Day 8

Friday, Oct. 4^th

We stopped at Minden, Nebraska  so we could go through the Harold Warp Pioneer Village Museum on Friday. 

  This museum is incredible.  There are several huge buildings filled with all kinds of things and many smaller historic buildings filled with collections.  The place  was opened in 1953 and is sort of an artifact in itself.   The collection of wagons, buggies, and old cars is one of the best we have ever seen.

 As you walk through the large building above you are all kinds of old planes.  There are large collections of anything you can think of from all eras;  telephones, guns, machinery, dishes, televisions, radios, musical instruments, appliances, clothing, toys and others I don’t remember.    The Hobby Building had glass cases filled with literally thousands of ball point pens from different businesses and countless salt and pepper shakers.  Another large building had an example of a kitchen, living room and bedroom from the 1830s to the 1980s.  Smaller buildings included a soddy, a church, a log cabin, a school, a firehouse and others filled with varied collections.  I can’t think of anything they didn't have a collection of at this museum.  We spent the whole morning there.  

Not far from Minden is Fort Kearney.   This was an important stop on the emigrant trail. It was established in 1848 along the Platte River to protect travelers on the trail and served as a way station, sentinel post, supply depot and message center for the emigrants bound for California and the Pacific Northwest. 

It was a home station for the Pony Express, an outfitting depot for Indian campaigns and home of the Pawnee Scouts.  The grounds are extensive but only the stockade, parade grounds and blacksmith shop have been rebuilt. The small museum has interesting displays of artifacts found during archaeological excavations at the site.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon at the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer at Grand Island, Nebraska.  

The beautiful main building has exhibits of period rooms, tools, household articles and furnishings depicting Nebraska’s history from 1860 to 1920.  There is another large building focusing on Native American and western artifacts.  The grounds are the size of a small town and contain all the buildings you would find in a late 19th century Nebraska town.  Again the season prevented us from going through the smaller buildings.  We were there 27 years ago with our two six year olds and I remembered much of the little town as we drove through it.

Comparing the three museums we visited is interesting.

 The Pioneer Village was started as a private collection and is now run by a foundation.  It is a collection of thousands and thousands of things, some in display cases and some just lined up in buildings. There is a lot to look at, mostly without any description or dates.   Things are right next to each other with no  empty space.  The large buildings were built to be functional rather than beautiful. 

The Fort Kearney Museum is there to explain the historical site and to display the artifacts found there. It is government run, well maintained and minimal. 

The Stuhr Museum main building is beautiful.  It looks like an art gallery.  In fact the first floor is entirely an art gallery with all the paintings and pieces for sale.  You cross a bridge over a huge circular moat to go into the main building. Inside the displays are well spaced with descriptions of all objects and large story boards with photographs describing the artifacts and era.  There is a life size  exhibit of a typical emigrant camp on the prairie with covered wagon, campfire, buffalo chips, etc. 

So which was our favorite?  We liked the Pioneer Village.  There was so much to see it was almost overwhelming.  Everything wasn't pretty.  It looked old and used because it was.   I suppose you need to think about the audience the museum is attracting.  Children wouldn't be happy spending an entire morning at the Pioneer Village looking at old things.  The displays at the Stuhr Museum would be of more interest to children.  It even had a special corner where children could play.  Minden, Kearney and Grand Island, Nebraska should be stops for anyone traveling through Nebraska.  These were great museums to visit.   

Day 7

Thursday, Oct. 3rd

We woke to a cloudy, windy day and got a very late start.   Instead of traveling east on Interstate 80 we took 30, a two lane highway with very little traffic.  It goes through small towns every few miles and has many pull offs with historic markers.  I could still use Franzwa’s Map book to follow our proximity to the trail as we traveled.  The trail, Highway 30 and the Interstate all pretty much parallel each other across this part of Nebraska.   The NPS Guide for Nebraska mentioned the 1864 Indian Wars that occurred along the trail and that the Dawson County Historical Museum  in Lexington had more information about the wars.  This was exciting because my family traveled across the trail in 1864 and their wagon train was attacked. We stopped at the museum.

Dawson County Historical Museum

My grandmother told me about her father’s trip across the Oregon Trail riding the big white horse as a young boy but she never mentioned their train was attacked by Indians.  I discovered this at the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City several years ago. 

The paragraph below is about William Summers, a neighbor of my family in Iowa.

In the spring of 1864 he assisted in organizing a party for a trip to California.  His father, brothers John and George, and sister Mary A. were of the party.  They had an outfit, a pair of horses, two cows, and several loose horses.  On reaching Omaha the elder Summers went to visit a neighbor, Thomas Johnson, who was with a large party camped not far off.  He stopped with them all night, and the next morning his own train started without him, and he did not find it again until they all arrived at Boise City, Idaho.  The Summers party escaped collision with the Indians, while the larger train with which his father was then traveling, was attacked, their stock stampeded, and one man killed.
From Portrait and Biographical Album of Henry Co., Iowa

Thomas Johnson, mentioned above, is my great-great-grandfather.  I wanted to find out more about the 1864 Indian Wars along the Oregon Trail. 

Thomas Johnson

The Southern Cheyenne, the Arapahoes and the Sioux gathered in the summer of 1864 and planned and executed an attack on the trail between Julesburg, on the South Platte in the west and Kiowa Station on the Little Blue River in the east.  Attacks had become more common than usual during the summer and  on August 7^th they attacked stage coaches, emigrant trains, freight wagon trains, stations and ranches all along the route.  At Plum Creek, in Dawson County, Nebraska,  men were killed and women and children taken as captives. 

The museum at Lexington has a research room and a small museum.  While Glen and I walked around the museum a very nice docent looked up information about the 1864 Indian Wars for me.  I had an article copied and bought a book.   I didn’t find any reference to my family and the Indian Wars specifically but the attack on their train was certainly related.  

The Johnson Boys

The Johnson family, one of the first families to settle in Iowa after the Black Hawk War, had a prosperous farm in New London, Iowa.  In 1864 it was sold and they left for Walla Walla. There was no family story that I know of about why this occurred.  I have recently found all the older boy's names on an 1864 Civil War draft list online.  They all returned to Iowa in 1866, after the war.  My conclusion is that they were avoiding the draft.  

We stopped at Minden, Nebraska planning to spend the next day at several museums that turned out to be very different.

Day 6

Oct. 2, 2013

We drove towards Fort Laramie knowing it would be closed and sure enough it was. 

We stopped at  the Fort Laramie Bridge  and walked across it.

From the Story Board

Glen on the Bridge

Once again feeling discouraged by the closures we continued east.  The Western History Center is on Highway 26 at Lingle, Wyoming.   It is a small museum,  looked interesting and it was open so we stopped.  It was great. The guide, Will, was so friendly and could tell us about every exhibit.   The exhibits display artifacts found in archaeological excavations done by the local college.  There are also displays of dinosaur, mammoth and other prehistoric fossils.  More fossil exhibits are downstairs as well as a very cool mineral display you can see under ultra violet light.

We moved on towards Scotts Bluff knowing what we would find – more closures.  After looking at the locked gate at Scotts Bluff we drove east towards Nebraska.

 Ash Hollow is a State Park and I thought it would be open at least for us to walk around.  This time it wasn't the Government Shutdown that kept us out but the season.  They closed after Labor Day. 

Traveling in October we don’t have the oppressive heat of the mid-west in summer.  We have had a few days of clouds and some rain but it isn't cold.  We have the campgrounds almost to ourselves.  But these benefits don’t outweigh the disappointment of not seeing places we planned on visiting. 

Ogallala, Nebraska was our stop for the night.  Will anything be open tomorrow?  Check back to find out.

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Day 5

October 1, 2013

Fort Caspar closed the day before we got there.  We could go into the museum and walk around the grounds but the actual fort buildings were locked.  The museum is nice and it has a great book store.

At this site was the Platte Bridge built in 1858-59 by Louis Guinard.  It was used by the emigrants.  There were  28 rock filled log cribs on 30 ft. centers spanning 1,000 feet across the river.  

Crib bridges were built for crossing rivers in the Sierras on the trails we work on but they would typically have two or three cribs.  This bridge wasn’t long lived as it burned in 1867. 

River today at Fort Caspar

Buildings at Fort Caspar

At this point in our trip the Government Shutdown hit us.  We drove up the hill to the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper and the gate was LOCKED!  We had driven all that way and probably wouldn't be back again for a long time, if ever, and it was closed!  

As an alternative we headed east to Douglas, Wyoming and the Wyoming Pioneer Memorial Museum.  It doesn't look like a big museum from the outside but there are six large galleries filled with interesting exhibits.   Glen spent a lot of time looking at the display of guns.  They have a wide selection of early cap and ball rifles and shotguns.  He carefully checks out every wagon we see.  He is always looking for a “real” emigrant wagon.  Here he saw a civil war era military wagon that had lynch pins held in by cotter pins.  Although this wasn't an emigrant wagon he was excited to see the lynch pins. A lynch pin is a tapered pin with a head that secured the wheel onto the axle.  Generally on civilian wagons they were only used up to the early 1850’s.  

Our next stop was the Guernsey Ruts or Deep Rut hill, near Guernsey, Wyoming.  These are really impressive.  There is a paved walkway and signboards leading uphill to the ruts. 

Chloe in the Ruts

Some ruts here are six feet deep in solid sandstone, carved by thousands of wagons going over the hill.  Nearby is the grave of Lucindy Rollins, an emigrant who died in 1849.

Register Cliff is also nearby.  The trail runs right under the cliff. Emigrants carved their names in the soft sandstone.  Unfortunately most have been vandalized and the only dates you can really make out
are from the 20^th century. 

Realizing that Fort Laramie, a place we have always wanted to visit, would be closed due to the shutdown we spent the night at the town of Fort Laramie anyway.  We figured we could at least get a glimpse of the place the next day.  For details on our travels from Fort Laramie to Ogallala, Nebraska return tomorrow.  

Day 4

Monday, Sept. 30^th, was fun.  Taking our own “cutoff”,  we didn't meet up with the trail until the Lombard Ferry on the Green River near Farson, Wyoming. I prepared for this trip by accumulating a collection of books I thought would be helpful while traveling near the trail. 

The following are the books I have with me:

Traveling the Oregon Trail by Julie Fanselow -  This book hits the high spots to see but has little detail and no diary quotes

National Historic Trails – Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guides – National Park Service – There is a different booklet for each state.  They are also a good guide for points to stop along the trail but with little detail. 

California Trail Yesterday and Today, Mormon Trail Yesterday and Today , and Oregon Trail Yesterday and Today, three books by William E. Hill   - These have pictures of spots along the trail comparing an historic photo or drawing to the present day view.  There are diary quotes but they aren’t organized to easily find a quote for the place you are stopping at.   There is a list of stopping points and museums with a short description.   I haven’t used these as much as I probably should.

AAA Guide Books – I haven’t found them very helpful.  I liked the old format better.

The Oregon Trail Revisited by Gregory Franzwa   - This is my favorite!  The detail is incredible.  I can’t imagine how long it took him to research and write this 400 page book.  Included are detailed descriptions of how to get to trail segments off the beaten path.  We aren't doing that as we are pulling the trailer and haven’t stopped long enough to unhook and explore.  It was originally published in 1972.  My edition was revised in 1988 but that was still before GPS.   Coordinates for stops would really be helpful.  There are great diary quotes and descriptions – lots of detail. 

Maps of he California Trail   by Gregory Franzwa -    This is a book of detailed trail maps. I have both Franzwa’s  books open on my lap  to the area we are traveling in. 

As Glen drives I tell him which side of the road the trail is on or how far off the road it is and I read him the diary quotes and area descriptions.  On Monday this kept me busy all the time as the route from Farson to Casper has lots of great trail stops.  My biggest problem using all these books is working backwards.  They are organized from east to west and we are traveling west to east so I have to work from the back of the book towards the front.   I lose my place all the time.  

Wyoming has great historical marker signs along the highway and we stop at every one, read it, take pictures and sometimes walk around.  The wind was fierce on Monday and there were flashing advisories against traveling the road with light trailers.  Glen didn't think ours qualified as light.  If a Casita isn’t light I don’t know what is.  Anyway we made it. 

Some of the favorite stops were:

Big Hill – This was the biggest hill the emigrants had to cross so far.  You can see the trail from the highway on the hill in the distance.

From the Storyboard at the Stop

South Pass Overlook – This is one everyone stops at.  I could just see wagons coming over that hill as I stood looking at it.

Split Rock -  A landmark the emigrants looked for.

Devil’s Gate – Another landmark for the emigrants.

Independence Rock -  We stopped here in 1986 on a trip with our two six year olds and Grandma across the country.  We traveled in a cabover camper .  What a trip!  When I taught 4^th grade the kids played the “Oregon Trail” computer game at school.  Independence Rock was in the game and “Johnson” was a name carved by emigrants on the rock.  I always imagined it was my great grandfather who did it.  Yesterday I looked at a book listing all the names found on the rock and it wasn't him.  Oh well. 

This is probably more than anyone wants to read.  But if you want to follow the trail from Casper to Fort Laramie with us check in tomorrow. 

Dee

Day 3

Sunday, Sept. 29^th 

I’m sitting in the trailer watching the sun rise.  There are huge wind machines dotting  the hill the sun is rising over.  I guess that’s a clue  the wind that rocked the trailer all night is not unusual.  We are at Massacre Rocks State Park.  The sky is covered with a thick layer of clouds but the sunrise was beautiful anyway. 

Someone might be wondering how we are traveling.  Our 17 foot Casita trailer is just perfect for us. Compared to most trailers these days it looks like a toy but we manage just fine.  “Stuff” that accumulates does have to be moved from bed to table area daily and passing each other can be tight but we have all the conveniences that the big guys have.  I am not a salesman but I could sell Casita trailers.  We have a stove, microwave, large fridge, heater, full bathroom, flat screen tv, double bed, table and seats for two. There is space for Glen to sleep and me to sit at the table and work at the computer.  What more could you ask for?  Chloe is the one who is disturbed the most as she constantly has to move so we can get into the bathroom or open a cupboard.  Once in a while she will get disgusted with all the moves and jump on the bed but she usually lays on the floor, right in the way of wherever we want to go. 

    A skirmish with the Indians occurred near Massacre Rocks.  The attacks took place on August 9^th and 10^th, 1862 along the trail east of the rocks.  Ten emigrants were killed and four different wagon trains were involved.

"Mr. Hunter, who was captain of our little train gave orders to get ready their firearms and prepare for fight, and right speedily was the order obeyed, considering the surprise in which we were taken, together with the fact that not one of us had ever been called upon to defend our lives or property by the use of such weapons."
--Charles Harrison, Aug. 11, 1862

Traveling in late September and October has benefits and drawbacks. We are finding that many visitor centers and museums are either closed for the season or have reduced hours.  The visitor center at Massacre Rocks was closed.   Register Rock is nearby.  It was a favorite camping spot for the emigrants as Rock Creek flows into the Snake River there and water was easily accessible.  Emigrants carved their names on the huge boulders in the area.    The Indian head scratched into the rock was done by a seven year old boy, J. J. Hanson,  in 1866,  traveling the trail.  He became a sculptor and in 1908 came back to sign and date his work at Register Rock.

We headed towards Pocatello hoping to see the Fort Hall replica however it was closed for the season so we kept traveling east.  The geyser as Soda Springs was impressive,  constantly shooting up a 30-40 foot steady blast.  

 We got to the Trail Center in Montpelier, Idaho in the early afternoon.  It was a disappointment.  There are no trail exhibits.   You can take a living history tour where docents in period clothing talk about the trail but that’s not Glen’s thing so we passed on the tour.  There was a nice quilt show upstairs and a display of storyboards describing the history of the Basque people. 

Kemmerer, Wyoming was our stop for the day.  We planned to skip Fort Bridger as we’ve been there a few times so we took our own version of the Sublette Cutoff the next day.  Check in later to see how the day went.

(I'm writing some of this in present tense and some after the fact.  It may be confusing.)

Dee

Day 2

My husband Glen, our sweet dog, Chloe, and I are off on our “big trip” as our granddaughter, Lily, describes it.  We often take off for a week on Passport In Time Archaeology projects or for several days working on the trails but a month is something we haven’t done in years.  Our plan is to follow the Oregon-California Trail West to East from Placerville, California to Independence, Missouri. 

We started from Placerville on Friday, Sept. 27^th and spent the day traveling to Elko, Nevada. 

 The California Trail Interpretive Center just west of Elko was our first stop on Sat.  

Several new exhibits have been added since we were there last.  I liked the 40 Mile Desert exhibit.  The people in the exhibit were realistically really dirty and looking very discouraged.  The ox was huge.

  

Another exhibit we hadn't seen was about the Donner Party.  The video explaining their ordeal was projected behind a gauzy screen creating an interesting effect.  

Wells, Nevada is the exit for Twin Falls, Idaho.    The Parting of the Ways for the Oregon Trail and the California Trail is east of Twin Falls so we headed north.   At lunch time we pulled off at Willow Creek where the Bishop Cutoff left the California trail and headed over low hills to meet the main trail near Wells.  There was a carsonite marker indicating the California Trail but we couldn't see any visible sign of the trail. 

Rock Creek Station and the Stricker Home Site was our next stop. It includes the Sticker House, Rock Creek Store, a pioneer cemetery, and numerous outbuildings.  This historic site was an early transportation center serving the Oregon Trail, Overland mail stage route, and the Kelton Freight Road.  

 It is off the main roads, southeast of Twin Falls near Hanson,  but it is well worth the time and distance. The Oregon Trail goes right through it.   We pulled in there after three o’clock and hoped to just be able to look around at the grounds as the buildings are only open on Sunday afternoon.  

Looking west on the Oregon Trail to the RockCreek Store

My great grandfather rode a big, white horse on the Oregon Trail from Iowa to Walla Walla, Washington in 1864 when he was eight years old and would certainly have stopped there as it was the only store on the trail for miles in either direction.   His family was with him of course.  As we were walking around a man motioned us to come over to a building that turned out to be a new interpretive center.  Gary Guy is the Site Coordinator and Care Taker of the site and he very graciously offered to let us into the center.  After spending some time there he also gave us a tour of the Stricker Home built in 1900.  It was really interesting as it hasn’t been extensively restored and looks much as it did when Lucy Stricker passed away in 1949 including much of the original furniture.  

Stricker Home

We pushed on to camp at Massacre Rocks State Park on Saturday night.  More on that later.

Dee