Oregon Trail in Wyoming (Casper, Lander: house, shop, bill)

[WyoMama]

OK - I'm going to try to post a pic from the Guernsey ruts that ARE at least 5' deep in areas...see if this works
This is my 2nd oldest son in 2005
OK...let's see if either of these work (I'm getting the red x's right now in the reply box...the 2nd pic is of Johnny & his wife Tara who is from WV - loves Wyo but has only been here a couple times so far.. yayyyyyy IT WORKED!!!!!! You put your pic in photobucket & then use the "image" link & just drop it right into your message.

[HighlandLady]

Thank you for those images, WyoMama...the first one really enhances the depth of those ruts - it's amazing.

One thing that fascinates me is the signatures left behind on stone that are still discernible today. I'll break these up according to areas...

Independence Rock: There are some great signatures on the southeast segment of the Rock, and if you can, climb to the top for even more....they are all over. It is a bit of a steep climb that will leave you breathless, but it is an easy one. The northwest corner is the best and easiest spot to navigate.

[HighlandLady]

There are just two signatures that I have found so far located in the Devil's Backbone area outside of Casper...





The Rock in the Glen in Glenrock, Wyoming (from which the town got its name) also has a few signatures:

[HighlandLady]

Then Register Cliff, Guernsey, Wyoming...there are hundreds of signatures in the soft sandstone...here are a few:

[Clay Lady]

Good job WyoMama! Having your son standing in the trail really shows off the depth! It didn't look like the rut was very wide where he is standing and a little wider where he is shown with his wife. Were their wagons very narrow?

Highlandlady, the signatures are so interesting. I enjoyed seeing where someone wrote their age. That factor would be interesting to know since it would seem that more people in their twentys/thirtys would make the trip before people fifty/sixty would take off on such a long arduous trip.

[WyoMama]

Originally Posted by Clay Lady

Good job WyoMama! Having your son standing in the trail really shows off the depth! It didn't look like the rut was very wide where he is standing and a little wider where he is shown with his wife. Were their wagons very narrow?

Highlandlady, the signatures are so interesting. I enjoyed seeing where someone wrote their age. That factor would be interesting to know since it would seem that more people in their twentys/thirtys would make the trip before people fifty/sixty would take off on such a long arduous trip.

One word of thought here - my son is 6'5!!! yes, they were fairly narrow wheelbased from what I heard but then there is also erosion of course but the ruts in Guernsey go on or quite aways. I LOVE Register Cliffs there - my BIL & SIL used to live less than a mile away & we went there ALL the time. Was glad they finally fenced it off because there were phoney carvings starting to show up. There is also a small cave there you can enter LEGALLY & are some really old ones in there. I believe the oldest ones I've seen there were from the 1830's sometime - could barely make it out but was really clear when the sun was hitting it right once. I've never seen the cliffs in Casper area.

[Najran]

Originally Posted by Clay Lady

Good job WyoMama! Having your son standing in the trail really shows off the depth! It didn't look like the rut was very wide where he is standing and a little wider where he is shown with his wife. Were their wagons very narrow?

Highlandlady, the signatures are so interesting. I enjoyed seeing where someone wrote their age. That factor would be interesting to know since it would seem that more people in their twentys/thirtys would make the trip before people fifty/sixty would take off on such a long arduous trip.

I believe that being 20-30 in those days was middle age,and it was rare for people to make it into their sixties.JMO.

[Clay Lady]

Kimmeastar, you are probably right considering how hard life was for them and the lack of medical care. When you are thinking about that period of time you really have to "adjust" your thinking!

[WyoMama]

The average life expectancy in he 1860's was 35 - so imagine what it was in the he earlier 1800's!!! Of course the average INCLUDES the pioneers & emigrants as well as the older, richer, etc. tycoons, etc. But know there was a high suicide rate among the women - the range & prairies drove them insane - is why so many of them had a canary or parakeet in a little cage in their kitchens to keep them company. Hard scrabble life for those ppl back then. I can't even imagine & my so calls me "burly" because I get my own firewood, cut, chop & haul it all & don't get cold in Wyo winters. But back then? I'd have been dead meat.

[Clay Lady]

I didn't know there had been a high suicide rate among the women. I can understand how the life would drive them insane - guess I thought them would kill their SO for getting them into that mess!! HA HA HA

I would be dead meat if I had to cut & chop my own firewood!