Fort Laramie

https://www.nps.gov/fola/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Laramie_National_Historic_Site Fort Laramie was a significant 19th century trading post and diplomatic site located at the confluence of the Laramie River and the North Platte River in the upper Platte River Valley in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Wyoming. It sat at the bottom of the long climb leading to the best and lowest crossing point at South Pass into western descending valleys and so was a primary stopping point on the Oregon Trail. Along with Bent's Fort on the Arkansas River, the trading post and its supporting industries and businesses were the most significant economic hub of commerce in the region. Originally established as a private fur trading fort in 1834, Fort Laramie evolved into the largest and best known military post on the Northern Plains before its abandonment in 1890. This “grand old post” witnessed the entire sweeping saga of America’s western expansion and Indian resistance to encroachment on their territories. The park is located in southeast Wyoming approximately 125 miles southeast of Casper, 100 miles north of Cheyenne and 55 miles west of Scottsbluff, Nebraska. From Interstate 25, take exit 92 to US Highway 26, proceed east to the town of Fort Laramie; turn right on State Route 160 and travel three miles to the park entrance. From westbound US 26, proceed west from Scottsbluff, Nebraska to the town of Fort Laramie; turn left on State Route 160 and continue three miles to the park entrance. Fort Laramie National Historic Site Visitor Center Start your tour at the Visitor Center. Located in the restored 1884 Commissary Storehouse, you can view an 18-minute orientation film, tour our museum, and browse our award-winning bookstore. The park is located in southeast Wyoming approximately 100 miles north of Cheyenne and 55 miles west of Scottsbluff. From Interstate-25, take exit 92 to US Highway 26, proceed east to the town of Fort Laramie; turn right on State Route 160 and travel 3 miles to the park entrance. From US Highways 26/85, go west from the town of Lingle on US 26 to the town of Fort Laramie; turn left on State Route 160 and travel 3 miles to the entrance gate. The visitor center is downhill from the parking lot. Old Bedlam A large two story white building with pillars. Several windows with green shutters Oldest Building in the State of Wyoming. Parade Ground from the Porch of "Old Bedlam" View of the parade ground from the porch of "Old Bedlam". A fall view of the parade ground from "Old Bedlam" the oldest surviving structure at Fort Laramie and in the state of Wyoming, constructed in 1849. Post Trader at Work Living history interpreter portraying the Post Trader. In the summer living history interpreters bring the post to life, including the Post Trader in the refurnished 1849 store. Fur Trade Fort Laramie Event Living history interpreter explaining the life of a trapper/trader to young visitors Special attention is given to helping our young visitors understand the past at Fort Laramie National Historic Site. Arial View of Fort Laramie NHS From the South Aerial view of Fort Laramie NHS from the South Overview of Fort Laramie as it exists today with many of the historic buildings fully restored and refurnished and numerous other ruins and foundations. Tipis Across Laramie River in Fall Two tipis across the Laramie River from the fort in fall Tipis were a common scene at Fort Laramie from 1834-1872. At times, during treaty negotiations dozens of tipis could be found here. Fall colors on the Parade Ground Ash and cottonwood trees show their fall colors next to an open grass field. Fall colors paint the parade grounds near Old Bedlam. Powder Magazine in Winter Ruins of a concrete structure with snow on top. Ruins of the powder magazine within the winter snows. Morning Fog at the Old Holtclaw Tract A deer looking up in morning fog near the shelter belt at the old Holtclaw Tract homestead. Morning fog north of Fort Laramie 11th Kansas Ride Past the Cavalry Barracks A group of mounted individuals ride hors near a concrete historic structure. Riding past the Cavalry Barracks Three Affiliated Tribes Ride at Cavalry Barracks Native American people riding horses - some in traditional regalia - in front the Cavalry Barracks. Riding toward the parade ground Independence Day Salute Rangers in living history clothing fire a salute with Springfield rifles for Independence Day. A salute to each state of the union in 1876. Grand Teton National Park Fire Management Program Transfers Fire Engines to Rural Wyoming Fire Districts Grand Teton National Park Fire Management Program Transfers Fire Engines to Rural Wyoming Fire Districts Fire engine on a trailer ready to be transported Listening to the Eclipse: National Park Service scientists join Smithsonian, NASA in nationwide project A solar eclipse is visually stunning, but what will it sound like? NPS scientists will find out by recording sounds in parks across the USA. An NPS scientist installs audio recording equipment in a lush valley at Valles Caldera NP. Plant Community Monitoring at Fort Laramie National Historic Site Fort Laramie National Historic Site may be only 833 acres in size, but it has a relatively large diversity of plants. The park is a mosaic of disturbed old fields, native prairie, and riparian (riverside) forests along the Laramie and North Platte rivers. Exotic plant species are abundant. We monitor plants to document long-term trends in plant communities and evaluate the effectiveness of management programs. Plant stalk with lots of yellow daisy-like flowers on it Bat Projects in Parks: Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Across six Northern Great Plains parks, education and outreach for bats was conducted. View of Badlands National Parks unique rock formations in the distance Bat Acoustic Monitoring at Fort Laramie National Historic Site Fort Laramie National Historic Site contains riparian forest along the North Platte and Laramie rivers that provide good roosting and foraging habitat for bats. The Fort grounds also attract bat species that roost in structures. The Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Network monitors bats using acoustic recorders to detect long-term trends in bat populations at the park. A redish brown bat hangs upside down while three grey baby bats cling to her fur The War and Westward Expansion With Federal resources focused on waging the war farther east, both native tribes and the Confederacy attempted to claim or reclaim lands west of the Mississippi. The Federal government responded with measures (Homestead Act, transcontinental railroad) and military campaigns designed to encourage settlement, solidify Union control of the trans-Mississippi West, and further marginalize the physical and cultural presence of tribes native to the West. Painting Westward the Course of Empire Takes its Way showing settlers moving into the American west NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Fort Laramie National Historic Site, Wyoming Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. Links to products from Baseline Geologic and Soil Resources Inventories provide access to maps and reports. wetlands and fort Northern Great Plains Annual Brome Adaptive Management Project Management and restoration of high quality, mixed-grass prairie to the NPS units has proved difficult and complex. The Annual Brome Adaptive Management project (ABAM) is attacking this problem through a cooperative effort. A firefighter uses a driptorch to ignite dried grasses while dark smoke billows behind. Fort Laramie NHS Cultural Landscape From 1849 to 1890, Fort Laramie served as the base of operations for major military campaigns on the northern Plains and significant councils with many of the major mountain and plains tribes. The fort embraces the entire spectrum of westward expansion from the hey-day of mountain men, the long period of the overland migrations, major treaty councils with indigenous tribes and the conflicts that followed, to the arrival of cattlemen and homesteaders. Aerial View of Fort Laramie National Historic Site (NPS) Series: Prairie Ecology of the Badlands Badlands National Park is home to the nation's largest expanse of mixed-grass prairie. Here, plant species from both short-grass and tall-grass prairies mingle to create a unique home, well suited to many animals which call the park home. roots of tall yellow grasses penetrate into light brown soil beneath a cloudy blue sky. Series: Plant Community Monitoring in Northern Great Plains Network Parks Plant communities are essential components of all major ecosystems. Plants are the ultimate source of food for other organisms and the main source of organic material in soil and water. They also influence climate and provide the scenery that park visitors enjoy. The NPS Northern Great Plains Network monitors the number, identity, and relative abundance of plant species, as well as their horizontal cover and vertical structure, to determine the health of park ecosystems. Two people sitting on the ground looking at plants Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 (Horse Creek Treaty) Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 (Horse Creek Treaty) Managing Invasive Grasses at Northern Great Plains Parks Non-native plants don't stop growing at a park's boundary. It takes a cooperative effort to control their spread. NPS Establishes NPSage Initiative to Restore Sagebrush-Steppe Ecosystems Artemisia species, commonly known as sagebrush, are far from being the only species on the landscape. The sagebrush biome is composed of a rich mosaic of thousands of diverse plant species, which are largely driven by differences in climate, soil and elevation. These distinct sagebrush plant and animal communities occur in approximately 70 park units across the western U.S— all of which are experiencing significant threats from wildfire and droughts. Two NPS staff knealing next to plants growing in a nursery Bats Are in Danger. Here’s How and Why We’re Helping Them. Bats are amazing animals and a formidable force against insect pests, but a nasty fungal disease is killing them. A coordinated national response brings hope. GIF of a bat with big ears in a gloved hand, rotating its head and opening and closing its mouth. Working Together to Control Invasive Plants and Restore Prairies National parks preserve natural and historical landscapes and the wildlife that depend on them. Park managers work to maintain healthy, natural ecosystems with a variety of plants and animals native to the region. Field of green and brown grasses Updated Species Database Will Help Boost Amphibian Conservation Across the National Park Service To steward amphibians effectively, managers need basic information about which species live in parks. But species lists need constant maintenance to remain accurate. Due to recent efforts, the National Park Service now has an up-to-date amphibian species checklist for almost 300 parks. This information can serve as the basis for innumerable conservation efforts across the nation. A toad sits on red sand, looking into the camera. Project Profile: Manage Invasive Plants in Northern Great Plains The National Park Service will use an adaptive management approach developed with the U.S. Geological Survey to prevent, eradicate, and refine treatment methods for invasive grasses in the Northern Great Plains. The project aims to increase forage quality for bison and other wildlife, increase native plant diversity, improve pollinator habitat, increase climate resiliency, and refine restoration practices that can be broadly shared with other regions. Green grassland with yellow flowers in front of tan bluffs. Project Profile: Produce Seed for Central Grassland Ecosystems The National Park Service will increase native seed availability for plants in the mixed grass and tallgrass prairie of the Central U.S., advancing the National Seed Strategy priorities. The project will support established relationships with academic, interagency, and Tribal partners, as well as other stakeholders for seed production. Close up view of a rye plant in a green grassland field.

Fort Laramie National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Fort Laramie National Historic Site Wyoming NPS / JIM MILMOE In 1834 Robert Campbell and William Sublette built the first “Fort Laramie” near the confluence of the Laramie and North Platte rivers. Officially named Fort William, the small post measured 100 by 80 feet. Hewn cottonwood logs 15 feet high formed its palisade. It enjoyed a near monopoly on the buffalo trade here until 1841 when a competing trading post, Fort Platte, was built a mile away. The rivalry led Fort William’s owners to replace their own aging fort with a larger, adobe-walled structure named Fort John. Indian tribes, especially the Lakota (Sioux), traded tanned buffalo robes here for manufactured goods. Each spring caravans arrived at the fort, laden with trade goods. In fall tons of buffalo hides and other furs were shipped east. Throughout the 1840s, however, as the take of buffalo robes declined, Fort John’s role changed. In 1841 the first of many westward-bound emigrants arrived. Over the next two decades tens of thousands stopped at the fort en route to Oregon, California, and the Salt Lake Valley. Traders at Fort John did a brisk but seasonal business catering to the emigrants’ needs. Soldiers Trappers lived hard lives, spending months wading in cold mountain streams trapping beaver and other furbearing mammals. Beginning in 1825 and continuing for 16 years, trappers met at an annual “rendezvous” to exchange their year’s catch of furs for supplies and trade goods and celebrate a successful trapping season. Combat was rare in the frontier army. Instead the enlisted men’s days were a rigid routine of drill and “fatigue duties.” Discipline was harsh and minor infractions could mean severe penalties. The heyday of the beaver trade, driven largely by fashions in Europe, would last less than 30 years, and Emigrants Overland emigration peaked in the early 1850s at 50,000 annual travelers. The weary emigrants and gold-seekers eagerly awaited Fort Laramie, because it was one of their long journey’s few supply points. Set on the approaches to the Rocky Mountains, this was a natural stop. It was about a Traders supplanted trappers and fixed trading posts like Forts William and John ended the rendezvous system. Indians camped near the fort and traded buffalo robes for a variety of goods including blankets, tobacco, powder, lead, sugar, and beads. BUFFALO BILL HISTORICAL CENTER GIFT OF THE COE FOUNDATION 36.64 third of the way between their Missouri River “jumping-off places” and their destinations in Oregon or California, or halfway for those bound to Utah. Fort Laramie’s emigrant season lasted only about 45 days each year, in the late spring and early summer. These were days of intense activity. After weeks on the trail, the emigrants bathed and washed clothes in the clear waters of the Laramie River. They rested, bought fresh supplies, replaced worn-out draft animals, and made repairs to their wagons before setting out on the rest of their journey. Most soldiers stationed at Fort Laramie served in the infantry, like the men of Encampment on the Plains (detail), by Thomas Worthington Whittredge. AUTRY NATIONAL CENTER 88.108.17 the overland trails swelled. As conflicts grew, the army launched major campaigns from Fort Laramie against the Northern Plains tribes, who fiercely defended their homeland against further encroachment by a nation moving west. With the end of the Indian Wars, Fort Laramie’s importance diminished. In 1890 the US Army abandoned the post and sold it at public auction. Relations between Indian tribes and the army deteriorated as the number of emigrants on the 7th US Infantry shown below. The big summer campaigns of the 1860s and 70s used mostly foot soldiers, with smaller cavalry detachments. 1 2 14 5 11 9 6 8 7 1 Carbine and carbine sling 2 Saber 3 .45 Colt revolver and cartridge belt 4 Shelter half 5 Knife and sheath 6 Overcoat 7 Picket pin and lariat Buffalo Hunt by Alfred Jacob Miller. In 1851, Congress sought to keep the peace by authorizing a treaty council. Over 10,000 Northern Plains tribes from many nations gathered near the fort. They pledged not to harass emigrants in return for $50,000 in annuity goods, but just two years later, incidents near the fort resulted in deaths on both sides. Soldier’s Field Gear 4 13 As the 1800s began, the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe tribes dominated the Fort Laramie region. Through the 1830s and 40s relations between tribes and traders were for the most part friendly. By the 1850s, after Fort Laramie had become a military post and emigrant traffic on the overland trails had DRAWINGS NPS / RICHARD SCHLECHT 3 15 12 Fort Laramie hosted several treaty negotiations with Northern Plains Indian Nations. Most famous among these treaties were the Horse Creek Treaty of 1851 and the Treaty of 1868 (see below), which remains controversial and contested to this day. Short patrols were most