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| Miners & Stockmans Steakhouse |
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| Boot Hill |
The last few days have been so jammed with fabulous history and memories, I have gotten a little behind in recording it. Day 21 was spent in and around Hartville Wyoming. First thing we did was to visit Boot Hill in Hartville. It seems that Hartville had quite a sordid reputation. Scott told me that the boots were hung on the posts surrounding Boot Hill because when an unknown person died, his boots were a way to identify him. Boots used to be made to order and were very distinctive.
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| Guernsey Lake Museum |
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| Guernsey Lake |
From Hartville, we went to Guernsey Lake and drove all around. Most of the structures there were build by the Civilian Conservation Corp in the 1930's. The workmanship in these buildings was fabulous with hand hewn stones and huge wooden beams. Really beautiful! The lake is serene, though not the clearest water. Lots of campsites and a few vacation homes around the lake. Seemed like a very relaxing place to spend some time.
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| Laramie bunny rabbit |
From Guernsey, we went on to Fort Laramie. The Fort there had several names over the years but mostly known as Fort Laramie. A lot of the buildings have been restored and furnished with period things that really gave a feel for what life was like at the fort in the late 1800's. At its peak there were over 700 soldiers stationed there. Most alarming was the size of the solitary confinement cells for those who were repeat offenders for whatever wrong. The cells were only five feet long, about 3 feet wide and only 5 feet high. After a few weeks in something like that with only bread and water, I would probably not cause trouble ever again!
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| Register Bluff |
Lots of walking around the grounds of Fort Laramie and then we were off to the Register Cliff where the pioneers traveling the Oregon Trail in their covered wagons carved their names and dates of travel in the sandstone cliff side. A lot of the names are not legible but we found several from 1850 and 1853.
Scott spotted a huge monstrous bull snake. I really, really do not like snakes. Before we left, he also spotted a rattle snake and managed to end its reign of terror.
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| Bull snake at Register Bluff |
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| Historical sign |
From Register Bluff we headed over to the Oregon Trail Ruts. These ruts were formed in the sandstone rock from the wheels of thousands of covered wagons heading west on the Oregon Trail. Very impressive to be walking in the ruts formed so very long ago.
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| Oregon Trail wagon wheel rut |
Day 21 was amazing!! So much history!
Day 22 will take me up to Devil's Tower and then on the Deadwood in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Each day just keeps getting better. This is an amazing country we live in!
Onward!!
From Guernsey, we went on to Fort Laramie. The Fort there had several names over the years but mostly known as Fort Laramie. A lot of the buildings have been restored and furnished with period things that really gave a feel for what life was like at the fort in the late 1800's. At its peak there were over 700 soldiers stationed there. Most alarming was the size of the solitary confinement cells for those who were repeat offenders for whatever wrong. The cells were only five feet long, about 3 feet wide and only 5 feet high. After a few weeks in something like that with only bread and water, I would probably not cause trouble ever again!
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