Traveling the Oregon Trail

Fort Laramie National Historic Site (1938); Scotts Bluff National Monument (1919); Chimney Rock National Historic Site (1956); Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (1997); and Homestead National Monument of America (1936).  

The National Park System is such an important part of our country.  It was established to protect not only ecologically important lands but historical ones as well.  It is why I love it so much.  The diversity within our public lands helps to protect everything about this great country.

We spent a day in the south east corner of Wyoming to start our visit of the Oregon Trail and then traveled into Nebraska to follow this historic path.  Brodey studied the expansion in US history this year and loved every part of the this leg of our journey. Shout out to Mr. West of Hempfield Area High School for making history fun for him and he can't wait to show you his pictures!! 

For Laramie National Historic Site, Wyoming

This fort first started as a fur trading post in 1839 and was originally called Fort William.  As it grew the name also changed to Fort John and later Fort Laramie. Most of the fur trading was done with the Lakota (Sioux) for buffalo hides.  As the Western Expansion grew, along with the Oregon, California, and Mormon trails, the fort grew as well.  It also became the largest military post in the west and a hub for the Pony Express and later the telegraph.  Fort Laramie played a crucial role in the treaty negotiations with the North Plains Indians and one of the first battles in the Indian Wars was fought near here.  After the Indian Wars were over, Fort Laramie was abandoned and sold at auction in 1890.  The fort fell into disrepair until it was purchased by the National Park service in 1938, when the restoration process began.  

Pony Express Memorial 

Commissary Store, now the Visitor Center

Bakery, which make 700 loaves a day! 

Infantry Barracks, foundations. 

Guard House 

Under the guard house were the prisoner cells 

Captain's Quarters 

Bachelor Officer's Quarters 

Surgeon's Quarters

Calvary Barracks and Mess Hall

Sleeping quarters of Calvary Barracks

Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska

Located in the North Platte River Valley, Scotts Bluff stand 800 feet tall and was also a landmark for those traveling the Oregon Trail.  Between 1843 and 1869, 250,000 people traveled through this area remarking about Scotts Bluff and Chimney Rock in their journals and diaries.  The Pony Express traveled through Scotts Bluff between 1800 and 1861 until the telegraph was carried along the popular trails.  

The 3,000 acre National Monument was established in 1919. 

The main, almost 4 miles round trip, trail in this park is Saddle Rock Trail, which takes you by switch back and through a hand carved tunnel to the top of Scotts Bluff.  We hiked this trail early in the morning because the temperatures get really hot on the plains of Nebraska.  If you ever visit Scotts Bluff and don't want to hike, there is a road you can drive or a shuttle you can take to the top.  

Taken while walking on part of the Oregon Trail 

Starting our hike on Saddle Rock Trail. 

Chimney Rock National Historic Site, Nebraska

The most iconic landmark on the Oregon Trail, this spire was reported by western settlers to be seen from as far as 30 miles away.  It is located in the south west corner of Nebraska, on the edge of the North Platte River Valley. The spire stands 480 feet tall, and is made of volcanic ash and brule clay dating back 34 million years. Years of erosion formed the spire as we see it today. 

The 80 acres of land that makes up Chimney Rock National Historic Site protects it from modern expansion.  It is operated by the State of Nebraska and not the National Park Service. 

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Nebraska  

Located about an hour north of Scotts Bluff, in the middle of the Nebraska Plains, which is now all farm land, stands Agate Fossil Beds National Monument.  This area use to be a shallow sea and attracted animals of all kinds, this was occurring around the same time the Rocky Mountains were starting to form.

Most of the land, that is now the National Monument, was once part of the Agate Springs Ranch, which was owned by James and Kate Cook, and later their son, Harold Cook.  In 1887,  they found a petrified piece of a leg bone.  This brought interest from Erwin Barbour of the University of Nebraska in 1892 and later O.A. Peterson of the Carnegie Museum.  It was Peterson, with the help of Harold Cook, that discovered the large bone bed.  Between 1904 and 1923, scientists from multiple universities, including Yale, excavated the bones.  Today, the fossils can be found in museums around the world, including the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh!

University Hill on the left and Carnegie Hill on the right, behind these hills is where the bone beds were located and excavation took place.  

Homestead cabin built by Harold Cook. 

In the Harold J. Cook museum, within the visitor center, are many Native American artifacts given to the family.

Lakota and Cheyenne gifts made for the Cook family.

The Battle of Greasy Grass is better known to us as the Battle of Little Big Horn. 

Story of Little Big Horn. 

Daemonelix Trail 

I took lots of pictures to share with my biology students when we student the fossil record! I can't wait to tell them all about it and include it in my lessons.

Homestead National Monument of America 

This small National Monument represents a much bigger portion of American History.  Homestead National Monument was created to remember the Homestead Act of 1862. "Free Land!" was the cry that brought immigrants, freed slaves, families, and women west to carve out a piece of land for themselves.  The rules:  If married, the husband must own the land.  If a single women or widow, the land could be in her name.  Everyone would get up to 160 acres of land.  They must establish a residence and a grow a crop.  After 5 years, the land would be theirs.  If you weren't a US Citizen, after 5 years you would become a citizen as well.

Ironically, I accidentally had my camera on black and white photos.  I honestly didn't mean to do it but I think the pictures were appropriate for this particular unit of the NPS.

Homestead Museum 

We are making our way back home and have only 1 more site seeing stop along the way, Springfield, IL to visit The Lincoln Presidential Library, Lincoln Home, and President Lincoln's grave.