15th H Bear River City Front St 33 14th St Center St About 10 mi SE of Evanston on State Hwy 150 13th St 189 80 , G th St Main St 6

th St

18th St Nothing remains today as a reminder that Bear 17 12th St St Becker's Cir. REEN

Harrison Dr 34 A River City was one of the notorious “end-of- Wasatch Rd 10th Sage St REA 9th St Cage St 5th St track” towns along the original Union Pacific 35 4th St 8th St d St 5 3r

Lo 7th St Summit R Transcontinental Railroad line. Initially called 80 m 2nd St St 3 ba 6thUinta St St I 1st AND IVER

rd St NCLUDING Gilmer, the town was first settled by lumber- St W Cheye jacks, who arrived in 1867 and supplied ties to 189 the approaching railroad. The population of the nne Dr Cheyenne D settlement swelled to nearly 2,000 as construc- r tion of the Echo Tunnel in Utah and the onset R E OCK

of winter held up track laying. VANSTON This railroad boom town, its name changed r Gr

D a S to Bear River city, developed a reputation for ss PRINGS

unparalleled rowdiness. The town consisted of a Valley Dr Overthrust Rd Overthrust Crestview few stores and boarding houses standing along- , side numerous saloons and gambling parlors. He These liquor and gaming establishments w Creek Dr yden Ave catered to a nefarious crowd, causing the Yello Frontier Index to report Bear River City as “the Hwy 1 liveliest city, if not the wickedest in America.” Map not to scale 5 0

The Frontier Index, a traveling newspaper S printed at various points along the Union Pacific route, outraged Bear River City’s lawless ele- www.ultimatewyoming.com 225 ment by endorsing vigilante activity as a means of the transcontinental Union Pacific Railroad hairdryer, dataport with high-speed internet of eliminating undesirables. Whipped to a fren- and were the basis for Wyoming’s first energy access, work desks, free local calls, free toll-free zy, on November 20, 1868, an unruly mob boom. Communities sprang up along the line long distance access, and message alert. Wake-up burned down the Index office. The town’s law- and several with coal deposits or rail facilities with their complimentary wake-up service and abiding citizens retaliated against the mob and survived. Coal mines were opened in the sur- their free deluxe continental breakfast. Take the ensuing battle lasted well into the night. rounding Bear River Valley in 1868. Dreams of advantage of their fitness center and indoor pool. Order had been restored by the time troops prosperity lured miners from England, For business travelers, there are four conference arrived from Fort Bridger the next morning. Scandinavia, China, and from throughout the rooms for meetings, with the largest room acco- The railroad, not riotous mobs, caused the United States to settle in “Wyoming Camp”, modating up to 125 people. town’s demise when the Union Pacific refused which later became Almy. Named for James T. to construct a siding connecting Bear River City Almy, a clerk for the Rocky Mountain Coal com- to the main line. The populace hurriedly packed pany and located three miles northwest of their belongings and moved on to Evanston, a Evanston, Almy was strung out along the Bear town which offered better prospects. The river for five miles. This particular “string-town” hoopla, which marked the short history of Bear owed its existence solely to coal mining. Her River City became only a memory. 4,000 residents suffered more than their share of mining tragedies. On March 4, 1881, the first S Common Threads Quilting, LLC mine explosion west of the Mississippi to claim 1029 Main in Evanston. 444-1675 lives, killed 38 men in just one of many serious disasters to strike Almy. In January of 1886, 13 more died and on March 20, 1895, the third worst mine explosion in Wyoming history, claimed the lives of 61 men. The State coal Mine Inspector determined the Almy mines “among the most dangerous in the state”. Finally, in 1900 the mines were closed by the Union L Holiday Inn Express Pacific due to labor troubles and explosions. & Suites – Evanston Almy lost its principal industry, the population 1965 Harrison Dr in Evanston. 789-7999 dwindled, and the town suffered the fate of or 1-800-465-4329. www.hiexpress.com many railroad coal towns throughout Wyoming. Whether you’re traveling through the region on business or pleasure, the Evanston Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites is the place to stay. Featuring 83 beautiful, spacious guestrooms and suites, all designed with travelers’ comfort in mind. Rooms include hairdryers, coffeemakers, M RE/MAX Results Realty, Inc. high-speed internet connections, free local phone 849 Front St, Ste 102 in Evanston. 789-4411 calls, irons with ironing boards, and large work or 888-739-4411. www.homesinevanston.com. area desks. Each suite features a king size bed,

Section 4 [email protected] separate sitting room and dining area, and a RE/MAX Results Realty and broker, Michael microwave and fridge along with all the comforts Eastman, will go the extra mile to help you of home. Enjoy their expansive complimentary achieve your goals in purchasing or selling your breakfast, indoor pool, fitness center, self-laundry property. The agency specializes in residential facilities, and pickup dry cleaning and laundry properties, but also provides the same great serv- services. Business travelers will enjoy the business center complete with copy, fax, email and internet ice in commercial, recreational, and vacation L Days Inn Hotel properties. Michael Eastman has been involved services. Comfort and convenience are guaran- 1983 Harrison in Evanston. 789-0783 teed, and pets are always welcome. the real estate market in Evanston for over twen- or 1-800-329-7466. www.daysinn.com ty-two years. He is one of 15% of Realtors in the USA with a CRS, certified residential specialist, Whether you’re traveling for business or leisure, certification. You will appreciate the friendly and the Days Inn of Evanston a great place to stay. professional service that will give you confidence Situated within driving distance of both Jackson and the results you are looking for. Visit them on Hole and Salt Lake City, they offer 94 comfortable the web or give them a call. guestrooms with non-smoking, handicapped, suites, and balcony rooms available. Each room features 27-inch color TV with more than 60 35 Food, Lodging cable channels, AM/FM clock radio, coffeemaker, MicroFridge unit, iron and ironing board, T Almy 3 mi NW of Evanston on State Hwy 89 Named for James T. Almy, this rambling town FATHER encompassed nearly 5 miles along the Bear River. At one time, the town boasted nearly 4,000 resi- PIERRE JEAN DESMET dents. The coal mines at Almy were deemed some of the most dangerous in the state, with frequent A Belgian missionary born in 1801, Father methane gas explosions, and mining disasters took LF Best Western Dunmar Inn Pierre Jean DeSmet was one of the first & Legal Tender Restaurant their toll on the population. In 1900 the mines Catholic priests to stay among the native were closed by the Union Pacific Railroad. With 1601 Harrison in Evanston. 789-3770. tribes. In 1840, Father DeSmet arrived at bestwestern.com/dunmarinn its primary industry gone, the town whithered Green River and met with members of the and died. Today, millions of tons of coal remain The Best Western Dunmar Inn features 165

All Wyoming Area Codes are 307 Blackfoot nation near Yellowstone. DeSmet unmined, and some still burns in the shafts. upscale guest rooms in a complex of buildings stayed in the region for years, working with spread over 15 acres of beautifully landscaped H Almy the native tribes. In 1858, he helped negoti- grounds. All rooms come standard with 3 mi NW of Evanston on State Hwy 89 ate peace treaties with various tribes. Black microfridge, hairdryer, iron and ironing board, Ninteenth century railroads were dependent Robe, as the Native Americans called him, data ports, 2 telephones and one 2-line speaker upon coal for fuel. The vast coal reserves of had a genuine concern for their welfare and phone, voice mail, pay-per-view and cable televi- southern Wyoming helped determine the route they, in turn, trusted him. sion, king or queen size beds, and 27” TV’s, The Legal Tender Restaurant and Lounge, Gift Shop,

226 Ultimate Wyoming Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia an outdoor heated swimming pool, outdoor hot which claimed many of the young in those days. tub and an exercise room with sauna also compli- The cemetery is located just past the junction on ment the Hotel. The restaurant is open daily for Highway 189. breakfast, lunch, and dinner and the lounge is open until 2 a.m. Visit them on the web. 37 No services Elkol Perhaps a merging of two of Wyoming’s hall- marks, elk and coal, this mining town was established in 1908.

38 Food, Lodging Diamondville Pop. 900, Elev. 6,927 T J.C. Penney Home and Prospector Harrison Church found a vein of coal Historical Foundation just north of this town in 1868. It wasn’t until 722 J.C. Penney Dr in Kemmerer. 877-4501 1894 that Church found enough investors to start The Penney’s first home was restored in 1982 and the Diamond Coal and Coke Company, named L Comfort Inn Evanston moved to Penney Avenue on the Triangle, where for the pristine coal, “black diamonds.” Riches of it is now a museum operated by the J.C. Penney 1931 Harrison in Evanston. 789-7799. another kind came with the advent of www.comfortinns.com/hotel/wy049 Foundation. The six room cottage is a National Prohibition, which brought prosperity to Historic Landmark. It is open during the spring The Comfort Inn and Suites is an outstanding Diamondville when its bootlegging operation and summer. choice for business, relaxation, and relocations became popular product in Chicago. The original when in the Evanston area. They offer 56 new, coal mine played out in the 1930s, but the area T Triangle Museum beautifully appointed guest rooms. Each room continues to be coal-rich. 800 Pine Ave in Kemmerer includes microwave, refrigerator, coffee maker, hair dryer, data port, iron and ironing board, T Stolen Bell Museum clock radio, cable TV, and voicemail. Guests also 316 Diamondville Ave in Diamondville. receive a complimentary deluxe Continental 877-6676 breakfast. Other room options include a suite With exhibits covering the area’s general history with hot tub, king business rooms, and large fam- with wonderful mining exhibits, and even a Section 4 ily room. Guests can work out in the on-site fit- moonshine still. The museum is open Monday ness center and then relax in the indoor heated thorugh Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and will pool and hot tub. A large guest laundry is avail- open upon request. Admision is free and dona- able for added convenience. There are a variety of tions are accepted. restaurants within walking distance. High speed wireless internet is available in all rooms and also in the business center. OVERTHRUST BELT

36 No services A geologic term for the folding and thrusting J.C. Penney Mother Store and Home of layers of the earth’s crust. This narrow belt The year was 1902 and a 27 year old man arrived Carter stretches from New Mexico to Wyoming. The by train in Kemmerer, Wyoming to start a new Judge William A. Carter, the first merchant and belt is where the Kemmerer/Diamondville business. He couldn’t afford the train fare twice, so post sutler at Ft. Bridger, is the man for whom area gets much of its oil and gas resources. he made a committment in dollars before seeing this railroad station town was named. Originally the town. A scattered mining community, from Iowa, Carter became vice-president of the Kemmerer had about one thousand residents, a Wyoming Stock Growers Association in 1871. 39 company store that operated on credit and 21

saloons where a good deal of spare cash was spent. K

Two revolutionary ideas—cash only and do EMMERER T Fossil Country Museum S

400 Pine Ave in Kemmerer. 877-6551. unto others as you would have them do unto OUTHWEST www.hamsfork.net/~museum you, were the basis for James Cash Penney’s new This museum chronicles the history of Kemmerer business venture. (The middle name is a family and Diamondville. Inside you’ll see an early name, not chosen to express his retail philoso- , G phy). He named the store the Golden Rule.

1900s period dining room, a replica coal mine REEN “When the sun rose over Kemmerer, A

and assortment of coal mining equipment, boot- REA legging stills and wine presses, a Hadrosaurid Wyoming, April 14, 1902, it gilded a sign reading

“GOLDEN RULE STORE, and I was in business R

footprint, a two-bodied lamb, mountain men I VRAND IVER memorabilia, the JC Penney Mother Store, as a full partner. The firm name was Johnson, NCLUDING Sawaya’s Kemmerer Shoe Store, and Annie Richey, Callahan and Penney, but it was used only for Cattle Rustler, memorabilia. The museum is open bookkeeping purposes. In setting up a business Monday through Saturday. Admission is free. under the name and meaning of Golden Rule, I

was publicly binding myself, in my business rela- R E OCK

Kemmerer tions, to a principle which had been a real inti- VANSTON Pop. 2,651, Elev. 6,927 mate part of my family upbringing. To me the sign on the store was much more than a trade S T Cumberland Ghost Town Situated on the Hamsfork River, Kemmerer is the PRINGS Near the Jct of U.S. Hwy 189 and Lincoln County Seat. Established in 1889, it name. We took our slogan “Golden Rule Store” State Hwy 412 (approx 36 mi N of Evanston) became an incorporated city in 1902. Named for with strict literalness. Our idea was to make , Between 1920 and 1935, this flourishing coal- M. S. Kemmerer’s Coal Company, who founded it, money and build business through serving the mining town boasted four underground mines in the town provided goods and services to the local community with fair dealing and honest value, full production, named Cumberland 1, miners and ranchers. Nearby Diamondville and and did business cash-and-carry.” Cumberland 2, etc. Today only the Ziller ranch Frontier, which were official company towns, “When we locked the store at midnight and buildings and the cemetery remain. The abun- served more as bedroom communities. Kemmerer went upstairs to our attic room after the first day’s dance of children’s graves may have been the today has the distinction of being the only commu- business to figure out how we stood, there wasn’t result of a cholera epidemic in the early 1900s, nity in the county with stoplights. There are two. a great deal of paper money or, for that matter, so many silver dollars; but there was an astonishing www.ultimatewyoming.com 227 —to us—wealth in pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, and half-dollars. Our first day’s sales 40 amounted actually to only $33.41 shy of the $500 savings we had put with the note for $1500 189 to pay for the partnership.” 30 Pine Ave “Having made the point of a new store by opening up at sunrise on the first day, we then settled on an opening of 7 a.m. Closing time was Carbon St when no more people in the streets seemed to be Ruby StQuartz St Lignite St heading for the store. Saturday nights, that meant Cedar Ave at least midnight. We couldn’t make perpetual- Agate St motion machines of ourselves and on Sunday KEMMERER/ Cedar189 Ave opened the store at 9 a.m.” Pearl St Sage Ave Canyon Rd Beech Ave Sapphire St Pine Ave During 1911 and 1912 twenty stores were DIAMONDVILLE Ash Ave added, bringing the total number of Golden Rule Stores to thirty-four. So it was Kemmerer, Quartz St Wyoming, that gave Mr. James Cash Penney his start in business, and in 1913 the decision was Sapphire St Topaz St Opal St made to change the Golden Rule Store to the J.C. West Ave Garnet St Penney Company. The mother store is still a 39 Onyx St thriving business in Kemmerer. Moose St The Penney’s first home was restored in 1982 Keane St and moved to Penney Avenue on the Triangle, where it is now a museum operated by the J.C. Rd Canyon Keane St Penney Foundation. The six room cottage is a Keane St National Historic Landmark. It is open during the spring and summer. Mr. Penney’s home and the Dell Rio Rd “mother store” are “must” photographs for thousands of tourists each year. Article courtesy of Kemmerer Chamber of Commerce Sublet Ave

Diamondville Ave

T Fossil Murals Susie Ave At the Post Office Star Ave These were painted by WPA artists in 1938. T Ulrich’s Fossil Quarry, Warfield Fossil Quarry, 189 Number 7 Ave and Tynsky’s Quarry 30 For a fee, you can dig for your own fossils at Section 4 these sites. Children are not generally allowed, as 38 digging conditions can be dangerous. Opal Pop. 102, Elev. 7,400 189

30 W Hillcrest Dr Just outside the canyon of the Uinta Mountains 30 E Hillcrest Dr near the Utah line of Wyoming lies Opal –a half dozen log houses, a saloon, and many corrals. Also, rich in minerals and precious stones. For years, 10,000 cattle and sheep were shipped annually to Chicago from this once bustling 30 town, and continue to be shipped. As with many towns of southern Wyoming, Opal sprang up as 189 Map not to scale a result of the railroad boom. The rails of the Union Pacific spread west from Cheyenne in the 1860s, and along those tracks, Opal proved to be L Fairview Motel upon coal in this region. Here, Thomas built the somewhat of an oasis for weary travelers. Opal 61 Hwy 30 in Kemmerer. 877-3938 mine he always dreamed of, as well as the town. witnessed the discovery of petroleum, and soon Glenco attracted miners from all parts of the after during the 1860s and 1870s, oil-well 40 Food, Lodging country, including foreigners. The work was dan- drilling was done in Uinta County. Today, in the gerous and heavy; pay was calculated by the ton 21st century, the area is the largest natural gas Frontier with $3.00 for a ten-hour day being as much as hub in the United States. Named for being on the edge of the Wyoming the strongest miner could earn. frontier, this is one of the oldest coal mining Mine explosions were common, especially the TV Tynsky’s Fossil Fish Inc. camp towns. In 1919, a mine explosion here one in 1927 where 100 men died in the Frontier and Digging Tours killed 98 men. mine. The wives of Glenco worried continuously 716 J.C. Penney Dr in Kemmerer. 877-6885 about their husbands’ dangerous occupation. The T Wyoming Metal Art Gallery Glencoe Frontier mine disaster and the depletion of coal 501 Front St in Kemmerer. 789-5628 Glenco’s Scottish name came from Thomas served as the catalyst for the closing of the mines. Sneddon, a Scottish prospector who stumbled By early 1940, Glenco was deserted.

All Wyoming Area Codes are 307 Kemmerer Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual Average Max. Temperature (F) 29.0 32.0 39.4 51.2 62.8 72.3 80.9 79.3 69.1 56.8 40.4 30.4 53.6 Average Min. Temperature (F) 4.5 6.0 13.4 23.0 32.1 38.3 44.2 42.4 34.1 24.7 15.2 6.0 23.7 Average Total Precipitation (in.) 0.73 0.59 0.65 0.82 1.17 1.11 0.74 0.87 0.99 0.77 0.81 0.69 9.95 Average Total SnowFall (in.) 9.6 7.8 7.0 4.1 1.7 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.5 2.0 8.5 10.0 51.4 Average Snow Depth (in.) 9 8 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 2

228 Ultimate Wyoming Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia H Alfred Corum Grave About 18 mi NW of Kemmerer on State Hwy 233. Rough road, travel only in good weather Within this compound lie the graves of five or six pioneers who lost their lives while traveling to the gold fields of California and the fertile Willamette Valley of Oregon. Alfred Corum and his brothers John, Herod, and Simeon left Cooper County, Missouri, on April 10, 1849, bound for the gold fields. Their wagon train reached the Hams Fork Plateau on July 3, 1849. and “laved over” as Alfred had been sick for a week or ten days. Some 200 wagons passed them on this day. On July 4 the wagon train pulled out, leaving six men behind to render aid to the dying Alfred. He died at 1:00 p.m. of unknown causes on the 4th of July, 1849. Margaret Campbell is buried a few yards from Alfred Corum. She died on July 29, 1848 of unknown causes. Historians have been unable to determine the names and circumstances of death of the other emigrants buried here. H Nancy Jane Hill Fossil Butte National Monument Visitor’s Center. About 18 mi NW of Kemmerer on State Hwy 233. Rough road, travel only in good weather In April, 1852, four brothers, Wesley, Samuel, bearing rock formations. These rocks contain limestone, mudstone, and volcanic ash. The fos- James and Steven Hill, together with their fami- traces of plants and animals from a lake that cov- sils are among the most nearly perfectly preserved lies, 62 persons in all, left Paris, Monroe County, ered the area over 50 million years ago. Many remains of ancient life in the world. Some of the Missouri, for California. species of fishes, insects, birds, and even croco- most extraordinary of these fossils came from There were two deaths along the Platte diles are wonderfully preserved, making the park’s Fossil Lake, represented today by a flat-topped Section 4 River and here on the Hamsfork Plateau. Nancy fossils of international scientific importance. remnant of rock that stands where the center of Jane Hill, second eldest of the six children of The 8,198 acre park is located just 15 miles Fossil Lake once was. Fossil Butte National Wesley and Elizabeth Hill, died of cholera, July west of the town of Kemmerer in southwestern Monument preserves that butte and its invalu- 5, 1852, age twenty years. Wyoming. At between 2000 and 2500 meters able, fascinating record of the past. Nancy’s Uncle, James Hill, wrote: “She was (6500’ and 8000’) in elevation, its climate is that The fossils of Fossil Lake are remarkable for in good health on Sunday evening taken unwell of high desert. Summers bring hot, sunny days their abundance and the broad spectrum of that knight worst in the morning and a corps at and pleasantly cool nights. Winters are cold with species found here - more than 20 kinds of fish, nine o’clock at knight.” moderate snowfall. 100 varieties of insects, and an as yet uncounted On the Forty Mile desert in Nevada Nancy’s The park has a visitor center featuring a dis- number of plants. Paleontologists, the scientists father, Wesley Hill, died August 24, 1852, and play of museum-quality fossils, a bookstore, and who study fossils, and private collectors have was buried at Ragtown at the Carson River. an information desk. It is open year-round unearthed literally millions of specimens during The Hill train settled in Soscol Valley, Napa excluding federal holidays. There are also two the past 100 years. Many billions more still lie County in California. groomed hiking trails. buried in the hills. Legend has it that Nancy Jane’s fiance Animals abound at Fossil Butte. Herds of elk, The fossils are remarkable for their detail. returned three times over a period of 53 years pronghorn antelope, mule deer, and even a few Many fish, for example, retain not only their to tend the grave. moose frequent the park. Smaller mammals such entire skeletons, but their teeth, delicate scales, as jackrabbits, badgers, porcupines, coyotes and and skin as well. And perhaps most remarkable

41 No services prairie dogs are resident year round. A variety of of all is the story the fossils tell of an ancient K

eagles, hawks, and falcons have become increas- life and landscape. EMMERER S

T Fossil Butte ingly common. The scene 50 million years ago, during the OUTHWEST National Monument Eocene Epoch of the Cenozoic Era, was quite dif- 15 mi W of Kemmerer on U.S. Hwy 30 Fees and Restrictions ferent from that today. Fossil Lake, 50 miles long There is no entrance fee at the Monument. Fossil Butte National Monument was established and 20 miles wide at its maximum, nestled , G Licensed motor bikes, trucks, and automo- among mountains in a lush green forest of palms, on October 23, 1972, in order to preserve fossil REEN biles are permitted in the Monument, but are figs, cypress and other subtropical trees and A restricted to designated roads and operators must shrubs. Willows, beeches, oaks, maples, and ferns REA

be properly licensed. Bicycles must also remain grew on the lower slopes, and on the cool moun- R I VRAND IVER SUBLETTE CUT-OFF on the roads and stay off of the trails for mainte- tain sides was a spruce and fir forest. In and NCLUDING nance and safety reasons. There is no camping or around the warm waters of the lake animal life The Cut-off is the branch of the Oregon Trail 10 overnight parking at the park. was diverse and abundant. A broad range of fish miles north of Kemmerer. The trail ruts are still Pets are allowed on trails, but must be under inhabited the tributaries, shallows, and deep

noticeable along State Hwy. 233. The cutoff physical restraint at all times. Horse use is allowed water of Fossil Lake during its unusually long life R E saved 52 miles for travelers as they made their in the Monument, but not on the trails. During the OCK of more than 2 million years. Gars, paddlefish, VANSTON way to join the Bridger Trail. The trail was not winter, hiking and cross-country skiing are encour- bowfins, and stingrays, though they may appear documented and to take this short cut, wagons aged, weather permitting. Snow machines are not primitive to some, still survive today, as do her- S followed the dead animals that were left permitted within the Monument boundaries. ring, perch, and mooneyes. The lakeshore was PRINGS

behind by earlier wagon trains. It was not the , The Fossils alive with crocodiles and turtles; insects, dog- most popular route as there was no water until sized horses, and early primates inhabited the Bear River. The trail was first used by the Three ancient great lakes existed in the region land; birds and bats mastered the air. William Sublette around 1830. The time saved of Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado 50 million was at a cost with no water or supplies avail- years ago - Lake Gosiute, Lake Uinta, and Fossil Ideal Conditions for Fossil-Making able along the way. It maintained its appeal as Lake, the smallest. All are gone today, but they What events led to the preservation of so much it did help the settlers cross the mountains left behind a wealth of fossils in lake sediments of Fossil Lake’s life as fossils? No one knows for before the first winter snowstorms. that turned into the rock layers known as the sure, but after careful study scientists have devel- Green River Formation, made up of laminate oped theories to explain the process. One essential www.ultimatewyoming.com 229 ingredient for preservation, they believe, was rapid burial in calcium carbonate, which precipitated out of the water and fell like a constant gentle snow on the bottom of Fossil Lake. Whatever sank to the bottom - dead fish, fallen leaves - was covered by COKEVILLE this protective blanket. Year after year for hundreds 89 2nd North St of thousands of years, this reoccurred. Some of the 30 most perfectly preserved fossils come from the 1st North St 232 deep-water sediment layers of whitish to buff-col- Sage St ored calcite limestone alternating with brown oil W Main St shale commonly called the 18-inch layer. The fos- Collett Ave

sils are generally adult fish. An equally important Park St 2nd St fossil-bearing layer comes from nearer the lake Post St shallows and is composed of lighter colored lime- 3rd St stone with faint lamination that splits easily due to

4th St Sage St the lack of organic material. Thus, its name: the Pine St Pearl St split-fish layer, which averages 6.5 feet thick. Here 5th St one finds younger fish and species that would have survived better in near shore shallows—crayfish Map not to scale 6th St and stingrays, for example. 7th St Unsolved Mysteries While many of Fossil Lake’s animals and plants probably died natural deaths, on several occa- this regulation is to ensure that vertebrate fossils • Researchers with collecting permits are able to sions huge numbers of fish were killed suddenly. are collected with as much information as possi- study paleontological deposits and purse perti- These die-offs are recorded on great slabs of the ble and that they remain in the public trust. nent questions on ancient environments, evolu- Green River Formation called mass mortality Different regulations pertain to state lands, and tion, and paleoclimates. layers. What killed these fish? A superbloom of private lands are unregulated. blue-green algae that emitted poisons into the • Fossils within the National Park Service are water? A sudden change in water temperature or Fossil Collecting in Fossil Basin made available to the public through exhibits and salinity? All of these? Ongoing research may Fossil Basin contains some of the most complete interpretation. Specimens not on exhibit are solve the mystery. and well-preserved fossils in the world. Fossil accessible through study collections and loans. Basin also contains the remains of an ancient Above article courtesy of National Park Service. Fossil Collection Issues ecosystem. These detailed fossils and their eco- From Fossils: A Part of Our National Heritage logical relationships have been studied extensive- H Fossil Butte Fossils have been pondered and discussed since the ly by researchers since the 1870s. Around the About 11 mi W of Kemmerer on U.S. Hwy 30 time of the early Greeks. Throughout human histo- on access road to Fossil Butte National turn of the century, the first commercial quarriers Monument ry, fossils have been perceived as objects of awe and “set up shop” in Fossil Basin. They collected and wonder, and scorned as tricks of the Devil. As we prepared fossil fish and sold them to private col- Fossil Butte is world famous for perfectly pre-

Section 4 have come to understand earth history more fully, lectors and museums around the world. Today, served fossil fish. The deposits were worked as fossils have proven valuable tools for interpreting the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and early as 1877. There are specimens from this ancient climates and understanding the develop- Fossil Butte National Monument, a unit of the locality in museums all over the world. ment of life forms throughout earth history. National Park Service (NPS), protect a portion of The rocks in the Butte were laid down about When the science of paleontology was first the land within Fossil Basin. Commercial quarry- 50 million years ago. Red rocks in the lower established, fossils were often studied “out of con- ing activity in Fossil Basin occurs on private or part are stream deposits named Knight text.” Little attention was given to the study of state leased lands. Formation. Light colored beds in the upper part ancient environments in which the fossil had The State of Wyoming has developed a permit are of the Green River and are remnant of beds once resided or the context in which the organ- system through the State Land Commission that deposited in a lake once covering much of ism was deposited. With the increased sophistica- allows commercial quarriers to quarry for verte- western Wyoming. tion of paleontology as a science, fossils are no brate fossils in the Green River Formation on State The fish-bearing layer and quarries are about longer considered isolated objects but as elements lands. However, they must report and relinquish half-way up the butte. The Green River of a complex continuum of ancient ecosystems. any vertebrate fossils that are not one the seven Formation has yielded a great many varieties of When fossils are collected by researcher, care- most common genera (Knightia, Diplomystus, fossil fish, including herring, perch, catfish and ful documentation is made of their location, their Priscacara, Mioplosus, Notogoneus,and stingrays as well as fossil insects, birds and bat. place in the geologic record, and the type of Amphiplaga. The uncommon genera are sent to depositional environment. Also, any relationship the University of Wyoming Museum of Geology 42 No services with surrounding ancient organisms is noted. where they are prepared and further studied. Paleontologists are now asking questions about Individuals who collect on private lands are Sage how the earth’s climate has changed through time not obligated to turn in rare or unique specimens. This railroad station was named for the most and what forces were at work to cause the mass They can sell their fossils without restriction. prominent plant in the area: sagebrush. extinctions that occurred in the past. However, many private collectors donate fossils to Because fossils can provide such a wealth of public institutions. H State Boundary Monument information, they are considered an important (Utah, Idaho And Wyoming) national treasure to protect. On federal lands, the The Value of Protecting Fossils on Public Lands The state boundaries of Idaho, Utah, and collecting of vertebrate fossils is allowed only for • All fossils collected on public lands are docu- Wyoming share one corner approximately 7.3 research purposes and the collectors must be mented and accounted for. Within the National miles southwest from where you’re standing. associated with some type of public institution, Park Service, fossils are curated and available for Two corners were surveyed and marked in usually a museum or university. The purpose of loan to other institutions. the 1870’s. U.S. Astronomer and Surveyor

All Wyoming Area Codes are 307 Fossil Butte Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual Average Max. Temperature (F) 29.1 31.9 41.1 52.9 64.0 73.5 82.7 82.2 72.0 57.4 39.6 29.0 54.6 Average Min. Temperature (F) 6.3 7.1 15.9 23.8 31.1 36.2 41.9 41.6 34.2 23.6 14.3 5.9 23.5 Average Total Precipitation (in.) 0.59 0.66 0.74 0.77 1.33 1.27 0.90 0.75 0.76 1.16 1.00 0.68 10.63 Average Total SnowFall (in.) 13.9 10.8 10.3 5.1 1.3 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.5 10.9 15.8 71.0 Average Snow Depth (in.) 12 12 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 3

230 Ultimate Wyoming Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia Daniel G. Major and a party of 11 men sur- inscribed boulders. veyed the Idaho-Utah boundary during the Three years later in 1874 while surveying the 43 Food, Lodging summer of 1871. Using transits, chronometers, western boundary of Wyoming, U.S. Astronomer a sextant and steel measuring chains, Major and Surveyor A.V. Richards found the “Major Cokeville Pop. 506, Elev. 6,191 projected a line northerly from Evanston to a Monument” to be approximately 0.7 mile too far point near the Bear River where a series of east, thereby creating a new point for the corner Originally dubbed Smith’s Fork, for the nearby celestial observations were performed. A speci- common to Idaho and Utah on the Wyoming river, this town was officially settled in 1874. The fied distance was measured westerly to the boundary. Later surveys marked this point that year before, in 1873, mountain man Tilford Kutz intersection of the 42nd Parallel of North became the accepted corner we recognize today. and his Indian wife had dwelt alone here, run- Latitude with the 34th Degree of Longitude A coordinated effort by local and govern- ning a small ferry and trading post which catered (west of Washington, D.C.), the place for the ment surveying organizations recently relocated to travelers on their way west. When pristine coal “Initial Point”. The point was marked by a the historic corner sites established more than a was found nearby, it was renamed Cokeville, for “glazed white earthen bottle” deposited century ago. The original survey records were the highly refined form of carbon they could beneath a set pine post and witnessed by instumental in relocating these historic sites. derive from it, called coke. Coke is made from

fuels like coal and oil. Formed by the decay of lake’s size, depth, and amount of material GLOSSARY OF the aquatic plants of Fossil Lake. This dark mate- washed in by streams. GEOLOGIC TERMS rial gives the “oil shales” of Fossil Basin their distinctive color and odor. Shale Fine grained, easily-split (fissile) sedimentary Alkaline rock composed primarily of clay minerals and Having the qualities of a base. pH greater than Lamina quartz. Early discoverers described the fossils 7.2. Such a chemistry has implications for the A layer of sediment or sedimentary rock less of Fossil Lake as being in shale instead of type of flora and fauna present. Ocean water than 1 cm thick. Alternating couplets of lighter limestone because shale is often used as a has a pH of 8.1-8.3; saline water has a pH of 9.0 limestone and darker kerogen laminae are generic term to describe any fine-grained fis- or higher. sometimes incorrectly called varves. sile sedimentary rock rather than to distinguish Bioturbated Limestone its mineralogy. Sediment churned and stirred by organisms. A sedimentary rock consisting largely or entirely Siliciclastics The most bioturbated sediments of Fossil Lake of calcium carbonate. The laminated lime- Sediment which comprises particles composed indicate lake margins. stones of Fossil Lake are characteristic of chemically-stratified lakes, and are the result of of silicate minerals and rock fragments, such as Butte changes in temperature/pH or photosynthetic the claystones, siltstones and sandstones of Section 4 A small, isolated, flat-topped hill resulting from activity causing the calcium carbonate to pre- Fossil Basin. the erosion of near-horizontal strata. The sedi- cipitate out of the water. Soft Sediment Deformation ments of Fossil Butte actually dip eastward a few Sedimentary beds, cross-beds, or laminae that degrees below the horizontal. Member A specially developed part of a varied formation, were disrupted, convoluted or contorted prior Calcium Carbonate (Calcite) distinguished by color, hardness, composition or to lithification. Much of the soft sediment Fundamental component of limestone. fossil content. The Green River Formation has deformation found in Fossil Basin may be soils Produced by a reaction of calcium and bicar- been subdivided into the Fossil Butte and or turbidites. bonate ions in water. In a lake these ions are Angelo Members in Fossil Basin. The middle Tuff provided primarily by the inflow of streams unit of the Fossil Butte Member is the most fos- Compacted (lithified) volcanic ash. There are a and rivers. siliferous in this area. number of tuff layers in Fossil Lake sediments, indicating the region underwent a certain Chert (Flint) Micrite A hard, dense, mostly quartz sedimentary rock Microcrystalline carbonate rock. Described in amount of volcanism during the life of the lake. formed by organic or inorganic precipitation or the Fossil Lake region as kerogen-rich lami- These layers are important in dating the lake replacement. Chert nodules in Fossil Lake sedi- nated micrite (KRLM) or kerogen-poor lami- since it is from these sediments samples can ments indicate saline, alkaline conditions at the nated micrite (KPLM) it is primarily in this be obtained for radiometric dating. Such volcanic material is considered to be “frozen in time of their formation. rock that the majority of Fossil Lake fossils K

time” at the instant the minerals within them EMMERER Dolomicrite are found. S

crystallized whereas sedimentary rocks are the OUTHWEST Mud-size dolomite crystals in a carbonate rock. Oil Shale products of the deterioration of preexisting The presence of dolomicrites indicates a saline Dark gray or black shale containing kerogen. material and are subject to weathering and to hypersaline environment. erosion which corrupts the closed system Some of the oil shales in this area are so rich in , G kerogen that early fossil hunters used to burn required by absolute dating techniques. The K-

Dolomite REEN

spar tuff layers in Fossil Basin contain a high A A carbonate (limestone) rock distinguished by a the rock in their campfires for fuel. percentage of potassium (K) feldspar. REA significant concentration of magnesium. Indicative

Ostracode R of saline-alkaline conditions. Some ostracode fos- I

Turbidite AND IVER

A small crustacean (other members of this NCLUDING sils are found in these sediments. superclass include crabs, lobsters, shrimp Sediment or rock deposited by a swiftly moving bottom-flowing current (turbidity current). The Formation and barnacles) that is a good indicator of turbidites of Fossil Basin may reflect periods of Fundamental body of rock which is character- salinity and fluctuations in the positions of rapid expansion of Fossil Lake.

ized by similarities such as rock type, chemical shorelines. The presence and concentration R E composition and structures, textures or fossils of ostracode fossils in the sediments of Fossil OCK Varve VANSTON distinct from adjacent rock bodies. The sedi- Lake distinguish near-shore from deeper A banded layer of silt and sand deposited ments of Fossil Lake are found within the Green water environments. annually in lakes especially near ice sheets. S PRINGS River Formation. The sand layer represents summer deposition; Paleontology silt represents winter deposits—hence a pair of , Fossil Paleo = “ancient” + onta = “existing things” + these deposits signifies a one-year period in Any evidence of past life. Bones, teeth, shells logy = “science”. The study of fossil plants and the life of the lake. Once used to determine and plant material are the most obvious kinds of animals. Careful examination of the diverse the age of certain stages of Fossil Lake, the fossils, but burrows, trackways, footprints, molds fossils in Fossil Basin helps establish this varve concept is no longer an appropriate and impressions are also considered fossils. ancient environment. model for Fossil Lake due to variations in lam- Kerogen Saline inae thickness and the mineralogical character Mineralized organic material, similar to fossil Salty. Fossil Lake’s salinity varied with the of Fossil Lake sediments. www.ultimatewyoming.com 231 carbonization of coal, and its byproducts include oven gas, ammonia, and tar. Coke fuel is extremely clean burning, and is used in both industry and modern home heating systems. Cokeville is situated in a fertile valley, over- looked by majestic Rocky Point Mountain, which is ideal rangeland for livestock. By the turn of the twentieth century, it became known as the “sheep capital of the world,” and ranching was it’s dominant resource. It was said to have the highest number of millionaires per capita of any place in the world in 1900. In addition to the draw of big money, many outlaws found Cokeville a conven- ient location due to its easy access to Idaho and Utah, which made outrunning the short arm of the State law easier. T Lake Alice LAKE ALICE State Hwy 232 NE of Cokeville, right at the “Y” for about 13 mi, another 35 or so mi on gravel Nestled in the depths of a canyon between peaks over 9,000 feet lies the largest natural lake in the southern ranges of the Bridger-Teton National Forest — Lake Alice. The Lake was created when a massive landslide peeled from the 9,325- foot Lake Mountain and dammed Poker Creek with a mile-long pile of debris. The resulting Lake Alice is three miles long and over 200 feet deep. The Lake’s outlet runs under the landslide material, which is porous enough to let the water slowly percolate through. Water from Lake Alice drains under the surface for over a mile, then emerges as a spring. This is the source of Spring Lake Creek, a short creek that flows .5 mile before reaching its confluence with Hobble Creek. Lake Alice lies at 7,745 feet. High mountains rise on all sides, some cloaked with heavy forest, while others are more open with aspen stands and meadows. Mt. Isabel, at 10,162-foot eleva- Section 4 tion, stands above the north end of the Lake. Several trails lead to Lake Alice from surrounding backcountry. The shortest route is a 1.5-mile trail from Hobble Creek Campground. There is a trailhead adjacent to the campground, with a bridge over Hobble Creek leading to the trail. The campground usually opens by July 1, depending on snow and weather conditions, and remains open through October. At the Lake itself you will find a picnic site at the near end of the Lake. A trail continues along the south shore (right side as you are facing the lake) to three backcountry campsites equipped with tables, fire grates, a water system, and pit toilets. The trail ends about 1.5 miles up the lakeshore, after passing several points with excel- U.S. Forest Service Map lent views and good fishing access. Access to Lake Alice is by foot, horse, and mountain bike. No motor vehicles are allowed on the trails. Because the lake’s outlet flows below the sur- keep in mind if you are camping. Keep any food The Farson Mercantile, an old time general face through the natural dam, the fish population or other potential bear attractants well enclosed store, sells some of the biggest ice cream cones has been isolated. Only the Bear River or hung in a tree. around, in addition to being the best place to (Bonneville) Cutthroat Trout, rarely exceeding 13 stop and stretch your legs before continuing inches, lives in the lake. No other species have 44 No services your journey. been introduced. Border Fishing season in Lake Alice and its tribu- Farson Situated on the Wyoming-Idaho border, this tary streams runs from July 1 to March 31. The Pop. 325, Elev. 6,580 place was once a railroad station and a post following rules apply: Trout 10 inches or less Just west of here, at the Little Sandy Opening, is the office. The post office was discontinued, but the must be released; fishing must be with artificial place where Jim Bridger met Brigham Young to give

All Wyoming Area Codes are 307 flies or lures. the Mormons directions to the Great Salt Lake val- Humans aren’t the only fishermen you may ley. A betting man, Bridger is said to have offered see at Lake Alice. Bald eagles, ospreys, and diving Young $1000 for the first bushel of corn grown in Wyoming Tidbits ducks may all be seen in the area. Many birds the arid Utah soil. The town was later named for J.C. Penney’s first store was in Kemmerer. The nest near the lake and in the surrounding forest. John Farson, a Chicago broker who funded an irri- first year, 1902, he sold $29,000 in mer- The mountains above Lake Alice are home to gation project to help the Farson and Eden area chandise. By 1929, he had 1,400 stores and moose, deer, and other wildlife. Black bear are thrive. The arrival of homesteaders also brought the a huge mail-order business. not common but they may be seen, something to Pony Express, until the station burned in 1862.

232 Ultimate Wyoming Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia trains still pass by, mostly carrying coke and soda ash from the nearby mines. Eden Valley is as delightful as can be found in EDEN VALLEY the country anywhere.” Lured by the promise of a prosperous new 45 Food, Lodging This Is Eden Valley beginning, settlers started coming around 1907. Most traveled on the Union Pacific Railroad to The unincorporated communities of Farson Eden Rock Springs, bringing furniture, farm equip- and Eden form what is called the Eden Valley, Pop. 338, Elev. 6,590 ment and even animals with them in emigrant named by early day promoters to suggest the Settled by Mennonites who hoped to create a lit- cars. They continued by wagon to Eden Valley. agricultural potential of the soon-to-be-irrigat- tle paradise, Eden is like a drink of cool water Some of the earliest arrivals lived in tents dur- ed area. Although separated by four miles, after the brown, arid drive through the Bad Land ing their first winter here. Early settler Ivan the communities share a K-12 public school, Hills and past the Killpecker Dunes. A little farm- Dearth summed up the optimism of his neigh- post office, volunteer fire department and ing community, barely distinguished from Farson bors when he said: “I like this place and with community hall. by a small gap in the highway, the two towns reasonable luck can do well here” The Farson share a high school and other amenities. Just Passing Through irrigation company went bankrupt in 1923. After that, the project had several owners. T Big Sandy Crossing The Eden Valley prior to settlement was a Finally in 1940, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Station Site thoroughfare for various types of travelers. took over the irrigation project with a plan to At the Jct of State Hwy 28 and U.S. Hwy 191 in Evidence of Indian presence such as the Eden use Civilian Conservation Corps labor to build a the town of Farson Point, one of the oldest types of arrowheads, dam on the Big Sandy River. World War Two The Mormon Trail and the main Oregon Trail to was discovered by archaeologists along with delayed construction until the 1950s when the Fort Bridger crossed the Big Sandy River at this ancient Indian camps in this area. Jedediah Big Sandy reservoir and additional canals were point before following its north bank to the Green Smith, Thomas Fitzpatrick and William Sublette, completed. The Eden Valley Irrigation and River. A stage and Pony Express station was locat- mountain men looking for a practical overland Drainage district was then formed to oversee ed here in the 1860s. This was also the first meet- route over the Rocky Mountains for the fur operation of the project. Flood irrigation was the ing place between mountain man Jim Bridger and trade made the first east west crossing of South predominate method used. Besides crop pro- Brigham Young during the Mormon leader’s initial Pass in 1824. John C. Fremont surveyed South duction, other types of agriculture supported trip to the Great Salt Lake Valley in 1847. Pass in 184, mapping the route that would area families. Between 1920 and 1960, inde- Excerpted from BLM brochure. become the Oregon and Mormon Trails. pendent dairymen provided milk to customers Thousands of pioneers made their way to in Rock Springs. T Simpson’s Hollow Oregon, California and Utah on the trail from Farmers also raised poultry, livestock, and On State Hwy 28, about 10 mi SW of Farson the 1840s through the 1860s. Pioneer potatoes for the Rock Springs market. To sup-

In 1857, President James Buchanan, for political accounts talk of following the Big Sandy to the plement their incomes early residents some- Section 4 reasons, decided to replace Brigham Young as Green River which would have taken them times found it necessary to work in the coal acting governor of the Utah Territory. through Eden Valley. Later the Pony Express arid mines of Rock Springs. Anticipating the Mormon reaction, Buchanan telegraph lines followed the same route. ordered an Army force of 2,500 soldiers, under Eden Valley Today From Sagebrush Desert To Alfalfa Fields the command of Brevet General Albert Sidney During the 1980s farmers and ranchers Johnston, to Utah to ensure that the his orders Although there were a few attempts at set- were encouraged to change irrigation methods were carried out. Young responded by calling out tlement of the area in the 1880’s, the majority to increase efficiency and reduce salinity in the the Utah Territorial Militia (also known as the of settlers came after a large scale irrigation watershed. Today ranching operations grow Nauvoo Legion) and placed the territory on a project under the provision of the Carey Act hay and small grains to winter livestock or sell war footing. At Simpson’s Hollow, the militia was financed by John M. Farson, Sons & throughout the region. Some who are not captured and burned 22 army supply wagons Company in 1907. Like the Homestead Act, the employed in agriculture work for the school, under the leadership of Capt. Lewis Simpson Carey Act allowed each settler 160 acres of various government offices and small busi- (thus the name Simpson’s Hollow) On October Federal Land, but differed in requiring that they nesses located here. In recent years increasing 5. The destruction of this and two other wagon pay fifty cents per acre for the land and $30 per numbers of residents who live on small trains carrying a total of 368,000 pounds of mili- acre for the water right. Payment was due in ten acreages or ranches commute to Rock Springs tary supplies and the onset of winter snows years if they could irrigate at least 20 acres. The and Green River to work. Gas exploration near- which closed the passes to Utah, forced the Army sources for irrigation are the Big and Little by provides work for area residents and a to spend the winter at the recently burned Fort K

Sandy Rivers, which begin north in the snow boost for the local economy. EMMERER Bridger. By the spring of 1858, the federal gov- fields of the Wind River Mountain Range. S

Settlers would be proud to know that Eden OUTHWEST ernment and the Mormons had settled most of To attract settlers to the area, the Farson Valley, almost one hundred years later, is an their differences and Alfred Cumming was company distributed pamphlets promoting the oasis in the desert, just as they dreamed it installed as territorial governor. advantages of farming in the valley. Claims

would be. , G Excerpted from BLM brochure. proved to be exaggerated, such as “fruit

Reprinted from brochure created by The Eden REEN T Oregon Trail Baptist Church orchards will thrive and corn will grow higher A Valley History Project REA In Eden than a man’s head” and “the growing season in R I

The Oregon Trail Baptist Church is built with AND IVER sturdy brown log walls, quaint bell tower, and a Sandy Dam are located on Big Sandy Creek. to the ruts of the Sublette Cutoff about a mile NCLUDING long window with breathtaking views of the Recreation at the reservoir is directly managed by west of the crossing of the Big Sandy and a few Wind River Mountains. the Bureau of Reclamation. This is a popular miles north of Farson, Wyoming. It is unusual in recreation area for local residents. that it stands alone on the flat prairie and is visi- R

T Big Sandy Recreation Area E ble for many miles despite its relatively small size. OCK 15 mi N of Farson T Haystack Butte Back in 1849 forty-niner J. Goldsborough Bruff VANSTON A few mi N of Farson

Situated in an open setting north of Farson at a estimated its height at eighty feet, but it is now S

6,760-foot elevation, the recreation area and Big A small picturesque butte is immediately adjacent greatly diminished in size. PRINGS , Farson Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual Average Max. Temperature (F) 25.8 31.2 40.5 53.4 64.9 74.6 83.5 80.8 71.7 59.8 41.9 29.6 54.8 Average Min. Temperature (F) -6.4 -1.1 11.6 22.3 30.6 38.3 44.2 41.6 32.6 21.9 9.4 -1.9 20.3 Average Total Precipitation (in.) 0.39 0.38 0.46 0.71 1.05 0.94 0.67 0.66 0.72 0.66 0.38 0.33 7.35 Average Total SnowFall (in.) 4.6 4.5 4.9 3.5 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 1.7 3.9 4.4 28.4 Average Snow Depth (in.) 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 www.ultimatewyoming.com 233 heavily depended. The emigrants’ cut all the Death on the Trail available wood and their livestock over grazed Death was a constant companion for emigrants the trail corridor. Confrontations increased and headed west. It is estimated thaat 10,000 to the paying of tribute to cross tribal lands 30,000 people died and were buried along the became a common practice. trails between 1843 and 1869. Indians suffered heavier losses than did the Cholera and other diseases were the most emigrants. In the 20-year period from 1840 to common cause of death. People didn’t know that 1860, only 362 emigrants were killed by cholera was caused by drinking contaminated Indians. Large groups of emigrants were sel- water. Poor sanitation and burial practices perpet- dom attacked, and most deaths resulted when uated the disease. People infected long before individuals were out hunting or exploring. An might die by a river crossing and would be emigrant was much more likely to die from dis- buried near the river which would in turn infect ease, be run over by a wagon, trampled in a more people. Cholera kills by dehydrating the stampede, accidentally shot, or drowned while body. Unfortunately, many of the recommended crossing a river. cholera remedies, such as wearing flannel shirts, H Pilot Butte & “Graves” increased body temperature and dehydration. of Unknown Emigrants First Transcontinental Telegraph 12 mi SW of Farson on Hwy 28 In 1859, the California legislature offered Welcome to the Pilot Butte Emigrant Trails $6,000 a year for the first overland telegraph. Interpretive Site. The purpose of the site is to This was followed by an act of the United States Wyoming Tidbits Congress on June 16, 1860, pledging $40,000 help you gain a sense of what life was like for Scientists have found fossils of a 13-foot alli- a year for ten years for carrying government the 400,000 emigrants who left their homes to gator, fish, and plants imbedded in the slate messages. With these inducements, the first seek a new life in the West. They were seeking at Fossil Butte. wealth, religious freedom, land of their own, a work was begun in 1860, but by the end of new life. Tlhey all found hardship and suffering that year the line ran only to Fort Kearny, along the trail. Nebraska, from the east and to Fort Churchill, Remedies for other ills also decreased the At the bottom of the path you’ll see the Nevada, from the west. likelihood of survival. Amputation was often the actual trail ruts of the Oregon, California, There was some question of which route treatment for broken bones, and bleeding the Mormon Pioneer, and Pony Express National should be followed over the Rocky Mountains. sick was a common practice. Some treatments Histroric Trails. The Western Union and Missouri Telegraph for dehydration and heat exhaustion cautioned The signs along the path relate some of the Company informed Colorado residents that if against giving the patient water—when in fact it history of the westward expansion. During your they would subscribe $20,000 worth of stock in was lack of water that was killing the patient! visit, look around. This area is largely unchanged the enterprise, the company would run the line Accidental gunshots, drownings, murder, from the days of the overland emigrants. through Denver, otherwise, the emigrant and starvation, and exposure also took their toll. The Imagine what it would have been like to walk, mail route over South Pass would be followed. very young and the very old were the most like- ride a horse, or drive a wagon halfway across The support in Colorado did not come, and the ly to perish. Whatever the cause of death might America and a long way from home. telegraph was pushed across Wyoming in the have been for each grave passed, it was a grim summer and fall of 1861. The lack of trees reminder to the emigrant of the hazards of Interpretive Plaques along much of the western route posed a con- overland travel. Section 4 siderable construction problem, but in the fall of Continuing the Journey West 1861, the transcontinental telegraph carried the “Graves” of the Unknown Emigrants Just a few miles from where your’re standing, first message from New York to San Francisco. Graves were an all-too-frequent reminder of the the emigrants would come to the first of several The remains of the telegraph poles have long dangers of overland travel. Most emigrant jour- trail “splits” that would take them to a crossing since disappeared, but it passed along the emi- nals record death, burial, or passing graves dur- on the Green River where they would camp for grant trail in front of this sign. ing the day’s travel. Most burials along the trail the evening. were hasty affairs. Even with South Pass behind them, Oregon Pilot Butte The official Company Journal of the Edmund or California-bound travelers still faced more On the horizon about 25 miles to the south is Ellsworth Company of Handcart Pioneers, dated than half their journey and the roughest travel- Pilot Butte. An important landmark, Pilot Butte September 17, 1856, stated, ing portion of the trail. Emigrants headed to served as a guide post separating South Pass “James Birch, age 28 died this morning of Utah were slightly better off as they were less trails from the more southerly Overland Trail that diarrhea. Buried on the top of sand ridge east than a month away from journey’s end. crossed southern Wyoming. Oddly enough, Pilot side of Sandy. The Camp rolled at eight and As you continue your own journey, think Butte was more important to travelers headed traveled eleven miles. Rested . . .by the side about the courage of the people who passed east than it was for west-bound emigrants. of Green River” through this country and settled half our nation. The name Pilot Butte appears on fur trade In the two weeks prior to Birch’s death, five maps at least as early as 1837. Captain Howard Emigrant/Indian Relations other company members were buried along the Stansbury mentioned Pilot Butte on September trail. Birch’s gravesite has not been found. Relations between emigrants using the trails 12, 1850, as his column of topographic engi- No one is buried in the graves in front of and the Indians were inconsistent during the neers travelled east from Fort Bridger guided by this sign. They are here as symbols of all the migration period. While hostile acts and violent Jim Bridger. Stansbury’s journal reads, “…we emigrants who died and were buried alongside confrontations did occur, they have been came in sight of a high butte, situated on the the trail, lost forever. overemphasized in trail histrory. During the early eastern side of the Green River, some forty As you look at these simple mounds of rock migration period of the 1840s, there is docu- miles distant: a landmark well known to the and dirt, imagine what it would be like to lose a mentation of the Indians helping emigrants with traders, and called by them Pilot Butte.” spouse, child, or friend on the trail. You would dig treacherous river crossings, giving directions, The butte grew in importance as a land mark a shallow grave, say your goodlbyes, and contin- conducting peaceful trading, and providing food. as traffic eastward increased in the 1850s and ue your journey West, saddened and bereft. It appeared that the native populations did not especially in 1862 when Ben Holladay moved view the small numbers of emigrants as a his stagecoach and freighting operations from Burial on the Trail threat, even though they were trespassing on the Oregon Trail south to the Overland route. Death on the trail did not allow for the fineries of tribal lands. Chief Washakie and his Shoshones Interestingly, the butte sits atop White the funerals back home. Emigrants made do with All Wyoming Area Codes are 307 were well-known for their kindness and assis- Mountain and is just north of the original loca- materials available. Black would adorn the clothes tance to the emigrants. tion of the Rock Springs airport. Thus, Pilot Butte of mourners, and care would be taken to provide The California Gold Rush period, with its was used as a landmark by early-day pilots - fly- the best funeral possible. The most travelers large increase in emigrant numbers, seems to ing the first airmail routes across the nation. could provide was often just a shallow trench mark the beginning of ill feelings and openly Stand in the trail ruts immediately in front of beside the trail and no coffin for the deceased. hostile acts, as large emigrant numbers dis- this sign, look at Pilot Butte, and feel the pas- Many emigrants worried about the lack of turbed the game herds upon which the Indians sage of history. propriety of a simple grave on the windswept

234 Ultimate Wyoming Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia Wyoming Tidbits

Will “Buffalo Bill” Cody was only fifteen years old when he made what would become the longest Pony Express ride on record. Sarting from Red Butte on the Platte River, he rode 76 miles to Three Crossings. Upon his arrival there, he learned his replacement rider had been killed. He then rode 85 miles to Rocky Ridge, and returned to Red Butte after depositing his mail bags. He was still within the scheduled time when he completed his 322-mile run!

said that he would give one thousand dollars for the first bushel of corn grown in the Salt Lake Valley. H Tri-Territory Historic Site State Hwy 28 about 13 mi NE of Farson; E on gravel road for 31 mi. Follow BLM markers. This trip should only be attempted in good weather Bronze Plaque: Marking the common boundary of the Louisiana Purchase (1803) the Northwest Territory (1846) and mexico (1848). The site is located Lombard Ferry Crossing on the Green River. where the Continental Divide crosses the 42 parallel North Latitude. Section 4 prairie and vowed to return and provide a H Burning Wagons Permaloy Plaque: “proper” resting place. 10 mi SW of Farson on State Hwy 28 This site, where the Continental Divide cross- Few of the thousands of emigrant graves Brigham Young sent the Utah Militia, also es the 42 degree parallel, North Latitude, was have been located. The wind and snow soon known as the Nauvoo Legion, to harass the first claimed by Spain through the presump- obliterated any evidence of them. Markers dis- Federal troops and delay their approach. In the tive right of early discoveries and explo- appeared, and in some cases, wild animals early hours of October 4th, Major Lot Smith of rations. The area was also a part of Acadia, scavenged the graves. Stories of family mem- the Utah Militia and 40 men captured and granted in 1603 by Henry IV of France, and bers later returning to search for a loved one’s burned two supply trains, totalling 52 wagons, part of New England as granted to the final resting place are common, but the search- west of here near the Green River. Plymouth Colony by James I, transferred to es were usually fruitless. The next day, Smith and his men struck the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1629. In again near where you are now standing. 1682, LaSalle claimed for France the whole H The Utah War— Militiaman Newton Tuttle, wrote in his journal: basin of the Mississippi River (thus including A Legacy of Distrust “Mond 5 We went on to the Sandy got the northeastern portion of this site). 10 mi SW of Farson on State Hwy 28 breakfust then we went up to the road & France ceded its claim to Spain in 1762 but In 1857, the Buchanan Adminstration faced a found 24 waggons we burnt 22 of them & regained them in 1800 and sold the region of series of national challenges. Civil war loomed took 7 mules & 2 saddles we then went off “Louisiana” to the United States in 1803. on the horizon, the New York stock market was from the road…”. Great Britain claimed the western portion in trouble, Federal troops were sent to quash of the site in 1792 and the United States laid K Wagon train owners Russell, Majors, and EMMERER unrest in Kansas and Washington D.C. Waddell valued the damage at more than formal claims in 1818 until the 42 parallel S OUTHWEST Mutual mistrust, suspicion, and poor com- $85,000. The only casualty of both wagon inci- was accepted as the boundary between munications between Washington and Salt Lake dents was when one of Lot Smith’s men who United States and Spain in 1819. Mexico, City had been festering for a decade. The per- was wounded by Smith when his pistol dis- after gaining independence from Spain in , G ception in Washington was that church charged accidentally. 1821, reconfirjmed the boundary lines. In

1824, Great Britain relinquished her claim to REEN leader/Territorial Governor Brigham Young was The loss of three months rations and live- A challenging Federal authority in the territory. stock, as well as an early bitter winter stalled the the area of the columbia River basin, reaf- REA President Buchanan decided to replace firming this action by the Treaty of 1846

army at Fort Bridger. The severe weather kept R I Young as Governor. Thinking his decision establishing the right of the United States to AND IVER the militia and the army apart. During this lull in NCLUDING might meet with resistance, Buchanan dis- action, intermediary Thomas Kane negotiated a the “Oregon Country.” On July 4, 1848, the patched 2,500 troops to Utah. They left Fort peaceful sttlement of the conflict. In the spring cession of territory by Mexico was proclaimed Leavenworth, Kansas in July marching 1,000 of 1858, the army peacefully entered Salt Lake giving to the United States the undisputed miles along the Oregon Trail. The commander, City and Alfred Cumming was installed as Utah right to all of Wyoming. R E Brevet General Albert Sidney Johnston, did Territorial Governor. OCK not reach the army until near Fort Bridger. In H Simpson’s Hollow VANSTON 10 mi SW of Farson on State Hwy 28

Utah, the territory was mobilized to resist H Little Sandy Crossing S

“invasion.” Plans were made for a “scorched U.S. Hwy 191 in Farson Here on October 6, 1857, U.S. Army supply PRINGS earth” defense. wagons led by a Capt. Simpson were burned by

On Monday evening, June 28, 1847, Brigham , A brief brush with Utah miltiamen convinced Young and Mormon pioneers met James Major Lot Smith and 43 utah militiamen. They acting commander Colonel E.B. Alexander to Bridger and party near this place. Both com- were under orders from Brigham Young, Utah improve preparedness. The army and its supply panies encamped here over night and con- Territorial governor, to delay the army’s advance trains were strung out along the trail for over 50 ferred at length regarding the route and the on Utah. This delay of the army helped effect a miles. Many supply trains had no military escort possibility of establishing and sustaining a peaceful settlement of difficulties. and were ordered to wait for soldiers before large population in the valley of the Great Salt The day earlier a similar burning of 52 proceeding. For three such wagon trains, their Lake. Bridger tried to discourage the undertak- army supply wagons took place near here at escorts would arrive too late. ing. In this conference he is reported to have Smith’s bluff. www.ultimatewyoming.com 235 46 discovered in California in 1849, the trickle of Amidst the sand and sage; travelers suddenly turned to a tide. That year, tens Or met by cruel savage bands, of thousands of people used the trail and the And slaughtered on the way- T Seedskadee National crossings on the Green River. By 1850, the Oregon Their spectered visions, hand in hand, Wildlife Refuge Trail had become part of the Mormon and Would round our pathway play. About 30 mi NW of Green River California Trails as well. Alternate trail routes, or To the Pacific’s temperate clime First Hunters cutoffs, began to be developed, shortcutting the Our journey soon begun- The first recorded humans in this area arrived standard route. One such cutoff was known as the Traversing through the desert sands as the great continental ice sheets were receding to Kinney Cutoff and ran near the confluence of the Towards the setting sun. the north. To survive, they constantly hunted and Green and Big Sandy Rivers upstream along the east bank of the Green and crossed at a ford or On Platte the rocks like battlements, gathered whatever food was available. They Were towering tall and high; stamped out trails along the rivers and streams as ferry near Fontenelle, Wyoming. This cutoff, a variation of the Sublette Cutoff, saved consider- The frightened elk and antelope they followed the great herds of bison and prong- Before our trains would fly. horn that migrated within this area. Using their able mileage for the traveler not wishing to go to And herds of buffalo appear- ingenuity they constructed elaborate traps that fun- Fort Bridger on Black’s Fork. The old wagon ruts On either side they stand; neled bison over cliffs and pronghorn into corrals are still visible in places along the east bank of the Far as our telescope could reach where they could be slaughtered. Scattered camp- Green. The fabled, but short-lived, Pony Express One thick and clustering band. sites remain as testimony of these peoples’ lives. sprang up in 1860, and the route used by its rid- The Shoshone Indians spread into this area ers followed much of the Oregon Trail. A Pony O’er sinking sands and barren plains, around 700 years ago. Before acquiring horses, Express station was located on the west bank of Our frantic teams would bound- they hunted bison and pronghorn much the same Green River Crossing, just upstream from the Big While some were wounded, others slain, way as the first people upon this land. They were a Sandy-Green confluence. At this time, this little Mid wild terrific sound. nomadic tribe that traveled widely and, in the stretch of river was western Wyoming’s largest And in those lone and silent dells process, opened up trails over the mountains. community. A year later wire was strung for the The winds were whispering low; From their arrival until the appearance of the white transcontinental telegraph through this same spot, And moaning to the Pilgrims, tell man, they were the lords of the Green River basin. putting the Express out of business. Their by-gone tales of woe. In addition to bison, they hunted deer, elk, prong- Settlers on the Green Our toils are done, our perils o’er- horn, mountain sheep, and the abundant “prairie Although this portion of the Green River was The weary pilgrims band chicken:’ or sage grouse. It was the Shoshone that popular with Indians, fur trappers, and emi- Have reached Columbia’s fertile shore- gave the river its first name, “sisk-a-dee-agie’ or grants, the area originally offered very little attrac- That far-framed happy land. “river of the prairie chicken:’ Fur trappers later cor- tion for settlers. The remote location, poor soil, O’er mountains high and burning plains, rupted the Indian name to “seedskadee:’ and cold, arid climate made settlement unattrac- Three thousand miles or more- Wheels Across the Rockies tive. Indian uprisings along the Oregon Trail in We are here; but who can e’er explain Faced with having to resupply his trappers the 1860s began to turn even more settlers away. Or count the trials o’er? each summer, Ashley devised a plan to bring sup- However, gold was discovered on South Pass in plies to them at a pre-appointed place in the 1867, and, once again, the Oregon Trail became a Giver of Life mountains, rather than bringing the party back to popular route. With the advent of gold and the Just as the Green River was important to emi- St. Louis. In 1825, Ashley and his men crossed last spike driven for the Union Pacific railroad, grants as a source of life-giving water and wildlife, Section 4 the Green River near the Big Sandy, descended the route from the railhead at Bryan (near Green it is important to us today a century and half later the Green to Henry’s Fork, and held the first such River) to South Pass City was improved and uti- for the same reasons. “rendezvous:’ This began a series of summer ren- lized as a stage road. The road improvement, gold Siskadee Agie is a Crow Indian term meaning dezvous renowned for their wild sprees of drink- strike, and railroad access, finally led settlers to “River of the Praririe Hen.” Along with sage ing, shooting, gambling, lying, and general homestead this area. A few remains of these grouse (also called Prairie Hens), Native celebration. Jedediah Smith, David Jackson, and homesteads can still be seen on the Refuge. Americans hunted deer, pronghorn, bison, water- William Sublette bought out Ashley’s interests in A Demand for Beef fowl, eagles, and other wildlife. Explorers and mountain men trapped beaver in the Seedskadee 1826, and, in the summer of 1827, came rolling With the end of the Civil War, many people area; and the hundreds of thousands of pioneers over South Pass pulling a two-wheeled cannon on returned anxious to pick up the pieces and start a who crossed the Green River hunted game here. their way to resupply the trappers. Five years new life. Due to a great demand for beef back East, Construction of the Fontenelle Dam about 20 later, independent fur trader Captain Bonneville cattle ranching sprang up in Wyoming and miles upstream changed the natural flooding pulled the first wagon train over South Pass and throughout the West. It soon became common cycle of the Green River, affecting the fish and down to the Green River, forging a trail for wag- practice to winter cattle from as far away as Utah wildlife habitat along the river. The dam created ons over the Rockies and across the Green River. and Nevada along the Green River. By the 1870s, prime trout habitat; yet it endangered the natural When the beaver trade fell off sharply in the late the cattle industry was the biggest business in the marshlands bordering the river that relied on 1830s, mountain man Jim Bridger soon realized Wyoming Territory. Sheep also moved into the spring flooding. These marshlands are critical that there might be a need for a trading post to area. Notorious range wars erupted between ranch- nesting habitat for many species of waterfowl. serve trappers and the settlers he was sure would ers over precious forage. By 1886, the situation Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge was come over the trail from South Pass to the Green turned grim — the range was overstocked and in established by Congress in 1965 to help offset the River. In 1839, a few miles south of the conflu- poor condition, a drought was on, beef prices were loss of marshlands habitat resulting from con- ence of the Green and Big Sandy Rivers, Bridger down, and, as a result, ranchers were leaving more struction of both the Fontenelle Dam and The and Henry Fraeb built a trading post. stock on the range. A devastating blow struck that Flaming Gorge Dam which is about 100 miles Unfortunately, Fraeb was killed by Indians in winter when savage blizzards ravaged the big downstream in Utah. 1841, which led Bridger to abandon the post for herds, reducing them to half by spring. This disas- Since 1965, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service a site on Black’s Fork of the Green River. ter signaled the end of open range grazing and led refuge managers have used methods such as pre- to the fencing of the open range. Emigrant Tide scribed burning, flood irrigating, native grass Elizabeth Markham, an early-day Oregon Trail The circuit to Oregon was finally completed in planting, and fencing to enhance this valuable pioneer wrote this poem after her arrival in Oregon: 1841, when mountain man Tom “Broken Hand” wildlife habitat and restore the lands to a condi- Fitzpatrick led the Bidwell- Bartleson party over Road to Oregon tion similar to that in the days of the Oregon Trail.

All Wyoming Area Codes are 307 the Blue Mountains of Oregon. In 1843, enterpris- Reprinted from Department of the Interior brochure. ing mountain men constructed a commercial ferry We left our friends in foreign lands- at the primary Green River crossing on the Our native country dear; H Overland to Zion Oregon Trail. Many emigrants followed, including In sorrow, took the parting hand 26 mi SW of Farson on State Hwy 28 Brigham Young and the great exodus of Mormons And shed the falling tear. The migration of Mormon (Church of Jesus on their way to settle Salt Lake City in 1847. For Oregon, three cheers they gave, Christ of Latter-day Saints) converts to Utah is a Settler traffic on the Oregon Trail increased to total From us to disengage- fascinating chapter of the overall American wes- about 12,000 people by 1848. When gold was Fearing that we might find our graves tering experience of the 19th century. In search

236 Ultimate Wyoming Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia ting the boat back into shape, the entire party into rough canoes, lashed them together and ‘49ERSONTHEGREEN RIVER ferried across the river and had a meeting. The started out again. After going just a short ways time had come for decisions. The soldiers downstream, they stopped and made a third Great events in the history of the American West would split off to the northwest headed for canoe, approximately 25 feet long. The party are often viewed as one happening, the Gold Oregon, the emigrants would continue south- floated through Red Canyon, Brown’s Park, and Rush to California in 1849 for example. Gold west towards Salt Lake City and eventually the Canyon of Lodore in what is now Utah and was discovered at Sutter’s Mill, the news spread California. William Manly, with six other men, Colorado. The smaller canoes flipped in a rapid like wildfire in the United States, and a lot folks decided to try the river route. in Lodore and the men lost all their arms except headed west. Some by sea… some by land. “…So we parted company …Each company one rifle and one shotgun. Alfred Walton was Some folks got rich… some didn’t. wished the other good luck, and we then set to nearly drowned. By lining their canoes around However, the story of the Gold Rush is really work in earnest to carry out our plans.” Manly’s the worst rapids, they eventually made it through a huge collection of individual stories. Every man, next words have become something of a tradi- Lodore, Whirlpool, and Split Mountain Canyons. woman, and child who came west had an tion among modern river running historians, In Ashley Valley, the group met the famous adventure to tell his or her descendants later in “…All our worldly goods were piled up on the Ute Chief Wakara (or Walker) who persuaded life. Each person’s account is a part of the whole bank, and we were alone.” them that further travel down the Green River that makes the history of the west so fascinating. Standing on the west bank of the Green River would be fatal. There the party split—McMahon William Lewis Manly’s experiences in southwest- on August 5, 1849, Manly and his six compan- and Field didn’t trust Chief Walker and decided to ern Wyoming’s Sweetwater Country and subse- ions watched the soldiers and emigrant party dis- continue down the river. The Ute Chiefs words quent adventures are one of those obscure tales. appear into the distance. Having split off from proved true as McMahon and Field had to aban- Manly was born in Vermont in 1820. He the main group in lieu of the “river” route to don the river in Desolation Canyon and wound moved with his family to Ohio in 1827 and like California, the men made preparations to begin up walking overland back to Wyoming. They so many Americans of the time, his family con- their descent down the Green. In addition to eventually made it to Salt Lake City in December tinued to drift around—to Michigan, Wisconsin, Manly, the band of adventurers included John 1849, via Fort Bridger. Manly and the remaining and then on to Maine—in search of better land Rogers. Richard Field, brothers Charles and four headed overland towards Salt Lake. and living conditions. In the course of his travels, Joseph Hazelrig, M.S. McMahon, and Alfred It’s interesting to note that Manly and his six Manly turned his hand at quite a few different Walton. Because of his travels and confident companions floated a major portion of the upper jobs—trapper, farmer, railsplitter, bullwacker. manner, Manly was elected captain of the group. Green River system exactly 20 years before John Like thousands of Americans in the winter of The ferryboat the men had found on the Wesley Powell and his six companions. Yet Manly 1848-49, Manly heard the news and decided to bank of the river was an ungainly craft approxi- was still not the first. William Ashley and a group take the Overland Route to California in search mately 12 feet long and 7 feet wide, but they of trappers descended the Green in 1825, fur of gold. And like most of the folks on the Trail, thought it adequate for the task of floating to trapper Denis Julien left a legacy of carvings on

he was in a hurry to get there and make his for- California. Drifting and poling through the Green the canyons of the Green in the late 1830s to Section 4 tune, so, he joined a mixed group of soldiers River valley and the Firehole country proved a the early 1840s, and an unknown party of trav- and emigrants at St. Joseph, Missouri and head- leisurely trip. The men shot game, fished, and elers preceded Manly in 1848 or 49. ed west on the Trail. were generally pleased with their decision to Stumbling into Utah Valley after a hard route Later in life, he wrote a book, Death Valley in abandon the dusty, overland route. Manly from the Uinta Basin, Manly and his compan- ‘49, which tells what happened. described, “…I went on shore and sighted a cou- ions met up with a group of emigrants headed “When we came to the first water that flowed ple of antelope, one of which I shot, which gave to California. By one of those unexplained coin- toward the Pacific coast at Pacific Springs, we us good grub and good appetites we already cidences, he met the Bennett wagon—people drivers had quite a little ta1k about a new had. As near as we could estimate we floated he had been trying to overtake since leaving scheme. We put a great many “ifs” together and about thirty miles a day, which beat the pace of Missouri. The Bennett’s were even carrying they amounted to about this: If this stream were tired oxen considerably … Thus far we had a some of his possessions—a gun, several shirts, large enough; if we had a boat; if we knew the very pleasant time, each taking his turn in work- and other provisions. Manly and Rogers joined way; if there were no falls or bad places; if we ing the boat while the others rested or slept.” the group and once again started off to com- had plenty of provisions; if we were bold enough The further they floated, though, the swifter plete their journey to California. to set out on such a trip, etc., we might come out the current became. In one spot above the Alter their experiences floating the Green at some point or other on the Pacific Ocean. And upper Flaming Gorge, Manly was tossed out of River, meeting Chief Walker, and walking over- now when we came to the first of the “ifs, “a the boat when the pole he was using jammed land across the high deserts of eastern Utah, stream large enough to float a small boat, we between two rocks. And as the current joining a wagon train of emigrants was a relief. began to think more strongly about the other if.” increased, so did the towering mountain walls However, the adventures weren’t over. The party K EMMERER

[Pacific Springs is northeast of Rock Springs, just until they were deep in the Flaming Gorge. they joined wound up trying a new route to S west of the Continental Divide.] At Ashley Falls, the worst rapid in the Gorge, California and became the group that gave OUTHWEST When their party arrived at the banks of the the men lost their boat when it was pinned on a Death Valley its name. But that’s another story. Green River, fate intervened. Sitting on a sand- large boulder. Working day and night, the men bar, filled with sand, was a ferryboat. After put- chopped down two pine trees, fashioned them Bureau of Land Management article. , G REEN A REA of religious freedom and an end to persecution, down trees, building two rafts, and floating the Upon safely crossing the Green River, emi- R

Mormon groups traveled to Utah. The Mormon wagons across the Green. By Saturday, July 3rd grants could breathe a sigh of relief as another I VRAND IVER wagon trains were highly orgainized compared the party was across the river. Three weeks later major challenge was now behind them. About NCLUDING to other west-bound emigrants. on July 24th, Brigham Young arrived in the 55 miles west on the trail was their next goal. Led by Brigham Young, the first group of Valley of the Great Salt Lake and the pioneers Fort Bridger was less than a weeks journey from Latter-day Saints (160 people, livestock, and 77 began a new life. where you’re standing now. R

wagons) arrived on the east bank of the Green By 1869, when the completion of the Union There were very few places for travelers to E OCK River on Wednesday, June 30, 1847. Pacific Railroad ushered in a new era of trans- resupply with food staples or purchase fresh VANSTON William Clayton described the scene, “…At portaion, about 68,000 Mormons had traveled animals. The last resupply opportunity was Fort S

11:30 we arrived on the banks of Green River, the overland route to Utah. PRINGS having traveled eight miles and formed our encampment in a line under the shade of the H One Day at a time , cottonwood timber. This river is about sixteen 26 mi SW of Farson on State Hwy 28 RED DESERT ROUND UP to eighteen rods wide (297 feet) and altogeth- For the hundreds of thousands of people head- er too deep to be forded. Its banks are well ing west, life was one day at a time. The travel- This annual event, held in late July or early lined with cottonwood but none large enough ers had settled into the monotonous routine of August, features a PRCA rodeo and Calcutta to make a canoe….” life on the trail - up before dawn, and early each night, a Saturday parade and a county Amidst bad weather and hordes of mosqui- breakfast, hitch up the stock, and began the fair in conjunction with the festivities. toes, the men worked three days chopping day’s journey. www.ultimatewyoming.com 237 Laramie about 340 miles and one month east However, most emigrants reached the Green of here. At a pace of 12 to 16 miles per day, River at the height of its annual flood when it 47 Utah was a few weeks away. California and flowed swift, wide, and deep. Oregon were still months down the trail. Several enterprising pioneers settled along T Fontenelle Reservoir NW of Green River on State Rd 372 the river and established ferries to float emigrant wagons across the river. Ferry prices sometimes The reservoir has a surface area of 8,000 acres. changed daily to correspond with the changes in The lake is 20 miles long when full and has a the river level. It often took several days for large shoreline of nearly 56 miles. Elevation of the wagon trains to cross the river. reservoir is 6,500 feet. Water from the reservoir is As the number of people headed west used for irrigation and for electricity. Recreation swelled into the tens of thousands each year, use is low and seasonal, and fish species include the number of ferries on the Green increased rainbow, brown and cutthroat trout. Below the also. As many as 50 ferries are thought to have dam, float trips are relaxed and offer great operated along the 50 mile corridor of the scenery. Fontenelle Creek campground has devel- Green River Valley crossed by emigrant trails. oped campsites with restrooms and running water. Other campsites below the dam are more H Ferrying Across the Green primitive. Stream fishing opportunities exist on 26 mi SW of Farson on State Hwy 28 the Green River above and below the reservoir. If you look down the river about 250 yards on the right side - there’s a wooden ferry. The ferry you see was built by Forrest Cramer of Pinedale, H Lombard Ferry Wyoming in 1997 for 150th anniversary celebra- 26 mi SW of Farson on State Hwy 28 tions of the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail. The ferry was used on July 6, 1997 to trans- This site of the Lombard Ferry was one of the port several wagons across the river. It sits on the most used crossings on the Green River, lasting exact location where an earlier one was used from about 1843 into the early 1900s. First over 100 years ago. The new ferry was donated established by mountain men, it was operated to Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge. by Mormons in the 1850s during the peak Follow the path that starts here and go see years of the westward emigration. the ferry. Built out of logs and planks, it’s a very Many famous emigrant parties are thought accurate reproduction. As you walk down the to have crossed here. These include: 1841 - path, listen to the rhythms of the water and Bartleson-Bidwell Party, the first wagon train of look at the grove of trees on the left side of the emigrants to California; 1843 - Applegate Party, river. Whether people prepared to ferry or ford the first large group of emigrants headed to the Green, you can almost hear the shouts of T Names Hill Oregon; 1846 - Donner Party, the ill-fated the men positioning the wagons and oxen; and W side of U.S. Hwy 189, 6 mi S of LaBarge group stranded by snow in the Sierras; 1847 - the calls of women as they watch out for their Brigham Young and the first Mormon emigrants Some people equate the Names Hill site with the children. Imagine them all tired from 1,000 historic inscription, “James Bridger, Trapper, 1844” who settled Utah; 1856 - the first Mormon miles and months of trail behind them and

Section 4 on the sandstone rock south of LaBarge. But few Handcart Companies of emigrants who literally more miles of rough travel yet to go. pulled their own belongings across the plains. know they are standing in a region so important to Mariett Foster Cummings, a young woman H Fording the Green the Oregon Trail system history. Everything from on her way to California, recorded the experi- 26 mi SW of Farson on State Hwy 28 petroglyphs to 1880s surveyors’ inscriptions can be ence in her diary for June 28, 1852, “Started found at Names Hill. The Mormons ran a ferry at Although it was a surging torrent from spring Names Hill. In the 1850s, a village supporting emi- before sunrise in order to get to the ferry of until after mid-summer, Green River flowed mod- Green River, which we did by eight o’clock. grant use became established at Names Hill. The erately in late summer and autumn. Low water oldest name dates back to 1827. Green River is a deep, swift stream 200 feet allowed wagon trains to ford the river, thus avoid- wide. A rope ferry and the moderate charge of ing the expense and delays of ferry crossing. $3 per wagon, 25 cents per head of horses.” Emigrants who were members of the Church of 48 William Lombard, for whom this site is Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) and named, operated the ferry from about 1880 freighters bound for Utah typically arrived here in LaBarge Pop. 431, Elev. 6,600 into the early 20th century when bridges across late summer and early autumn. A few late sum- the Green River ended the need for ferries. mer emigrants headed for California on the Salt LaBarge was named for the creek, which was thus Look across the peaceful river flowing in Lake Road also arrived here during low water. dubbed by William Ashley. He named it for a front of you and imagine the line of wagons Several good fording places dotted the banks of member of his company, Joseph LaBarge, who and the trail-weary people waiting to come the Green River from here downstream for seven came west at the age of 16 in the 1820s. across. Source: National Park Service miles. Trail variants connected the main road to Originally, when the town acquired a post office crossing points. Low banks and a gravelly bottom in 1926, it was named Tulsa, but in the 1930s H Crossing the Green River they changed the name to avoid confusion with 26 mi SW of Farson on State Hwy 28 made certain places ideal for driving wagons and herding livestock across the river. Tulsa, Oklahoma. Once a company town for the Crossing rivers was the most dangerous activ- To prepare for fording, the emigrants some- California Petroleum Company, like nearby ity emigrants faced on their journey west. By times raised their wagon beds and coated them Calpet, LaBarge is still in the heart of oil country, the time weary pioneers enroute to Oregon, with tar to keep the contents dry. Usually peo- with oil pumps visible in most any direction. California, or Utah reached the east bank of ple rode in the wagons while the animals the Green River, they had been on the trail hauled them through the water, but some Calpet for several months. Utah was close, but those handcart emigrants pulled their two-wheeled Named for the California Petroleum Oil going to Oregon or California were only vehicles across. After crossing, the emigrants Company, this was once a camp for oil workers. about halfway there. and freighters rejoined the road which ran Established when oil was struck here in the early Though crossing the Green had its perils, down the west side of the river. 1900s, it became home to some 300 men. A

All Wyoming Area Codes are 307 most emigrants were happy to see the cool In times of high water, fording could be dan- refinery and pipeline were built in 1927 and water and lush cottonwood groves with grass gerous. Some invited disaster by attempting to 1928. In 1956, the refinery closed, the post office for their hungry animals, firewood instead of ford when the current was too strong. The river closed, and Calpet became a ghost town. buffalo chips and the chance to camp under swept people, wagons, and animals down- trees - a rare opportunity in western Wyoming. H The Land stream. Wagons sometimes capsized. Drownings 26 mi SW of Farson on State Hwy 28 Before spring runoff and in late summer were not uncommon. Horses or oxen occasion- when the water level of the Green was low, ally lost their footing, toppling riders or wagons. The land under view, where the Great Plains fords provided relatively safe crossings. The river was extremely cold in late autumn. meet the Rocky Mountains, was once the Red

238 Ultimate Wyoming Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia man’s land of milk and honey. Then, as now, firmed Indian Country. frontier callousness easily stifled any scruple teeming with wildlife, it was a most produc- Here came a frontiersman, John Bozeman, over trespass of an Indian passageway. Faint tive—thus favorite—hunting ground. But it was pioneering a wagon road which followed buf- wheel marks soon became a beaten road also a natural route for north-south travel, used falo, Indian and trapper trails. His time and know as the Bozman Trail. from time immemorial by nomadic men and energy-saving short cut led to the booming High plains and mountain Indians notably migratory beasts. Lying hundreds of miles mining fields of western Montana. This inter- Sioux and Cheyenne, watching this transgres- beyond the 1860 frontier it was treaty-con- loper was followed by others whose habitual sion, resented both the physical act and the

ONTHETRAIL TO TRAGEDY…THE DONNER PARTY IN WYOMING

Most people are familiar with the “end” of the the fur trade. He came west with Ashley in the sumptive” and had been abandoned to die alone Donner, or Donner/Reed Party in the winter of early 1820’s and knew the country as well as any a few days before by the group with whom he 1846/47. It was (and still is) the most famous man. Besides, Reed and Clyman were old broth- was traveling. A charitable person, George incident of cannibalism in American history. The ers-in-arms, having served in the same regiment Donner’s wife Tamsen took Halloran in as one of very horror of being snowbound in the Sierras in the Black Hawk War. Another comrade from her own and cared for him. Later, when Halloran helped spur the growth of various cutoffs on the that regiment, Abe Lincoln, also went on to make died of his ailment in the Utah Desert, it turned Oregon Trail. In addition to death by cholera, a name in history. out he wasn’t a “penniless waif’ as most of the childbirth, Indians, and a multitude of accidents, Clyman had just come across the route with party thought. Gold, totalling $1500, was found in being eaten by your companions was added to Hastings heading east, and Clyman didn’t think his belongings and he had willed the money to the list of hazards of overland travel. much of the new cutoff. He warned Reed and the Donners. Because the Donners were already The “story” of the Donner Party in Wyoming the Donner brothers to “stick to the main road” wealthy, this caused quite a bit of dissension in is a story of chance meetings, poor communica- and not take the cutoff described in Hastings’ the poorer members of the party. Halloran’s story tion, bad decisions, coincidence, uneasy feel- Guide. Reed was unpersuaded. After all, he was has a bit of historical irony; imagine being left to ings, bad luck, and perhaps simply fate. holding the book in his hands. Many historians die and being rescued by the Donners. To many historians, the outcome of the have written about the human nature involved at Somewhere between the Little Sandy and Donner Party was a culmination of small isolat- that fateful meeting. Do you believe a scruffy, Fort Bridger, young Edward Breen, the son of ed mistakes. According to Dr. Gary Topping in a dirty old mountain man who looked disrep- Irish emigrants Patrick and Margaret Breen, fell recent article in the Utah Historical Quarterly, “If utable, or do you believe the well-written, recent- from his horse and broke his leg. The recom- ever a group was doomed at the beginning it ly published book you’re holding in your hands? mended medical procedure for the broken leg was the Donners.” One member of the party, journalist Edwin was amputation, but the young lad refused it. His Section 4 Other theories say that the Dormers were Bryant, decided he would take Hastings’ route. luck held and gangrene didn’t set in. A month doomed when they purchased Lansford W. Bryant didn’t want to be encumbered with wag- later he was able to walk without crutches. Hastings’ Emigrants Guide to Oregon and California. ons (heeding part of Clyman’s advice), so he On July 28th, the Donner Party arrived at Fort In a brief aside in his guidebook, Hastings stat- sold and traded his outfit for a string of pack ani- Bridger. It was here that one of the most fateful ed, ‘The most direct route, for the California emi- mals and pressed ahead. errors occurred. Hastings was several days ahead grants, would be to leave the Oregon route, Compounding the dilemma of Clyman’s of the Donners leading the Harlan-Young group about two hundred miles east from Fort Hall; warning, a few weeks later on July 17th, Reed across his cutoff through the Wasatch Mountains. thence bearing west southwest, to the Salt Lake; and the Donners were shown a letter from And the going was next to impossible. Edwin and thence continuing down to the bay of San Hastings at South Pass offering to “personally” Bryant was also ahead of the Donners with his Francisco, by the route just described.” At the guide emigrants across his new route to pack string and he was struggling with the route. time of writing, Hastings had not actually trav- California. So, their minds made up, the party Bryant sent a letter back to Fort Bridger to be eled the route across the Utah desert. continued west. On July 18th, they crossed delivered to his friends the Donners. The letter The nucleus of the group, which later South Pass and like so many emigrants before told the Donners NOT to take Hastings’ route. became known as the Donner Party, included and since, camped at Pacific Springs. Jim Bridger and his partner Louis Vasquez never two brothers, George and Jacob Donner, and Meanwhile, Hastings had met another delivered the letter. Not receiving the message James Reed. Each was wealthy, lived in Illinois, group, the Harlan-Young party, and was at Fort has sparked controversy among historians which had a large family and they started out with Bridger preparing to guide them across the is still disputed to this day. three wagons each. One of Reed’s wagons was Utah Desert. Bridger and Vasquez stood to gain financially K EMMERER

literally a palace on wheels. It was a two-story On July 19, the Reeds, Dormers, and their fel- from emigrants using the proposed route, all trav- S affair heated with a stove. The wheelbase of the low travelers camped at the Little Sandy crossing. elers on the Hastings Cutoff would pass by the fort OUTHWEST giant wagon was over 86 inches, as compared Here the original group decided to split. The next which was a business establishment they owned. to an average width of 58 to 60 inches. The morning, most of the families headed over to the Compounding the error of not getting the Reed wagon not only slowed the group’s travel Sublette Cutoff on their way to Oregon or message from Edwin Bryant, the Donners didn’t , G REEN

as it frequently fell behind the rest of the wag- California and the remainder of the original group depart from Fort Bridger until July 31st. They A

ons, it also was a constant reminder of wealth to headed to Fort Bridger. Typical of politics along the had rested there four days, time which would REA the poorer members of the group. Trail, an election was held to determine the lead- haunt them a few months later. R I VRAND IVER

During the second week of May 1846, they ership of the party and George Donner was cho- Leaving Fort Bridger, the Donners headed NCLUDING joined a large group of emigrants and left sen as captain of the company. From that point on toward Fort Hall on the Main Trail and after trav- Independence, Missouri on their way west. the group was known as the Donner Party. eling a few miles north they turned west, fol- Although wealthy and influential, the Donners In his 60’s, George Donner was more of a lowing a recent set of tracks which led them out

and Reeds were just part of another party under friendly patriarch than a dynamic leader. He of Wyoming into the tangled canyons of the R E the leadership of Lillburn Boggs, ex-governor of was considered a kindly ‘man who loved his Wasatch, and eventually, into history. OCK Missouri. On May 30th, Reed’s mother-in-law, family and many children. Some historians feel Much of the Donner’s path across Wyoming VANSTON

Sarah Keys, died and was buried along the trail that the outcome of this election was one of is on public lands managed by the Bureau of S near present-day Manhattan, Kansas. Continuing those mistakes that added up to the final hor- Land Management. Visiting the various sites PRINGS

across the plains without incident, the travelers ror. Reed was also wealthy, but he was a along the Trail can be a rewarding experience. , crossed into Wyoming. younger, more robust man and perhaps better With a few exceptions, the land surrounding the One of those chance meetings that makes suited for leadership. The ratio of able-bodied Donner’s route looks just like it did 144 years people later ask “what if?” took place on the night men to women and children was also a factor ago when they passed through Wyoming. Maps of June 27th. While camped at Fort Bernard, a in the group’s eventual fate. showing the route of the Oregon Trail are avail- few miles from Fort Laramie on Laramie Creek, Another telling incident which occurred while able at BLM offices. mountain man James Clyman walked up to the the party was camped on the Little Sandy was the campfire. Clyman was a legend in the history of “adoption” of Luke Halloran. Halloran was “con- Bureau of Land Management Article www.ultimatewyoming.com 239 SEEDSKADIE NORTH Section 4

SEEDSKADIE SOUTH implied contempt of solemn treaty. They made war. The white transgressors called upon their army for protection. In the end the Indians won a brief respite—partly because a developing railroad far to the south canceled the Bozeman Trail’s short cut advantage. H James Bridger • Trapper 1844 About 6 mi S of La Barge on U.S. Hwy 189 Little did he know that when he cut his name or had it cut in this stone, that it would be engraved in the annals of the history of the west deeper than that of any other man. As one of the world’s outstanding explorers he guided emigrants, railroads, and army in the expansion of a nation. [At this site you can clearly see the name of Jim Bridger carved in the stone.] H Seeds-Kee-Dee Agie, Spanish River, Rio Verde, Green River S of La Barge on U.S. Hwy 189 To the Shoshone Indian, this river was the Seeds-Kee-Dee Agie (Prairie Chicken River). On

All Wyoming Area Codes are 307 September 16, 1811 the Astorians near its headwaters termed it the Spanish River. To the Spaniards far to the south, it was the Rio Verde (Green River). Jedediah Smith and his ten mountain men, making the first westward crossing of the South Pass by white men, camped near here Mar. 19, 1824 on the Seeds-Kee- Dee. They trapped the river and its forks which

240 Ultimate Wyoming Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia Joe and may have wanted to settle the score. William Ashley, crossed a year later on his way SEEDSKADEE HISTORY Both men palmed their guns and shots echoed to organizing the first mountain man ren- 1. Teal Island Cabin across the prairie. A few days later, Mr. Shaw dezvous. The ill-fated Donner Party crossed returned to find their bodies laying near each late in 1846, on a trip which subsequently led The cabin among the cottonwoods is of other, bloated and picked on by magpies. some of them to cannibalism and snowy graves in the mountains of California. By 1849, 19th century vintage and is thought to have 6. Barnhardt Wild Horse Ranch been constructed by a wintering mountain man. a ferry had been built near the old ford and As with so many pioneer structures, subsequent The two log buildings in the meadow are was operated by Mormons until 1858. On April use probably included ferry-boatmen, emi- from a much earlier time. These are the original 3, 1860, the Pony Express established a sta- grants, and homesteaders. homestead buildings of J.E. Barnhardt, a drifting tion here that operated until its demise on October 24, 1861, by which time telegraph 2. Dodge Homestead saddle tramp who homesteaded here in 1918. Barnhardt ran wild horses that he broke, gelded, wires spanned the continent from this same This site was first used by enterprising and sold to ranchers in the region. spot. A stage station was built after gold was discovered on South Pass in 1867. mountain men who constructed a commercial 7. Lombard Ranch ferry in 1847. They operated the ferry until 11. Robinson Ferry 1853, when Mormons chartered by Brigham Concealed by cottonwoods on the east Young took over. Mormon operation continued bank of the river are the log buildings of the On this site, a ferry was built by the until their emigration was complete in 1858. Lombard Wild Horse Ranch, homesteaded by Mormons in 1847, who ran it until 1856, when Harold H. Dodge homesteaded this area in William Lombard in 1889. A few years later, operation became the exclusive right of Isaac 1916 and, by 1922, completed his masterpiece, Gustave “Frenchy” Tronquet took over the Bullock and Lewis Robinson, through a contro- a suspension bridge across the Green River. An property. Frenchy was a horse trader and versial court decision. A few years later, tragedy A-frame still stands marking one of the bridge rustler. He would sell wild horses to people in struck the Robinson family when their home- towers. The bridge was used to cross livestock Missouri, Canada and places back east. During stead was attacked by Indians. The entire family and wagons for which Dodge charged a toll. He shipment, he would steal them back and sell was killed, with the exception of their 10-year- also sheared sheep for local ranchers in the them all over again. Ruins on the site include a old daughter. An old trapper who heard about spring. His wife, Mary, told of having to break the large stockade-type corral with a cabin on each the child’s plight escorted her back east to rela- ice on the Green River in the winter so she corner. During prohibition, many stills cranked tives in New Jersey. could haul their household water. Everything out their illegal elixir here. 12. Rood/Branson Ranch went smoothly until 1936, when a local ranch 8-9. Oregon Trail Crossings hand was crossing the bridge with a wagon load 13. Rood/Branson/Johnson Ranch (Lombard Ferry) of grain. Once he reached the middle of the The land that includes the ranch on the east bridge, a main support cable snapped and the The Green River had many ferries operating bank of the river and another ranch 1/2 mile Section 4 entire outfit - horses, wagon, grain and driver - on it during the emigration period, especially dur- further down was homesteaded by Albert Rood plunged into the river. The driver and horses ing the gold rush; however, these two sites were in 1919, and taken over by P.C. Branson several made it to shore but the rest was lost. the ferry crossings for the primary route of the years later. When one of Branson’s daughters 3. Yancey Homestead Oregon Trail. The ferries were built in 1843 by came of age, she married Albert Johnson who mountain men who ran them until 1850. built the lower ranch. A unique sagebrush corral S.W. Brazzil and F.H. Orcult originally home- Mormons chartered by Brigham Young took over still exists at the Johnson ranch. steaded this land in the early 1900s. They later the operation until 1858. William Lombard A word of caution: Federal law prohibits dis- sold to Edlvin P. Yancey, a drifter who worked arrived to continue operation in 1889. Later, peo- turbing historic sites. Your cooperation will seasonally for several ranches in the region. The ple referred to these as the Lombard Ferry. Ruts enable others to enjoy these historic places site still contains the remains of a 2-room stable leading away from the river can still be seen on unmarred by human disturbance. with attached tool shed and corral and a side-hill the private land of the northern crossing. root cellar. Writing in her diary, one pioneer woman 14. Bridger-Fraeb Trading Post, Palmer/Mormon Crossing 4. Tailman Ranch had this to say about the ferry crossing on the Green River: On this site, mountain men Jim Bridger and Carl H. Beckman filed the original home- “This day at last we came in sight of the formi- Henry Fraeb built a trading post in 1839. These stead papers for this site in 1920, but it was the dable Green River which we have so much dread- men had seen the beaver trade flourish and ed. There is a good ferry boat kept by Mormons fourth owner, James A. Tailman who built most decline in little over a decade. Bridger was K

of the structures and improved the land. Like so and worked by French and probably the one man EMMERER S

many others, Tallman worked odd jobs around Indian half breeds. Mrs. S. and who knew that settlers OUTHWEST the area — herding sheep, irrigating, haying, I visited their wigwams after would undoubtably come punching cattle, and trapping. we crossed. Disgusting look- pouring through the area.

Among the many ruins of the Tallman Ranch ing beings…uncomfortable In fact, he was the one , G are two graves marked by an outline of stones. times… ferry men dishonest” who had inadvertently REEN These are the final resting places for two of the During the peak emigra- blazed the trails for them. A Holden children who died of sickness while tion months of May, June, Now, he and Fraeb had a REA

staying with the Tallmans. Other ruins include and July, the wait for a ferry plan to serve the fur R I VRAND IVER two cabins, a barn with a log corral, an old shed could be several days. Rates traders still in the moun- NCLUDING with a Model A Ford parked in it, and a self- were high too. It could cost tains, the Indians, and the cleaning outhouse on the river bank. as much as $16.00 per settlers that would soon wagon to get across, which 5. Concrete Houses be coming. Unfortunately

was a great deal of money. for Fraeb, a brigade of R E Impatient parties who risked OCK Ed Karel and his wife homesteaded here in trappers he was leading VANSTON 1916, and his half brother, Joe Startz, filed on fording the river at these stumbled upon a large the land across the river. It was rumored that Ed crossings sometimes lost life and property if party of Indians. The Indians attacked, and the S PRINGS was a little mentally imbalanced and dangerous, they misjudged the current or slipped off the trappers repelled them without a loss, except

which explains why Joe wanted to be on the narrow gravel bar that allowed safe progress. for poor Fraeb. This led Bridger to abandon this , opposite side of the river when he built a simi- 10. Green River Crossing, site in 1841, for a more favorable location lar concrete house that he shared with an eld- Ferry, Stage Station, along Black’s Fork of the Green River. erly gentleman named Mr. Shaw. When Mr. Pony Express Station and Joel Palmer, who gained notoriety for writing a Shaw and Mrs. Karel were both away, an argu- Transcontinental Telegraph Office guidebook about the Oregon Trail, crossed here ment broke out between the brothers, both of July 21, 1845. This is also the place where Brigham whom had been drinking. Ed was known to This is the site where a fur brigade led by Young led the Mormons across the Green River in have suspected an affair between his wife and Jedediah Smith crossed in 1824. His boss, 1847, on their way to settle Salt Lake City, Utah. www.ultimatewyoming.com 241 were named for them; Labarge, Ham’s, Black’s, Ancestral tracks, footprints and wheels from Smith’s, Henry’s etc. These waters were consid- Native Americans, wildlife, mountain men, pio- MULE DEER FACTS ered as the greatest beaver waters ever known. neers, and countless forms of transportation have The upper reaches became the center of the been imprinted on the land adjacent to the byway. • Over 55,000 mule deer roam BLM public fur trade and Rendezvous. In 1841 the fur trade Travelers’ interests will be piqued by the lands in the Rock Springs District. had ceased but the trappers had blazed the region’s history, as it echoes with the excitement trails for emigrants. For forty-nine years over the and adventure from the Shoshone and Arapahoe • Mule deer inhabit every major vegetation Oregon and California trails thousands of emi- Indian tribal camps, the advent of the railroad, type in western North America and every cli- grants going west, crossed these waters near by. deserted ghost towns, and many historic sites. mate zone except arctic and tropics. Mule The many that drowned and died were buried The Mormon and California trails come into deer in high elevation ranges may migrate up along the river banks. The mountain men guid- Uinta County from South Pass City. In 1847, more to 50 miles between summer and winter ed, manned the ferries, and traded with the than 3,000 emigrants camped alongside this byway, range. Snow depth and forage availability is emigrants. Graves, marked and unmarked, leaving behind marked and unmarked graves. considered to be the dominant factor in pop- names cut in the rocks, and wagon trails worn Railroad construction swept westward into ulation control by many. deep, remain with the legend and lore of a Wyoming in the latter part of 1867, bringing great river of the west, The Green. thousands of people. Along with railroad workers • Mule deer occupy a wide range of habitats. came hundreds of others looking for their for- Food, cover, arid water requirements change SCENIC DRIVES tunes in saloons, stores, and other “questionable” with the seasons. Mule deer often must com- professions. The scenic by-way was the setting for pete with livestock grazing practices and Mirror Lake Scenic Byway this development and many sites along the way other human-caused disturbances. Proper This drive takes you from Evanston, Wyoming, highlight the cycle of the construction that took land management can benefit deer. to Kamas, Utah through the western portion of place and transition into ghost towns. The infa- the Uinta Mountains. It is reached by taking mous bear town— Hilliard City— and Piedmont • Mule deer gain weight during spring, sum- Wyoming Highway 150 south of Evanston, off Still, have structures and graveyards that will mer, and fall. Deer must be in excellent con- Interstate 80. After about 20 miles, Highway 150 interest sight-seers. Not to be missed are the per- dition in the fall of each year to survive the reaches the Wyoming/ Utah border and contin- fectly preserved Piedmont kilns that facilitated harsh winter weather. ues as Utah Highway 150, taking travelers into the making of charcoal for use by the railroad. • Deer eat a wide variety of foods. The major Utah’s Uinta Mountains and the Wasatch-Cache An Evanston scenic by-way committee consisting of volunteers, city employees, state high- foods eaten by mule deer include sagebrush, National Forest. Both Wyoming and Utah have designated this 78-mile stretch of highway as an way officials, and forest service employees have serviceberry, snowberry, rabbitbrush, aspen, official State Scenic Byway. worked for over eight years to obtain scenic bitterbrush, juniper, willow, mountain The entire length of the byway takes two to byway status for highway 150 and are now com- mahogany, grasses, and forbs. In winter, three hours to drive straight through, longer for pleting magnificent information kiosks to be set more shrubs are eaten than dead forbs and visitors who wish to stop along the way. The up along the by-way. Dedication of the kiosks and grasses. Shrubs are alive and provide more Wyoming portion can take as little as 20 minutes. the official opening of the scenic by-way are protein and carbohydrates. Mule deer in Services are available at both Evanston and scheduled for June 2003. Both tapes and CD’s North America have adapted to these long Kamas, but not in between. There are 22 family will be available for purchase that give informa- periods of nutritional stress caused by winter. oriented campgrounds along the route, operated tion by mile marker on the byway. Protection from human disturbance helps by the Wasatch-Cache National Forest. In addition to historic sites and view of the Section 4 mule deer survive winter stress periods. Along the Wyoming section, southbound trav- High Uinta Mountains, travelers may spot mule elers will get a splendid, panoramic view of the deer, elk, moose, hawks, eagles, coyotes and red • Males gain and lose weight more rapidly Uinta Mountains. The route peaks at an elevation fox along the road. The Bear River Watershed than females. of 10,620 feet on Bald Mountain Pass. The Uinta runs from Whitney Reservoir in the Uinta’s to the • Both sexes essentially starve a little each Mountain Range is the only range in the contigu- Great Salt Lake in Utah. As it meanders along the by-way, one learns that it is the largest river in day during severe winters because they can’t ous United States with an east to west axis. Reprinted from Wyoming Department of North America where the waters do not reach an eat enough forage to maintain their body Transportation Brochure Ocean. The river is 500 miles long and enters the weight. states of Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho a total of five • Good quality habitat may keep them from Big Spring Scenic Backway times and yet it is only 90 miles from its headwa- starving to death except in the very worst This 68-mile route from Kemmerer to Cokeville ters to the mouth of the lake. criss-crosses historic immigrant trails, parallels of winters. The river runs by the historical Myers willowy river valleys, and plunges deep into the Crossing. It was here in 1858 that John Myers • Antler growth in males begins in the uncrowded wilds of the Tunp Mountain Range located his ranch. It was also called the Bear River spring. As fall and the rut approaches, the and the Bridger National Forest. Traveler services Station on the Overland Stage Route and a chang- males’ necks and shoulders swell, they are available in Kemmerer, Cokeville, and ing station for the Pony Express in 1861. become hyperactive and aggressive and Diamondville, and limited services are available at Ranching dominates private property land use begin to eat less food. the Viva Naughton Lake Marina. adjacent to the Mirror Lake scenic byway, and is The easternmost stretch of this byway begins an important industry in Uinta County. The area • Mule deer have their young in riparian areas with a two-lane, paved road that takes the traveler includes working ranches that span generations and aspen stands when they are available. as far as the northern end of Lake Viva Naughton. who have raised cattle, sheep, and hay. It would • Under good conditions, most mule deer It then becomes oiled gravel, and finally loose not be unusual for a traveler to see a cowboy gravel at the forest boundary. Good tires are highly does have twins. Fawns average seven to herding sheep down the highway or a harvesting recommended, as well as high clearance vehicles eight pounds at birth. crew working in the fields. Livestock feeding, beyond the Kelley Guard Station. Pavement branding, roping and irrigating chores can be • Mule deer nearly disappeared from the resumes at Hwy 232, twelve miles east of seen from spring to fall and visitors are especially plains by the late 1930s, probably due to Cokeville. Drive time for this byway is a minimum excited during lambing and calving season. the combination of excessive hunting, sev- of two hours, not including time to stop and enjoy Just off the highway, one can see the Sulphur eral periods of severe drought, complicated the scenery and recreational opportunities. Creek Reservoir that provides a wide variety of by over-grazing by domestic livestock and Reprinted from Wyoming Department of recreational opportunities. Summer activities

All Wyoming Area Codes are 307 Transportation Brochure several extremely severe winters. Mule deer include boating, water skiing, windsurfing, pic- nicking, hiking, and fishing. Winter activities populations have rebounded in most of Scenic By-Way 150 include ice fishing, ice skating and kite surfing. their range. By Denise Wheeler of Evanston Reservoir facilities include a boat ramp and dock, picnic shelter, vault toilets, and group camping. Source: Bureau of Land Management Rock Scenic By-Way 150 stretches between Evanston, Millions of years ago, an east/west fracture in Springs District Wyoming and Kamas, Utah, and includes some of the earth’s crust led to an uplifting that resulted in Wyoming’s most beautiful and historic areas. the birth of the high Uinta Mountains. With an

242 Ultimate Wyoming Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia approximate span of 150 miles in length and 35 Marked with blue diamonds, this trail connects the southern end of the Greys River Road (10126) and miles in width, this mountain range is one of only Red Canyon Visitor Center with Greendale heads east. A parking area for trailers is located at 2.8 a few in North America running east to west. The Overlook. It follows the rim of the canyon for mi., vehicles without trailers can continue for another .8 High Uintas are a very old mountain range com- abut one mile to Canyon Rim Campground and miles. A small sign identifies the trail. From Middle prised primarily of quartzite rock. The forces of offers spectacular views of 1400 foot deep Red Piney Lake, the trail begins at the Middle Piney Lake erosion and glaciers have shaped the rugged peaks Canyon. Past the campground, the trail makes a Campground at the end of Forest road 10024, 24 mi. and formed the many beautiful lakes that provide 2.75 miles loop giving hikers the opportunity to from the town of Big Piney. great fishing. All along the by-way are camp- continue further along the rim or hike past scenic grounds with water and toilets and hundreds of Greens Lake. It then drops down into Skull A historic lookout cabin on the summit of miles of hiking and biking trails. The Bear River Creek for a short distance on its gentle ascent to Wyoming Peak offers spectacular views of the sur- Lodge on the Wyoming side of the mountains Greendale Overlook. Quiet hikers may see rounding mountain ranges. From Shale Creek, in provides food, groceries, camping supplies and moose, elk, deer, and other wildlife. the Greys River drainage, the trail climbs switch- rental cabins. Off road vehicles may be rented in backs 2.5 mi. to the summit; the Peak also accessi- the summer and snowmobiles in the winter. Dowd Mountain/ Hideout Canyon Trail ble from Middle Piney Lake, a 5-mi. hike one way. Early day timber cutting in the Headwater Distance: 5 miles Drainages of the Bear River occurred between 1870 Climb: 1,600 feet (descent) Fossil Butte National Monument and 1900. Cut and burned-over areas indicate a Rating: moderate Historic Quarry Trail large amount of timber was removed during this Usage: moderate time frame. Large sawmills were established that Location: Go four miles down Utah 44 at the end of This trail, just over two and one-half miles in used the logs that were floated down the river dur- Dowd Mountain road. length, leads to the site of a historic fossil quarry on the face of the butte. The interpretive signs ing the spring run-off. Railroad ties were an early This trail descends from Dowd Mountain to product of timber cutting, and charcoal produced along the trail will help you understand the natural Hideout Boat Camp. The first mile is relatively and cultural history of this semi-arid environment. in the kilns at Hilliard and Piedmont were shipped flat and offers scenic views of the Flaming Gorge. to smelters in Utah and Colorado. An Historic tie- Comfortable walking shoes, water, and insect hack cabin is well-preserved at the Forest Service Ute Mountain Trail repellant will add to a safe and pleasant hike. Check at the Visitor Center for trail conditions. office at milepost 46.4. A guide to the Mirror Lake Distance: 2 miles The tops of the buttes are prone to lightning scenic byway with listings of all campgrounds and Climb: 600 feet (descent) strikes. If you are hiking as a storm approaches, side trips may be purchased here. Rating: easy seek shelter in a low lying area such as a ditch or The Wyoming side of the Mirror Lake scenic Usage: heavy draw, avoid trees and metal objects. Crouch down by-way 150 is open year round. Additional infor- Location: Take FDR 5, just south of FDR 221, to the and wait for the storm to pass. mation may be secured by calling the Evanston Sheep Creek Geologic Loop. Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-328-9708, the The first documented discovery of fossil fish Bear River State Park at 1-307-789-6547 or the This trail connects the Ute Lookout Tower with was in 1856. Originally the interest in the fossils Section 4 Bear River Ranger station at 1-435-642-6662. the Browne Lake Campground. The fire tower is and the Green River Formation was scientific, open seasonally to the public. with references being made in various geographic surveys and associated reports. By the turn of the HIKES Tamarack Lake Trail century, however, many fossil fishermen were col- Flaming Gorge Area Distance: 3 miles lecting fossils. Little is known about these early Climb: gentle collectors. Some were local workers who quarried Little Hole Trail Rating: easy for extra income. Many sold fossils to large muse- Distance: 7 miles Usage: moderate/ heavy ums back east and passengers on the trains pass- Climb: flat Location: Trailhead begins at the west end of Spirit ing through the old town of Fossil. Rating: easy Lake Campground. Take a few moments to enjoy the scenery and Usage: moderate/ heavy become familiar with the area around you. Location: Take access road below Flaming Gorge This trail begins between Spirit Lake This abandoned quarry site is 7,410 feet above Dam, off of Hwy. 191. Campground and Lodge. It ascends to Tamarack sea level, about 600 feet higher than the beginning Lake. A side trail goes to scenic Jessen Lake. The of the trail. In the time since the sediments were This trail follows the north side of the Green River high Uintas Wilderness is accessed by continuing deposited in Fossil Lake some 50 million years below the dam and is the main angler access. For west from Tamarack Lake. ago, they have uplifted about 6,000 feet. non-anglers, the trail offers a scenic walk along As you go up the trail following the arrows the Green River, with opportunities for viewing Cokeville Area and numbered markers we remind you to watch K wildlife. Another section of the trail continues EMMERER out for people below. The trail is steep and cuts S

Lake Alice OUTHWEST downstream from Little Hole, ascends to a scenic through a talus slope of loose rock. Do not throw bench above the river, descends to the riverside, Distance: 1.5 miles or roll any objects from the trail or quarry. then fades out about two miles below Little Hole. Climb: gentle Take time and be sure of your footing.

Rating: easy , G Bear Canyon/ Bootleg Trail Usage: moderate 1. Ash Layers REEN Distance: 3 miles Location: Take FDR 10069 off of Hwy. 232 just north Ash layers from ancient volcanoes periodically A Climb: gentle of the Pine Creek Fish Hatchery. Follow it to FDR covered Fossil Lake. Although the volcanic activi- REA

Rating: easy 1066, just past the Ranger Station, and bear right. At ty had a definite effect on the lake environment, it R I VRAND IVER Usage: moderate/ heavy the junction with FDR 10193, bear left and follow the did not “kill” the lake. Fossils are found after NCLUDING Location: Trailhead is found opposite Firefighter’s road to the campground. A trail from Hobble Creek (above) these layers. The ash or “Tuff” layers are Campground on Hwy. 191. Campground leads to the lake. recognizable throughout Fossil Basin and are used This trail marked with blue diamonds passes as marker-beds by geologists. Minerals within The largest natural lake in Bridger-Teton’s south these ash deposits can be radiometrically dated. R E through open forest and meadows, ending at a end, with magnificent scenery and recreation OCK scenic viewpoint overlooking the reservoir. opportunities, Lake Alice is popular for hiking, 2. Salt Lake VANSTON

horseback riding, and mountain biking. Several The light tan rocks were formed in shallow water S

Canyon Rim Trail PRINGS trails from other locations also lead to the lake. that was saline (salty). These beds typically do Distance: 5 miles

not have as many well preserved fossils or fine , Climb: gentle laminae (layers) as other layers on the butte. Rating: easy/ moderate Big Piney Area Usage: moderate Wyoming Peak 3. Rock Layers Location: Trail begins at the Red Canyon Visitor Center, Distance: 2.5 to 5 miles The Green River Formation has many distinctive about 3 mi. N of the junction of Utah 44 and Hwy. 191. Climb: steep horizontal layers. The natural tendency of this It also has access points at Canyon Rim Campground (2 Rating: moderate/ difficult rock is to break along these flat-lying planes. This mi. from junction) and Greens Lake Campground and Usage: moderate is due to the settling of fine particles through Greendale Rest Area (1 mi. from junction). Location: The Shale Creek Road (10138) is located near water that forms paper thin layers. www.ultimatewyoming.com 243 4. Oil Shale enable it to survive. Its leaves are narrow which INFORMATION PLEASE Although often called oil shale, this finely lami- reduce the surface area where evaporation can nated rock is a type of limestone that contains take place. The roots extend horizontally, like fin- abundant layers of organic material. The original gers, so that they can retain water on the surface Tourism Information organic material was converted into kerogen by and vertically (10-20 feet) to obtain ground water. Cokeville Chamber of Commerce 279-3200 heat and pressure. Close examination of this unit The tall green-leafed bush just in front of the Green River Chamber of Commerce 875-5711 will reveal very fine alternating light and dark marker is serviceberry. Its fruit provides food for Kemmerer Chamber of Commerce 877-9761 bands. Each represents a change in the lake side mule deer, moose, and humans. Native La Barge Chamber of Commerce 386-2221 environment. As many as 5,000 of these laminae Americans mixed serviceberries with fat and jerky Chamber of Commerce - Rock Springs362-3771 can be counted in a one-foot thick section. to make “pemmican”, which was stuffed into buf- Laminae counts vary in number based on where falo intestines and kept for the winter months. Government they occur in the lake. Geologists now question Today, people make preserves from serviceberry. BLM Kemmerer Field Office 828-4500 the classic “varve” model (seasonally deposited The large 6-8 inch holes, in the ground, are BLM Rock Springs Field Office 352-0256 laminae), thought to have occurred at Fossil Lake. badger dens. Badgers feed on small mammals Bridger-Teton National Forest - Kemmerer Ranger including the Uinta Ground Squirrel, mice, and 5. Fossils! District 877-4415 other rodents. Once a badger abandons its den, a Ashley National Forest - Green River Office As you look at this wall you will find a number of fox or jackrabbit may inhabit it. brown inclusions. These are fossils. The pores 875-2871 within the original skeletal material have been 3. Green River Formation Wasatch-Cache National Forests - Evanston filled by mineral deposits. The coloring is derived The tan to yellowish rock in front of you is part of Ranger District 789-3194 from: iron (red, orange, brown); copper (blue); the Green River Formation deposited as sediments Wasatch-Cache National Forests -Mountain View and carbon (brown). in Fossil Lake 50 million years ago. At the time of Ranger District 782-6555 its existence, Fossil Lake was at an elevation of Car Rentals Help to protect Fossil Butte! about 1000 feet and approximately 50 miles long All objects in the monument: rocks, fossils, arti- and 10 miles wide. Today, what remains of the Rent A Wreck • Green River 875-4000 facts, wildflowers and animals, must be left in lake bottom is approximately 7500 feet above sea Affordable Used Car Rental • Evanston place and undisturbed so that others may enjoy level, the result of geologic uplift occurring 5-10 789-3096 them. No personal collecting is allowed. This pro- million years ago. Since then, wind and water Hertz • Rock Springs 382-3262 tection is not only the law, it is a matter of good have been at work carrying away the softer sedi- Wayne’s Car Rental • Rock Springs 362-6970 citizenship and consideration for others. ments leaving only remnants of Fossil Lake—like Hospitals Fossil Lake Trail Guide Fossil Butte and the ridge above you. This 1-1/2 mile trail provides a view of the flora The rock layers are predominantly limestone, Evanston Regional Hospital • and fauna on the monument. It winds through an mudstone, volcanic ash, and dolomite, dispersed Evanston 789-3636 aspen grove, high desert landscape and near a throughout the formation. Fossil fish are found in South Lincoln Medical Center • Kemmerer beaver pond. Outcroppings above the trail are many layers of the Green River Formation. These 877-4401 limestone lake sediments. Here, and throughout include relatives of the herring family, paddle- Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County • the monument, you are likely to notice sites fish, gar, bowfin, and stingray. Rock Springs 362-3711 Research and commercial quarrying has where these sediments have been scientifically Airports sampled. Your assistance in not disturbing these occurred in the Green River Formation since the Section 4 fragile sites is important. late 1800s. The Historic Quarry Trail, located Rock Springs 352-6880 Fossil Lake Trail leads to the bottom layers of southeast of the Visitor Center, provides a closer Evanston 789-2256 this now dry lake bed. Snow and rain filter down look at an inactive quarry. Golf through the limestone, where lenses of clay trap 4. Aspen Grove the moisture. The water is slowly released, creating Aspen groves suggest the presence of water near the Purple Sage Golf Course • Evanston 789-2383 outflows, or springs, that support the aspen groves. surface and support a variety of plants and animals. Rolling Green Country Club • Markers have been placed at five locations Mule deer, elk, and moose use the aspen groves for Green River 875-6200 along the trail. The numbered sections in this shelter and food. Beavers use the trees for building White Mountain Golf Course • guide correspond with the markers. material and the bark and leaves for food. Height, Rock Springs 352-1415 Comfortable shoes, drinking water, and insect not the number of trees, indicates the amount of Kemmerer Field Club • Kemmerer 877-6954 repellant will add to a safe and pleasant hike. moisture in an aspen grove. The taller the trees are, Check with a ranger for trail conditions. the more moisture there is in the ground. Ski Areas Pine Creek Ski Area 279-3201 1. Beaver Pond 5. Dead and Down Material Beavers have been active in the aspen groves Some may see a dead tree as useless or unsightly. Guest Ranches around you. Look carefully to see evidence of However, dead and dying wood is one of nature’s their presence. The beaver alters its environment most valuable resources. A large variety of organ- Flying V Ranch • Kemmerer 386-2465 more than any other animal except man. Beaver isms live in or on dead trees, including squirrels, Lodges and Resorts dams change the flow of springs and streams; cre- woodpeckers, bats, lichen, fungi, and mosses. ate ponds that provide protection for the beavers, Tree cavities are important to a variety of animals Little America • Little America 875-2400 and habitat for various forms of life. These ponds because they provide a place to sleep, nest, rest, also create an ideal ecosystem for plant growth. and breed. Dead and dying wood is more alive Bed and Breakfasts Beavers renew the environment of aspen groves than a living tree, as it has more nutrients and Clark Country B&B • Cokeville 279-3336 by removing the older, larger trees and allowing can hold more water. Pine Gables Inn B&B • Evanston 789-2069 the younger seedlings to regenerate. Help to protect Fossil Butte! Outfitters and Guides 2. High Desert All objects in the monument including rocks, fos- Although it may look sparse and unpopulated, sils, artifacts, wildflowers and animals must be Western Discovery Tours G 789-3655 the high desert ecosystem is abundant with plant left in place and undisturbed so that others may Paintrock Outfitters FGE 765-2556 and animal life. For plants and animals in this enjoy them. No personal collecting is allowed. DT Outfitting EG 386-2499 ecosystem, obtaining and retaining water is vital. This is not only the law, but is also a matter of Magic Mountains Outfitters FHER 279-3345 All Wyoming Area Codes are 307 Sagebrush, the grayish-green plant that domi- good citizenship and consideration for others. nates the landscape, has several features that

NOTES:

244 Ultimate Wyoming Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia Dining Quick Reference Price Range refers to the average cost of a meal per person: ($) $1-$6, ($$) $7-$11, ($$$) $12-up. Cocktails: “Yes” indicates full bar; Beer (B)/Wine (W), Service: Breakfast (B), Brunch (BR), Lunch (L), Dinner (D). Businesses in bold print will have additional information under the appropriate map locator number in the body of this section.

MAP# RESTAURANT TYPE PRICE CHILD COCKTAILS MEALS CREDIT CUISINE RANGE MENU BEER SERVED CARDS WINE ACCEPTED

2 Lew’s Family Restaurant Chinese American $$ Yes Yes L/D Major 2 City Limits sandwich $ No L 2 Casa Chavez Mexican $$ No L/D M/V 3 Santa Fe Trail Restaurant Family $ B/L/D Major 3 Burger King Fast Food $ Yes D/L/B M/V 3 Renegade Cafe Family $ B/L/D 3 Thad’s Restaurant American $ Yes B/L/D/BR Major 5 The Inn at Rock Springs Steakhouse $$ Yes Yes D Major 5 Wyoming Cattle Company Steakhouse $$$ Yes Yes D Major 5 Taco Time Mexican $ Yes L/D Major 5 Nacho Nana’s Fast Food $ Yes L/D 5 China King Buffet Chinese $/$$ L/D Major 6 JB’s Restaurant American $$ Yes W/B L/D/B Major 6 Pizza Hut Pizza $$ Yes B L/D Major 6 Wonderful House Chinese $$ Yes B/W L/D Major 6 McDonald's Fast Food $ Yes L/D/B 6 Taco Bell Fast Food $ Yes L/D 6 McDonald’s Fast Food $ L/D/B 6 Wendy’s Fast Food $ L/D 6 Village Inn Family $$ Yes B/L/D Major

6 Rocky Mountain Noodle Italian $/$$ L/D M/V Section 4 6 Subway Sandwiches/ $ Yes L/D M/V 6 Killpepper’s Family $/$$ No L/D 6 KFC Fast Food $ Yes L/D 7 Los Cabos Mexican Restaurant Mexican $$ Yes W/B D/L M/V 7 Fiesta Guadalajara Mexican $$ Yes D/L Major 7 Broadway Burger Station Burgers $/$$ No L/D 7 Boschetto’s European Market & Caterers Deli $$ L/D Major 10 Don Pedro Mexican Family Mexican $$ Yes W/B L/D M/V 10 Sage Creek Bagels Deli/Café $$/$ Yes L/B M/V 10 Buckaroos Family Restaurant Deli/Café $$/$ Yes Yes L/B/D M/V 10 Gerry’s Snack Bar sandwiches $ Yes L/D 10 Arctic Circle Burgers $ L/D Major 10 China Garden Restaurant Chinese/American $$ Yes Yes L/D Major 10 Pizza Hut Pizza $$ Yes B L/D Major 10 Penny’s Diner Family $$ Yes L/D/B Major

10 Log Inn Supper Club Steak/Seafood $$$ Yes Yes D Major K EMMERER

10 Krazy Moose Restaurant Fine Family Dining $$$/$$ Yes D/B/L Major S 10 Sweet Inspirations Bakery/Sandwiches $ No L/B M/V OUTHWEST 10 Red Feather Restaurant Family $/$$ Yes Yes B/L/D Major 12 Denali Grill Eclectic $$/$$$ Yes Yes L/D Major , G 12 Taco Time Mexican $ Yes L/D REEN 12 Mi Casita Mexican Food Mexican $$ Yes W/B L/D M/V A 12 Java Connection Coffee House/deli $ Yes D/L Major REA

12 Other Place Restaurant American $$ Yes Yes D/L/B Major R I VRAND IVER 12 Taco Johns Fast Food $ Yes L/D NCLUDING 12 Subway Sandwiches/ $ Yes L/D Major 19 Holding’s Little America Family $/$$ Yes Yes B/L/D Major 23 Taco Time Mexican $ Yes Yes L/D R E 23 Cowboy Inn Restaurant American $$ Yes B/L/D Major OCK VANSTON 25 Mountain View Drive Inn Fast Food $ Yes L/D Major

25 Pizza Hut Pizza $$ Yes B L/D Major S PRINGS 25 Pony Express Restaurant American $$ Yes L/D

29 Wagon Wheel Café Family $$ Yes B/L/D , 29 Mrs. B’s Restaurant Family $/$$ Yes B/D/L 33 Old Mill Restaurant Steak & Seafood $$ Yes B/L/D Major 33 Circle Star Grille Family $ Yes L/D/B Major 33 Rustic Bear Town Restaurant Family $$ Yes Yes L/D Major 33 Jack's River Pub American $$ Yes L/D Major 34 Sonic Fast Food $ Yes L/D Major 34 Domino’s Pizza Pizza $$$/$$ No Yes D/L Major www.ultimatewyoming.com 245 Dining Quick Reference-Continued Price Range refers to the average cost of a meal per person: ($) $1-$6, ($$) $7-$11, ($$$) $12-up. Cocktails: “Yes” indicates full bar; Beer (B)/Wine (W), Service: Breakfast (B), Brunch (BR), Lunch (L), Dinner (D). Businesses in bold print will have additional information under the appropriate map locator number in the body of this section.

MAP# RESTAURANT TYPE PRICE CHILD COCKTAILS MEALS CREDIT CUISINE RANGE MENU BEER SERVED CARDS WINE ACCEPTED

34 Don Pedro’s Mexican $$ Yes Yes D/L Major 34 Dragon Wall Chinese $$ Yes D/L Major 34 Main Street Artisan’s Café & Gallery Casual Gourmet $$ No L/B Major 34 Papa Murphy’s Pizza Pizza $$/$ No D V/M 34 Pizza Hut Pizza $$ Yes B D/L Major 34 Taco John’s Fast Food $ Yes D/L 34 Subway Sandwiches $ Yes D/L M/V 34 Wendy’s Fast Food $ Yes D/L Major 34 Main Street Deli Deli $ No B/L V/M 34 El Rancho Grande Mexican $$ Yes Yes L/D Major 34 Purple Sage Fine Dining $$$ Yes Yes L/D Major 34 Hernandez Tacos & Restaurant Mexican $$ Yes B L/D M/V 34 McDonald’s Fast Food $ No L/B/D 34 Arby’s Fast Food $$$/$ Yes D/L Major 34 Michael’s Bar & Grill Fine Dining $$$ Yes Yes L/D Major 34 Mother Mae’s Kitchen Family $$ Yes Yes L/D 34 Wally’s Burgers Fast Food $ Yes D/L M/V 34 High Stakes Grill Family $$ Yes B/L/D Major 34 Hunan Garden Chinese $/$$ No Major 35 BW Dunmar Inn & Legal Tender Restaurant Steak & Seafood $$$ Yes Yes B/L/D Major 35 Rendezvous Restaurant & Sports Bar Barbeque $$ Yes Yes B/L/D Major 35 A&W Fast Food $ Yes 35 Burger King Fast Food $ Yes L/D/B M/V 35 KC’s Café & Latté American $$ Yes L/D/B M/V 35 KFC Fast Food $ Yes L/D 35 JB’s Restaurant American $$ Yes W/B L/D/B Major

Section 4 35 Flying J - The Cookery Buffet $$ Yes L/D/B Major 35 Lotty’s Family Restaurant Family $$ Yes Yes L/D/B Major 35 Blimpie’s Sandwiches/ $ Yes L/D Major 35 Bon Rico Restaurant Fine Dining $$$ Yes Yes D M/V 38 Arctic Circle Burgers $ Yes L/D Major 38 Pizza Hut Pizza $$ Yes B L/D Major 38 Luigi’s Restaurant Italian $$ Yes L/D Major 39 Bootleggers Steakhouse & Grill Family $$ Yes Yes D Major 39 Busy Bee Café Family $$ Yes D/B/L 39 King Cone Drive-In Fast Food $ No D/L 39 Westerner Café Family $$ Yes B/L/D Major 39 Taco Time Mexican $ L/D 40 Hams Fork Buffet & Mesquite Grill Buffet $ No D/L/B Major 40 Polar King Drive-In Fast Food $ No L/D/B 40 Lake Viva Naughton Marina Hotel Family $$ Yes Yes B/L/D Major 43 Country Market Restaurant Family $$ Yes B/L/D Major 43 A&W - Tri-Mart Fast Food $ Yes L/D 45 Mitch’s Café American $$ Yes Yes B/L/D M/V 48 Timberline Restaurant American $$ Yes B/L/D 48 Dry Creek Station Deli Deli $ L Major 58 Dredge Station American $$ Yes Yes L/D Major

NOTES: All Wyoming Area Codes are 307

246 Ultimate Wyoming Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia Motel Quick Reference Price Range: ($) Under $40 ; ($$) $40-$60; ($$$) $60-$80, ($$$$) Over $80. Pets [check with the motel for specific policies] (P), Dining (D), Lounge (L), Disabled Access (DA), Full Breakfast (FB), Cont. Breakfast (CB), Indoor Pool (IP), Outdoor Pool (OP), Hot Tub (HT), Sauna (S), Refrigerator (R), Microwave (M) (Microwave and Refrigerator indicated only if in majority of rooms), Kitchenette (K). All Wyoming area codes are 307.

MAP # HOTEL PHONE NUMBER PRICE BREAKFAST POOL/ NON OTHER CREDIT ROOMS RANGE HOT TUB SMOKE AMENITIES CARDS SAUNA ROOMS

2 Econo Lodge 382-4217 95 $$$ CB OP/HT Yes P/D/K Major 2 Best Western Outlaw Inn 362-6623 101 $$$$/$$$ IP Yes D/L Major 2 Economy Guest Village 362-3763 28 $ R/M Major 2 Sands Inn 362-3739 20 $$ No D/L M/V 3 Days Inn 362-5646 107 $$$ CB OP Yes R/M/P Major 3 Elk Street Motel 362-3705 18 $ No P/R/M/K M/V 5 Ramada Limited 362-1770 129 $$$ CB OP Yes P/DA Major 5 The Inn at Rock Springs 362-9600 142 $$ CB HT/IP Yes DA/L/D/P/R/M Major 5 Motel 6 362-1850 130 $ IP P Major 5 Wingate Inn 382-5181 85 $$$$ CB HT/IP Yes DA/M/R Major 6 Motel 8 362-8200 91 $$ Yes P Major 6 Super 8 - Rock Spring 362-3800 49 $$ CB IP Yes DA Major 6 Budget Host Inn 362-6673 32 CB Yes P/R/M Major 6 Comfort Inn 382-9490 103 $$$ CB OP/HT Yes DA/K Major 6 Holiday Inn 382-9200 114 $$ IP Yes K/P/D Major 6 Sunset Suites 362-5155 41 $$ OP Yes P/K Major 7 Walker’s Motel 875-3567 6 $$/$ Yes P Major 7 Springs Motel 362-6683 23 $/$$ P Major 7 Cody Motel 362-6675 37 $ No P/M/R Major

10 Coachman Inn Motel 875-3681 18 $$ Yes P Major Section 4 10 Mustang Motel 875-2468 19 $ Yes P/R/M Major 10 Flaming Gorge Motel 875-4190 17 $$ Yes P/K M/V 10 Oak Tree Inn 875-3500 190 $$ FB HT Yes P/D/DA Major 10 Western Inn 875-2840 31 $$ CB HT Yes P/DA/M/R Major 11 Super 8 875-9330 37 $$/$$$ CB HT Yes P/K/M/R Major 11 Desmond Motel 875-3701 22 $$/$ Yes P Major 12 Sweet Dreams Inn 875-7554 30 $$/$$$ HT Yes L/D Major 13 Steinaker Motel 784-3104 5 No K 15 Flaming Gorge Lodge 889-3773 5 $$$ Yes D/R/M/K Major 19 Little America 875-2400 138 $$$$ IP Yes DA/P/R/M Major 23 Valley West Motel 787-3700 42 $$ Yes K/P Major 29 Wagon Wheel Motel 782-6361 56 $$ P/D/K/L Major 33 Americas Best Value 789-7510 87 $$ P/DA/R/M Major 33 Prairie Inn Motel 789-2920 31 $$ CB Yes P Major 33 Vagabond Motel 789-2902 30 $ Yes p Major 33 Motel 6 789-0791 91 $$ OP Yes Major K EMMERER 34 High Country Inn 789-2810 115 $$ OP Yes D/L/P/K Major S OUTHWEST 34 Hillcrest DX Motel 789-1111 40 $ Yes P/L M/V 35 Day's Inn 789-0783 94 $$$/$$$$ CB IP Yes R/M Major

35 Best Western Dunmar Inn 789-3770 165 $$$$ HT/S/OP Yes R/M/DA Major , G

35 Holiday Inn Express 789-9999 62 $$$$ CB IP Yes DA/P/R/M REEN A

35 Comfort Inn - Evanston 789-7799 56 $$$$ CB IP/HT Yes P/D/R/M/K Major REA 35 Howard Johnsons 789-2220 113 $$$ HT/S/OP Yes D/L/P/DA/K Major R I VRAND IVER

35 Weston Plaza 789-0783 94 $$$ CB IP Yes D/L/P/K Major NCLUDING 35 High Country Inn 789-8980 111 $$ OP DA/L/D/P Major 35 Economy Inn 789-2777 80 $$ CB Yes P/DA Major 38 Energy Inn 877-6901 42 $$ K/P M/V

39 Fairview Motel 877-3938 61 $$ Yes P/M/R/DA Major R E OCK 39 Antler Motel 877-4461 55 $$ Yes M/R M/V VANSTON

39 Fossil Butte Motel 877-3996 13 $$$ Yes P/M/R Major S

39 Downtown Motel 877-3710 11 $ No PRINGS

40 Lake Viva Naughton Marina Hotel 877-9669 34 $/$$ K/L/D/P M/V , 43 Valley Hi Motel 279-3251 18 Yes P/R M/V 43 Hideout Motel 279-3281 13 $$ Yes P/R/M Major 45 Dwayne Mitchelson Motel 273-9200 10 $ P 45 Sitzman’s Motel 273-9246 10 $ D/P 48 Red Cliffs Motel 386-9269 9 $$ Yes K 48 Wyoming Inn 386-2654 28 $$/$ Yes 58 Dredge Station 339-7404 4 $$$ P/D/L/K/R Major www.ultimatewyoming.com 247 Searching for that perfect western gift or decorative item? Don't miss the huge selection of quality-crafted items at the Gift Corral. A full selection of their signature products are available online, including handmade bath and body products, Moose Drool novelty items, whimsical bear and moose figurines, stuffed animals, wood carvings, Christmas ornaments reflecting the Western spirit, clothing, antler art, handcrafted jewelry, gourmet foods, Montana Silversmiths items, household décor WWW. GIFTCORRAL. COM items ranging from lamps to rustic furniture to picture frames, and much, much more!

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