Gering, NE to Dorrance, KS

Gering, NE to Dorrance, KS

September 19-24

On Friday, September 20 we took a morning trip to Chimney Rock National Historical Site.  Many emigrants mentioned this landmark in their diaries.

Here is a list of what the pioneers would have taken with them on this several month journey.

It would have had to fit in a space about 4'x10'.  I have to wonder if they had known what they were about to experience if they would have left.

Most people walked the entire distance.

On Saturday, September 21 we drove to North Platte, KS.  On the way, off in the distance, was Courthouse Rock and Jail Rock, also mentioned many times in the emigrant's diaries.

We stayed at the I-80 Lakeside Campground for two nights.  John was headed outside to take a picture of the campground but got sidetracked and forgot.  Sorry!

On Sunday, September 22 we went to the Golden Spike Tower in North Platte.

The tower overlooks Bailey Yard.  Covering 2,850 acres, each day the yard manages 10,000 railroad cars. Of those, 3,000 are sorted to make sure the cargo reaches its final destination.  It's huge!

They have two 'humps' to sort the cars.  A train drives over the hump heading west (because west is a higher elevation than east).  When all the cars have gone over it stops.  Cars are disconnected and roll down the hump to be connected with the proper train.  It's amazing to watch.  They do have a live cam at https://goldenspiketower.com/bailey-yard/live-cam/ which is fun to watch too.

After lunch we went to the Lincoln County Historical Museum.  You may have heard the story of the North Platte Canteen.  Women who lived in North Platte during World War II met every train that went through the station and served the soldiers sandwiches, fruit, coffee and cakes.  I had heard of it but didn't remember that this was where it happened.

That's a big coffee pot!

There was a sign on the front doors of the museum saying:  "These three doors plus two in the rear were recovered from the 1916 Union Pacific Depot in North Platte, NE when it was razed in 1973.  The kitchen and dining room of the depot was taken over by the ladies of North Platte and surrounding area in World War II and was known as the canteen to all the service men and women."

This shield was from the Union Pacific Depot from 1918 to 1973, when it was torn down.

I have heard of ration stamps during World War II but had never seen any.

Behind the museum there was an old 'town'.  Buildings had been moved from their original location to the museum.

The barn and windmill.

Fort McPherson Cabin and Maxwell Jail.

The Fredrickson House was a Sears & Roebuck house.

There was the schoolhouse and the church.

There was a young man in the blacksmith shop making a knife.

There were a lot of other buildings too.  A very interesting museum.  I would recommend the Golden Spike Tower and the museum.

On Monday, September 23 we drove from Nebraska to Kansas.  I-80 parallels the Oregon/California/Pony Express trails.  I was surprised to see oil wells among the corn fields in both states.

 We're at Minooka Park Campground on Wilson Lake near Dorrance, KS.  It's a Corp of Engineers park and there's hardly anyone here.  Our site backs up to the lake and we've decided to stay until Sunday.

While we're here there's nothing to see and no place to go.  It's sort of a nice change for a few days.

Roving on...

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork.  Psalm 19:1

Cody, WY to Gering, NE

Cody, WY to Gering, NE

September 12 - 18, 2019

This is another long post.  It seems like we're either traveling or sightseeing and I don't have time to do them as often as I'd like.

On Thursday, September 12 we took the Mesa Falls Scenic Drive near Ashton, ID.  It was a beautiful drive as were the falls.

On Friday, September 13 we drove through Yellowstone.

 See all the cars in front of us?  This is what happens when any wildlife is sighted.

 We drove to Cody, WY and stayed at Absaroka Bay RV Park.

It was a good base for exploring the area.

On Saturday, September 14 we went to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West and toured the museums.  John took many more pictures than I did but here are a few I took.

The Cody Firearms Museum...

There were so many different firearms.  They must have had one of everything ever made.  Here are a few really strange ones.

Some of them were works of art.

Here's an interesting belt buckle.

In the Plains Indian Museum there were these items made by the Indian women.  The beadwork on them is beautiful.

We spent all day and could have spent longer.

Here's a picture of downtown Cody and Buffalo Bill's Irma Hotel.  He named it after his daughter.

On Sunday, September 15 we took the Chief Joseph and part of the Beartooth Scenic highways.  The scenery was amazing and changed from desert to mountain peaks.

Monday, September 16 we drove to Douglas, WY and stayed at the Douglas KOA.  Neither one of us got a picture but it was a nice park.  It was a long day of driving but pretty scenery for some of it.  Other parts were just plain desolate.

Tuesday, September 17 we left Douglas and stopped at the Fort Laramie National Historic Site.  In 1834 Robert Campbell and William Sublette built the first "Fort Laramie" near the Laramie and North Platte rivers.  They called it Fort William, and it measured 100' by 80'.  It was mostly a trading post and survived until a competing trading post, Fort Platte, was built a mile away.  Not to be outdone, Fort William's owners replaced their aging fort with a larger one named Fort John.  It continued to be a trading post, with buffalo hides and other furs being sent east.  As the demand for buffalo hides declined Fort John's role changed.  In 1841 the first of many emigrants arrived.  Fort John did a brisk but seasonal business catering to the emigrants needs.  In 1849 the Army bought Fort John and renamed it Fort Laramie.  It served as a military post for the next four decades.  It was expanded during the western emigration and was the principal military outpost, transportation, and communication hub for the central Rocky Mountain region.  The emigrants were glad to get there to rest, make repairs and resupply.  In addition to the emigrants, the stagecoach, Pony Express and transcontinental telegraph passed through the post.  Treaty negotiations were held there which remain controversial and contested to this day (the Indians got a bad deal).  At the end of the Indian Wars the fort's importance was reduced and in 1890 the Army abandoned the post and sold it a public auction.  Supplies to build were scarce in the area so people bought the buildings, dismantled them and used them to build their own homes and businesses.  In 1938 the National Park service bought the fort and what was left of it and began to restore it.  The restoration continues and gives us a glimpse to the past.

I took this picture of the covered wagon the emigrants used and then realized that our "covered wagon" was in the background (you'll have to click on the picture).

The Cavalry Barracks

The Old Bakery and New Bakery ruins

The Guardhouse, cell and solitary confinement cells (no light, no heat and no furniture).

The Administration Building, which was used for the Army, and the right portion used for a schoolroom for the officer's children.

The Captain's Quarters

The ruins of the Officer's Quarters

"Old Bedlam"

Ruins of the Infantry Barracks

Officer's Row

The Sutler's Store

The Old Iron Bridge

This is a three-span iron bridge built by the Army in 1875.  It was an important link between Cheyenne, Fort Laramie, and the military outposts, Indian agencies, and gold fields of the Black Hills Dakota region.

After leaving Fort Laramie we continued to Gering, NE and are at the Robidoux RV Park.  It's a city park and very nice with full hookups, lots of grass, and a view of Scotts Bluff.

Wednesday, September 18 we drove about three miles on the Oregon Trail Road to Scotts Bluff National Monument.  As with Fort Laramie, the Oregon Trail, California Trail, Mormon Trail, and Pony Express all went by Scotts Bluff through Mitchell Pass.  Most emigrant diaries mention Scotts Bluff.  After traveling from Missouri on the plains they considered Courthouse Rock, Jail Rock, and Scotts Bluff the beginning of western lands.  The visitor center and wagon displays are right on the Oregon Trail.

This is what the really poor emigrants used, and they pulled these wagons across the country!

Most emigrants used wagons like these (approximately 4' by 10' in which to put all your worldly goods).

Only the rich could afford wagons like these as they were very heavy and took a large team to pull.

There's a road that goes to the top of Scotts Bluff.  The view was beautiful, and it helped to imagine what the trip would have been like across this section.

They were a hearty lot for sure.

Roving on...

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork.  Psalm 19:1