Wyoming Trivia (Renamed) (Laramie, Afton: salvaged, restaurant, kitchens)

[Poletop]

OK..
There was a trading post built on the Oregon Trail that was built at a location where the Oregon, California and the Mormon trail met. The fort was built in 1852 and was abandoned in 1855.
What was the name of the trading post, who built it, and what was the tragic event that occurred near there in 1856?

[CptnRn]

Edit: Sorry, I was still thinking about the steamboat on the Platte River when I posted this.

Originally Posted by Poletop
Yes, The steamboat El Paso traveled up the Platte River in 1851 to the present day location of Guernsey. I believe the captain was Captain "Bill" (WIlliam Rodney Massey).

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

And by Captain Bill, was deemed too shallow for commercial use.

Great job and quick too. Your turn. Now I can get back to the wagon.

I have been wondering for some time why the Big Horn River was favored by early trappers for transporting pelts out of Wyoming, instead of the Platte River. I have read that the trip thru the Big Horn Canyon was treacherous. One would think the Platte would cut weeks off of the trip.



Apparently the Platte, West of Guernsey was not navigable and the Big Horn was more centrally located to the best trapping grounds in Western Wyoming. Still, one had a long rough river ride North thru the Big Horn Canyon into Montana to the Yellowstone and then to the Missouri River. I guess once you reached the Yellowstone it was a pretty easy ride downstream to St. Louis. Louis and Clark took the Missouri River route to explore the West so at the time it was probably the best known route.



The Platte River



Back to your local trivia contest.

Poletop wrote:

OK..
There was a trading post built on the Oregon Trail that was built at a location where the Oregon, California and the Mormon trail met. The fort was built in 1852 and was abandoned in 1855.
What was the name of the trading post, who built it, and what was the tragic event that occurred near there in 1856?

[Poletop]

I have been away for couple of days. Here is a clue...

The location chosen for this trading post was ideal. First it was almost half way between Fort Laramie to the east and Fort Bridger to the west, other restocking locations along the overland emigrant trail. The trading post was built in 1852, using timbers from the Ferris Mountains, about 20 miles south of the post’s location.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by Poletop

OK..
There was a trading post built on the Oregon Trail that was built at a location where the Oregon, California and the Mormon trail met. The fort was built in 1852 and was abandoned in 1855.
What was the name of the trading post, who built it, and what was the tragic event that occurred near there in 1856?

I have been away for couple of days. Here is a clue...

The location chosen for this trading post was ideal. First it was almost half way between Fort Laramie to the east and Fort Bridger to the west, other restocking locations along the overland emigrant trail. The trading post was built in 1852, using timbers from the Ferris Mountains, about 20 miles south of the post’s location.

Seminoe's Fort, named after Simono or Little Simon. Which is where the name came from for the Seminoe Reservoir.

As part of its 2001 archaeological field season, the Wyoming State Archaeologist's Office and the Department of Anthropology, University of Wyoming, conducted an archeological study (including geophysical remote sensing survey and excavations, view map) on the 1852-1855 Oregon Trail trading post called “Seminoe’s Fort” or “Semino’s Trading Post” located near Devil’s Gate, Wyoming.

An interpretive sign at Devil's Gate Historic Site and published material say the post was run by Basil Lajeunesse. Unfortunately, Basil was killed by Modocs in Fremont's camp at Klamath Lake in 1846, long before the post at Devil's Gate was built. Seminoe's Fort was built and run by Basil's older brother, Charles Lajeunesse, from 1852 to 1855. His French Catholic baptismal name was Simono, or Little Simon. Charles built the trading post in 1852, using timbers from the Ferris Mountains, about 20 miles south of the post’s location. Lajeunesse occupied the post for three years, returning to St. Louis every winter to restock goods. The location chosen by Charles for this trading post was ideal. First it was almost half way between Fort Laramie to the east and Fort Bridger to the west, other restocking locations along the overland emigrant trails. Second, the area chosen was one of the few locations along the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails, where all three trails came together and followed a single set of ruts. Usually these trails were spread out over a wide distance. Finally, based on the archaeological evidence, the front door of his trading post was within 20-30 feet of where the trails passed. All emigrants along the trails between 1852-1855 had to pass the trading post. They just couldn’t miss it. Lajeunesse abandoned the post to the Sioux in 1855, the year before two Mormon Church Handcart Companies of emigrants came through the region and were caught in an early winter blizzard in November 1856. Apparently, the buildings stood empty through the 1856 emigrant season. They were beginning to collapse by the fall of 1856, when the Martin Handcart Company and Hunt and Hodgett Wagon Trails took refuge during the blizzard. Lajeunesse never re-occupied the trading post, although apparently various activities of the Mormon Church were conducted there the following year until it was burned in the fall of 1857.

Next question, which is related to the above: What is Martin's Cove and what happened there.

[jody_wy]

A cove in the rock hills next to Sun Ranch where Martin Handcart Company huddled and waited for snowstorms to subside(early fall)they awaited rescue from Mormon settlers in SLC .
At the visitor center there a short film... and tissue boxes , evven tough guys will use a tissue or two

[CptnRn]

That's right, your turn Jody


YouTube - Martin's Cove

Martin's cove: 56 members of the Martin handcart company died near the river. They had begun their journey late and for the sake of speed they had set aside their coats and blankets. In oct 1856 they encountered a fearce winter storm. They did what they could to shelter themselves by retreating into the protective coves and rocks. The cove slowed the wind, warmed the wind chill by 10-15 degrees, and decreased the snow carried in the wind. But 56 died.

Mormon handcart pioneers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[jody_wy]

Neighbor out doing field work dug up a piece of steel about a foot long.... the trapper traded these to the indians. Name after the river where there was a few Rendezvous

[jody_wy]

The vidio... went to College with Eric he was a groomsmen at my wedding

[Poletop]

These would be the Green River Knives?



"A favorite among the Mountain Men, the Green River knives were made in Greenfield, Massachusetts by J. Russell. The factory was started in 1832-34 to make butcher and kitchen knives. Close to 60,000 Russell knives per year were shipped to the West for several years. The above stamp was used during the 1840s."

[jody_wy]

Right Poletop, bet I seen a half dozen all turned up in a farmed field. Your turn
Off to Toolie town in Utah to the woll wearhouse tomorrow.... finaslly a nice day