THE WAY WEST A Historical Context of the Oregon, California, Mormon Pioneer, and Pony Express National Historic Trails in Wyoming 2014 Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office COVER PHOTO The Oregon Trail at Prospect Ridge. Photo courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management. The traveler who flies across the continent in palace cars, skirting occasionally the old emigrant road, may think that he realizes the trials of such a journey. Nothing but actual experience will give one an idea of the plodding, unvarying monotony, the vexations, the exhaustive energy, the throbs of hope, the depths of despair, through which we lived. Luzena Stanley Wilson - ‘49er TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ..............................................................................................................................................9 Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................................... 11 Statement of Purpose and Need .........................................................................................................................15 Chapter I. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................17 Chapter II. Historical Overview of the Oregon/California/Mormon Pioneer/Pony Express National Historic Trails in Wyoming .................................................................................................................25 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................25 The Journey ......................................................................................................................................25 Emigrant Trails become National Historic Trails ............................................................................ 29 Origins of the Trails ..................................................................................................................................... 31 Pioneers of the Journey ................................................................................................................................32 Migration of the Saints .................................................................................................................................35 The California Gold Rush ............................................................................................................................40 Emigrant Trail Variants East of South Pass ................................................................................................. 41 Plateau and River Routes .................................................................................................................41 Childs Route..................................................................................................................................... 42 Emigrant Gap and Bessemer Bend Routes ......................................................................................44 Seminoe Cutoff ................................................................................................................................ 45 Emigrant Trail Variants West of South Pass ................................................................................................ 45 Sublette Cutoff .................................................................................................................................45 Primary/Bridger Route .....................................................................................................................47 Slate Creek/Kinney Cutoff Variants .................................................................................................48 Lander Road/Cutoff ......................................................................................................................... 49 Hams Fork and Blacks Fork Cutoffs ............................................................................................... 51 Native American Conflicts and Military Protection .....................................................................................52 Freighting, the Pony Express, and the Telegraph .........................................................................................56 End of the Trail Migration Era .....................................................................................................................62 Chapter III. Summary of Previous Contextual Studies .................................................................................. 67 Chapter IV. Management Objectives and Constraints ..................................................................................... 73 General Management Objectives .................................................................................................................73 Management Constraints ............................................................................................................................. 75 Management Accomplishments ...................................................................................................................75 Chapter V. General Management Policy ......................................................................................................... 77 Limitations of Management Policy ..............................................................................................................77 Trail Corridor Concept .................................................................................................................................77 Physical Protection of Trail Resources ........................................................................................................ 78 Best Management Practices for Trail Settings .............................................................................................80 Classification of Trail Segments .................................................................................................................. 81 1 Chapter VI. National Register Evaluation .......................................................................................................85 Nomination to the National Register of Historic Places ..............................................................................85 National Register Criteria for Evaluation .................................................................................................... 85 Application of National Register Criteria to National Historic Trails/Related Resources .......................... 85 Criterion A ........................................................................................................................................85 Criterion B ....................................................................................................................................... 85 Criterion C ....................................................................................................................................... 86 Criterion D ....................................................................................................................................... 86 Assessment of Integrity ................................................................................................................................86 Location ........................................................................................................................................... 86 Design .............................................................................................................................................. 86 Setting .............................................................................................................................................. 87 Materials and Workmanship ............................................................................................................ 87 Feeling ..............................................................................................................................................87 Association .......................................................................................................................................87 Historic Themes ...........................................................................................................................................88 Trail-specific sub-themes ............................................................................................................................. 88 Oregon National Historic Trail ........................................................................................................ 88 California National Historic Trail ....................................................................................................89 Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail .........................................................................................89 Pony Express National Historic Trail .............................................................................................. 89 Historic Trail Property Types .......................................................................................................................89 Trail Trace ........................................................................................................................................89 Trail Variations .......................................................................................................................................90