Fort Bridger State Historic Site --Western Pioneer History in Wyoming

Story and Photographs
by Tom Straka

Jim Bridger, 1804 -- 1881, Mountain Man, Trader, Scout.

Fort Bridger is a well-known location in early Western history as it lies on a main path of Western exploration and emigration. Fort Bridger was in a strategic location, a crossroads, and its history incudes major western trails that passed by it: the Oregon Trail, the California Trail, the Mormon Pioneer Trail, the Pony Express Trail, the Overland Trail, the Cherokee Trail, the Lincoln Highway, Interstate 80, and the Union Pacific Railroad. Today it is a state historic site, easily accessed off of Interstate 80, sitting in the center of the small notch cut out of northeastern Utah by southwestern Wyoming.  

Fort Bridger was established in 1843 by the celebrated frontiersman Jim Bridger and his partner Louis Vasquez on the Blacks Fork of the Green River to take advantage of Indian trade and the nearby Oregon and California Trails, mainly as a fur trading post and resupply point. It had been a favorite rendezvous site for early explorers and Native Americans. The trading post was described as a post consisting of "two adjoining log houses, dirt roofs, and a small picket yard of logs set in the ground, and about eight-feet high." It did have a blacksmith's shop, which was critical to the emigrant trade.

In 1847 Brigham Young and Jim Bridger had a fateful encounter as the Mormons trekked towards their new home, which would become Salt Lake City, a little over 100 miles to the southwest. Bridger advised against settling in the Great Basin, saying he'd "give $1,000 for a bushel of corn raised in the basin." Young replied, "Wait a little, and we will see." Between 1850 and 1861 Fort Bridger was part of Utah Territory, with Young as territorial governor until the end of the Utah War in 1858 when Utah submitted to federal rule. Bridger would be in constant conflict with the Mormons, eventually selling his trading post to them. The Mormons took possession of Fort Bridger in 1855, but ended up destroying it in 1857 in order to hinder the advance of federal troops into Utah. 

The U.S. Army rebuilt Fort Bridger during the Utah War, and it would remain a military fort until 1890. It protected laborers on the transcontinental railroad and miners, served as a base during the Indian Wars, and protected Shoshone Indians near the fort until a reservation was established for them near Wind River. The trading post was turned over to William Alexander Carter, who would become Wyoming's first millionaire. Fort Bridger also served as a Pony Express and telegraph station, adding to its significance. While the Pony Express only existed for 18 months, it gained fame in Western history for covering 1,800 miles in just ten days. Emigrants might find a letter at the fort or had the opportunity of sending one back home.

Today Fort Bridger is a Wyoming State Historic Site. It includes a 37-acre site, 27 historic structures, and four historic replica structures. The site offers an easy-to-follow self-guided tour of the fort, living history demonstrations, open archeological excavations, museum exhibits, and a civilian cemetery.

Some Stops on the Self-Guided Tour

Entering the fort, the trading post is first encountered and is "virtually all that remains of the once thriving commercial empire of Judge William Alexander Carter and his wife Mary, Fort Bridger's only two Post Traders." Carter arrived in 1857 with the U.S. Army and received the appointment as Post Trader. With soldiers, emigrants, railroad workers, cattlemen, settlers, and Native Americans as customers, he amassed a fortune.  

Carter's trading post area is a large section of the fort, with a large concentration of buildings. The functions of the buildings serve to enlighten on what was important in terms of trade.  

A large portion of the trading post was used for shops and storage. Many of the buildings are filled with historical artifacts.

Carter's freight wagon.

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The stables were just for pampering horses and storing carriages. Alongside his private stables, Carter designated the man section of the stables to serve as a key hub of the Pony Express.

The log-chinked ice house. The three doors allowed this tall building (nearly 19 feet) to be entered at all levels as the ice stock melted. The lower level contained beef.

The Carriage House, with carriage.

The Milk House served to process and store luxury dairy products. Picture creamy butter, rich cheese, and cold milk--really luxuries in 1860s Wyoming. This was not your average frontier fare. It served to display William Carter's wealth.

Jim Bridger's Earlier Trading Post

At the back of the site is a reconstruction of Jim Bridger's original trading post. It resembles a fort and lacks anything resembling the luxuries of the Carter trading post. This trading post was a collection of crude log cabins, broken into stockades, one for the living, blacksmithing, and trading quarters and one for the livestock. Bridger wrote back East for financing supplies for his trading post, describing it as: "I have established a small fort, with a blacksmith shop and a supply of iron in the road of the emigrants on the Black Fork of Green River, which promises fairly. In coming out here they are generally well supplied with money, but by the time they get here they are in need of all kinds of supplies, horses, provisions, smith work, etc. They bring ready cash from the states, and should I receive the goods ordered, will have considerable business in that way with them, and establish trade with the Indians in the neighborhood."

Written records describe large numbers of "Indian lodges, or teepees and wickiups that were stationed at the trading post for the whole summer to take advantage of the newly booming economy." The trading post was open for business during the warmer part of the year when emigrants were on the move, but closed down for the winter.

A replica of Jim Bridger's original trading post, resembling a fort.

Another view of Jim Bridger's trading post.

The Blacksmith Shop at Jim Bridger's trading post.

The wide range of trading goods at Jim Bridger's trading post.

Military Buildings

Officers quarters survive, but no barracks and several stone military buildings are on site. Most of the buildings have furnishings. After abandonment of Fort Bridger in 1890, the wooden buildings were sold and moved a short distance away. Some have been returned.

The Commanding Officer's House, completed in 1884 to replace the old log Commanding Officer's House in use since 1858. After the fort was abandoned in 1890, it was moved a short distance away and served as a hotel. This wasn't your average soldier's bunk, it housed the top brass and their family, plus sophisticated housing for VIPs (military and civilian), including grand dinners for important guests.

Many of the rooms inside the Commanding Officer's House are furnished to the period.

One of the more interesting aspects of the Commanding Officer's House is the Commanding Officer's Outhouse behind the main building. Windows in an outhouse seemed unusual to me.

It paid to be an officer. Six identical log buildings served as officers quarters, making up officers row. These buildings were set up as a duplex with a shared kitchen and dining area. The hall split the living area in half with two rooms for each officer. As an officer, the opportunity to improve your living conditions by having personals space was a huge benefit.  

A ranch house which previously served as officers quarters, one of several frame houses moved back to the fort.

Most of the houses are furnished, including the ranch house.

Many of the original stone buildings are still at the fort, including the commissary and old guard house. This stone guard house replaced a log guard house. The new guard house is located nearby.

The Museum and Motor Court

Fort Bridger Historic Site has a central focus on its museum, which covers the historic periods illustrated by the site, including the Mountain Man Era (1843-1853), the Mormon Era (1853-1857), the Military Era (1858- 1890), the Early 20^th Century, and the Museum Era. The museum is first rate and extensive. It explains the history well and provides plenty of context.

The wheel of the historical hub of trade and travel at Fort Bridger denotes the various periods that define Fort Bridger's history. Those same periods are themes of the museum and each theme is represented in sections of the museum.

A military display, as you'd expect there are many more.

The museum has quality exhibits that range over the historical eras of the fort.

Near the entrance to the historic site are a set of black and orange cabins built in the 1920s and 1930s when the Lincoln Highway ran right in front of the property. They are one of the last-surviving examples of a Lincoln Highway motor court remaining in Wyoming.  

Nearby

One diorama included in the museum exhibits is a stone charcoal kiln, which includes a video explaining the nearby Piedmont Charcoal Kilns state historic site. There is some very interesting charcoal making history involved and Piedmont is a worthy addition to a stop at Fort Bridger. Piedmont is also a ghost town with a few buildings left and an interesting cemetery. There is also a fascinating national monument in the area: Fossil Butte. If your interest ranges from forts to charcoal kilns, one of the nation's top fossil sites might also prove to be interesting.

The diorama of a charcoal kiln is unusual enough to easily capture the visitor's attention and after watching the video many a visitor will trek down the road to the ghost town and kilns.

The Piedmont Charcoal Kilns and ghost town are well-worth a short trip to the nearby historic site.

Fossil Butte National Monument is one of the richest fossil sites in the country and includes a museum worth the short trip from Fort Bridger.

Fossil Butte is a very large butte.

The museum includes exhibits detailing fossils and their collection.

There are thousands of fossils on display, plant, animal, and everything in between.   

Author/Photographer. Tom Straka is an emeritus professor of forestry at Clemson University in South Carolina. He has an interest in history, forestry and natural resources, natural history, and the American West.

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