This is the second in a three part series of posts on the Oregon Trail. The first is titled The Oregon Trail, Fort Kearny to Fort Bridger, and the third is The Oregon Trail in Idaho and Oregon. I plan to continue to update and improve these posts and I appreciate your feedback and comments.
After crossing the Continental Divide at South Pass the westward emigrants entered the heart of fur trapping country. This was the Green River drainage, an area that had been extensively explored in the 1830's by Jedidiah Smith on behalf of General Ashley's Rocky Mountain Fur Company. Not a trapper himself, Ashley, along with his partner Major Andrew Henry, recruited young men to follow the tributary streams of The Green River, harvesting thousands of beaver pelts during the last heyday of the fur trade.
As well as exploring the region for fur trapping opportunities, Ashley had the secondary purpose of following up on the possibility of a water route to the Pacific Ocean. The idea that a river flowed across the Great Basin, and somehow through the Sierras to the Pacific was the product of the report of the Dominguez- Escalante Party of 1776 who were exploring a route to connect the Spanish missions of Santa Fe, New Mexico and Monterey, California. These Spanish explorers crossed the Green River near Split Mountain in Utah and somehow got the idea that it looped westward farther south and continued on to the ocean. This was most likely the result of misunderstanding their Ute guides. This idea was reinforced when, after crossing the Wasatch Range and heading south, they crossed the Sevier River which was flowing west. They interpreted this as an extension of The Green River which they dubbed El Rio Buenaventura.
Ashley had a better understanding of the geography of this region but he was not about to ignore the possibility of a westward water route. With this in mind, he sent Jedidiah Smith to explore The Bear River and the Great Salt Lake seeking the Rio Buenaventura. Of course the fabled water route did not exist but in the process Smith, and other mountain men, developed the land routes that would become the Oregon and California Trails.
Another of Ashley's mountain men that developed an extensive knowledge of the trails and watercourses of the Rocky Mountain West was Jim Bridger. With the severe decline of the fur trade in the 1840's he decided to used that knowledge to make a living by other means and opened a trading post on the Black Fork River near the north slope of The Uinta Mountains in 1842.
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| The Uinta Mts. in Wyoming |
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| Fort Bridger Replica |
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| Fort Bridger Replica interior |
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| The Trader's quarters |
Bridger and his partner, trader Louis Vazquez, knew what they were doing. Westward emigration had begun in 1836 with the Whitman-Spalding Party traveling to Fort Vancouver in Oregon Territory, followed by the Bidwell Party bound for California in 1841. The route from the North Platte River to The Snake River crossed South Pass, The Green River, and The Bear River Divide with no opportunity to resupply or repair equipment from Fort Laramie on The North Platte to Fort Hall on The Snake River. Fort Bridger was strategically placed approximately half way in between.
Not that it was much of a fort. As you can see, it was a collection of log buildings that provided little in the way of accommodations or supplies. It did, however, include a blacksmith's forge and it provided an area of ample forage and water for the travelers' livestock. In spite of the fort's fine location it never achieved great financial success for Bridger. In part, this was due to his lack of business acumen and long absences, but also because of his conflicts with the Mormons.
In 1846, the Hastings Party and the Donner-Reed Party passed Fort Bridger on their way to California via the Salt Lake Valley. The "Hastings Cutoff" proved disastrous for the Donner-Reed Party but open the way for the Mormon Pioneer groups of the following year (see my post Crossing the Wasatch). It has been suggested that Bridger encouraged Hastings and the use of this route to draw traffic to his trading post and away from the more northerly Sublett Cutoff (established 1844). In any case the Mormon exodus increased the flow of westward traffic and stimulated improvements in the ease and safety of travel.With the 1849 Gold Rush traffic increased again.
In 1853, Utah Territorial Governor Brigham Young issued an arrest warrant for Jim Bridger on the charge of selling liquor to the Indians and sent a detachment of militia to Fort Bridger to enforce it. Fortunately for Bridger he was not at the fort and continued to absent himself for several years but the Mormon militia took advantage of the situation to build a competing trading post nearby which they named Fort Supply. Two years later, they took over Fort Bridger itself, claiming they had bought it from Bridger's partner Vazquez. This, of course, gave them a monopoly on trade with emigrants and 49ers alike. Bridger returned to contest the sale and the criminal charges against him but it did him no good and the Mormons remained in control of the fort.
The interesting history of Fort Bridger continued in 1858 when it was occupied and greatly expanded by the U.S. Army during the "Mormon Rebellion" of 1857-58 (see my post Pony Express). Fearing an invasion by the Army, the Mormons abandoned the fort and pulled back to defend the flanks of the Wasatch Mountains. Although the conflict was settled without any real warfare, the Army continued to occupy Fort Bridger until 1890 when the Indian Wars were a thing of the past.
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| The reconstructed fort as it was in the late 1800's |
Today Fort Bridger is a tourist site a few miles south from exit 34 on Interstate 80 in the village of Fort Bridger, Wyoming. The site contains a replica of the original trading post, the restored Army base, and cabins for travelers on the old Lincoln Highway.
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| Lincoln Highway historic site |
A good time to visit is Labor Day weekend when a Mountain Man Rendezvous is held every year.
Fort Bridger was located near Black's Fork, a tributary of The Green River, in a lush area of meadows watered by several smaller streams, as can be seen today. When they continued west, the emigrants followed Black's Fork upstream, then continued along Muddy Creek which meanders widely on its way toward the Bear River Divide.
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| Black's Fork near Fort Bridger, the Uinta Mts. in the distance |
Today, Wyoming Highway 412 follows this route in a somewhat straightened out fashion, crossing several loops of Muddy Creek. About halfway to the divide the road passes through the ghost town of Carter, formerly a stop on the Oregon Shortline Railroad, now part of The Union Pacific.
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| The old Mercantile in Carter, WY |
The country here is high and dry with few trees to be seen.
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| View from Highway 412 in Wyoming |
Most of the year this rangeland is dotted with antelope but in the fall they can be seen in large groups of 50 or more. They are damned hard to photo, though. A stopped car with someone getting out of it makes them scatter like dry leaves in the wind. Seasonally, you can also see large flocks of sheep as they are moved on and off the range.
15 miles past Carter the road joins Highway U.S. 189. This is about two miles north of where Muddy Creek is joined by Albert Creek.
Here the trail follows the left (north) bank of Muddy Creek to near the top of the divide. To the south, between Muddy and Albert Creeks are many small tributaries which must have come as a relief to the emigrants and a respite for their livestock.
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| Grassland east of Bear River Divide |
Here also the trail disappears westward into an area of roadless private ground that flanks the world's largest open pit coal mine at Elkol. It is necessary to drive a bit north to join Highway U.S. 30 where it joins the trail at Sage.
On the way, the road passes Fossil Butte national Monument which has a museum as well as guided and self-guided tours.
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| Fossil Butte |
Once over the divide, the trail descends at a steeper grade than the ascent from the east. It soon joins a small stream than feeds The Bear River.
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| Running parallel to the stream |
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| Ruts from the old trail near Sage |
Highway 30 also parallels The Union Pacific Railroad. This is more of the old Oregon Shortline which goes on to Pocatello, ID before it continues north and west. A few miles past Sage the trail enters the Bear River Valley.
This might be a good place to interject that The Bear River rises in The Uinta Mountains and on its way north it passes about twenty mile west of Fort Bridger. So, why not go directly west like Interstate 80 and join the river near present day Evanston, Wyoming? One explanation is the distance. On its way north, The Bear River swings far to the west before flowing back into Wyoming near Sage. The Muddy Creek route represents a "cutoff" that would have saved a substantial number of days on the trail. The other explanation is ease of travel. Even today, via the interstate, the route from Fort Bridger to Evanston is a continuous succession of high hills with little grass or water. The Muddy Creek route would have been much easier on travelers and livestock as well.
Much of the land along this stretch of The Bear River is wetland wildlife preserve but grazing and hay can also be seen. The trail turns north here, following the river. To the east the valley is bounded by Commissary Ridge and as the land rises it becomes more arid and rugged. The last town in Wyoming is Cokeville, once known as "The Sheep Capital of the World".
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| Cokeville |
Shipping livestock to markets and coke to smelters made this a lively railroad town but it is now small and sleepy and mostly supported by a truck stop and the ski area. It's also one of the coldest spots in Wyoming which makes it less attractive as a site for summer cabins.
Eleven mile northwest of Cokeville, the trail, the railroad, and Highway 30 cross into Idaho at Border Junction en route to Montpelier. The Bear River continues to water lush grassland and a broad expanse of wetland.
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| Looking east toward Commissary Ridge near Border Junction |
This sign at Thomas Fork Crossing reminds today's traveler that the emigrants probably enjoined the scenery less than modern tourists who cross on a bridge.
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| Bear River west of Thomas Fork Crossing |
About ten miles west of Border Junction, the trail follows the river as it turns sharply north on its journey around the Wasatch Range. It thus bypasses Bear Lake and Cache Valley which were both frequented by fur trappers but are connected by the steep and difficult Logan Canyon and not suitable for wagon travel.
The emigrants' destinations here were the towns on Montpelier and Soda Springs. Montpelier is home to the newly opened National Oregon/California Trail Center, which offers visitors a museum-like representation of "the emigrant experience" but otherwise has preserved nothing of the original trail. This may be of interest but I recommend the Interpretive Center in Baker Valley Oregon for those who want the Visitor Center experience.
Beyond Montpelier, to the north, the river enters a gorge and the trail climbs to Georgetown Pass at 6283 feet.
Along this route are several interpretive signs and some preserved ruts. The site of the ruts was at one time graveled but I'll take their word it was part of the trail.
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| Ruts near Georgetown Summit |
The far side of the pass gives the traveler views of an expansive valley, intensively cultivated with grain and alfalfa.
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| Bear River meandering through cultivated fields |
there are a few grazing cattle here but the semi-loads of hay that passed me make me think it was grown for market, not local consumption. I think the grain is barley.
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| Interpretive sign near Georgetown pass |
As the trail approaches Soda Springs, it passes an area of sulphur springs and Sulphur Canyon is an interesting and scenic side trip.
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| A large spring where sulphur was extracted commercially |
The next significant stop along the trail is Soda Springs, now famous for its "tamed" geyser. During the years of wagon travel over the trail, Soda Springs was a well known stopping place where its dozens of carbonated springs were a welcome attraction after the months of hardship it took to reach them. Many emigrant diaries recorded the fun the children had playing in the springs, even sitting of some that bubbled up to several feet at intervals. It was almost a primitive form of amusement park.
Years later when the railroad became the chief mode of transportation, interest grew in turning the area into a spa. Hotels were built and a business was started bottling the best of the spring water and carbonating it from the easily tapped gas deposits. The water was marketed nationally by entrepreneur Fred Kiesel and won first prize at the Chicago Exhibition of 1893.
In 1934 the geyser was unleashed. When well drillers were seeking a source of hot water for a swimming pool, they hit a pocket of carbon dioxide and cool water. Imagine their surprise when they uncorked a continuously erupting spray one hundred feet high! Eventually, they plugged it and it is now released on a timer every hour.
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| The history of the bottled water business |
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| Mineral deposits left by the geyser |
Soda Springs still bills itself as "The Oasis on the Oregon Trail" but although there are a few old stone buildings remaining there is little left to reflect the town's glory days.
Continuing west from Soda Springs the trail soon comes to Sheep Rock and several interpretive areas.
This area now includes a small reservoir and park for boat launching but they have been careful to preserve a large stretch of old wagon ruts.
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| Oregon Trail ruts |
Just before Sheep Rock there are also several grain fields labeled as owned by Anheiser-Busch so it's reasonable to think they are barley. Next time you crack open a cold Bud, don't forget to thank a Mormon (did I mention the largest religious presence in this part of Idaho is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints?).
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| Barley for Budweiser |
Sheep Rock itself was an important landmark because here the emigrants left The Bear River and headed northwest to Fort Hall. The exception to this was the Bidwell Party of 1841 who continued to follow the river to The Great Salt Lake and from there across the salt flats to California. Needless to say, they didn't know what they were doing but miraculously they survived.
The more rational travelers, starting with the Spalding-Whitman Party turned northwest at Sheep Rock.
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| Sheep Rock |
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| Sheep Rock from up river |
At Sheep Rock there is an unimproved road marked Old Oregon Trail Rd which leaves the highway and heads toward the Portneuf River. There is also a paved road a little further on which does not have a route number but goes to the town of Bancroft and joins the trail a bit further on.
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| Old Oregon Trail Road |
About twenty-four miles over unimproved roads brought me to the town of Chesterfield which is also connected to Bancroft by a paved road. This town was founded in 1880 by people from the Salt Lake Valley who were seeking a less crowded place to pursue agriculture.
They chose a tough spot, it's cold and arid here but they managed to sustain themselves for a while by selling timber to the railroad that passes through Bancroft.
Relative prosperity drew the attention of the Mormon Church and in the 1890's the town was re-settled in its present location and set up in the church-approved grid pattern.
Chesterfield struggled to survive and began to lose population in the Great Depression. By 1940 it was essentially abandoned and the site was purchased by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The LDS Church has preserved and restored some of the better buildings here and today treats it as a museum where they conduct tours during the summer months.
From here the Oregon/California Trail continues northwest around the Portneuf Mountain Range and on into the original site of Fort Hall a distance of about forty miles. At least that's what my map says. It shows a single dotted line that should represent an unimproved road. The reality is a maze of roads with no signs, all leading in the general direction west.
I confess, I had not the courage to try forty miles through uninhabited country only to find I was lost so I decided to turn back. Heading south and through Bancroft, I hit U.S. Route 30 at the Hudspeth Cutoff, a route meant to save several days on the trail to California during the forty-niner gold rush.
From here I could look back at The Bear River Valley and say good bye to this section of the trail.
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| Looking at The Bear River Valley from Hudspeth's Cutoff |
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