Fort Laramie
Last spring, I had the good fortune to retrace the steps of the Donner Party. This post is part of the story of my journey. If you want to begin at the beginning, go here first. Big thanks to the Indiana Arts Council for helping to make this happen.
Ft. Laramie feels tucked away in this hidden pocket of Wyoming.
It’s a really great little outdoor place, full of history and artifacts. Unfortunately for me, most of what is standing and the information given is about the later history of the fort. Not a lot from around spring of 1846, which is when the Graves family came through.
But I couldn’t resist snapping some pipe photos:
We know Mary Graves smoked a pipe later in life. We don’t know when or how she acquired this habit, but I love to think it might have been passed along to her by Charles Stanton along the way. He was a big pipe-smoker, after all.
Anyway, take a look at these oxen yoke:
Imagine having to manipulate these into snowshoes because your family’s survival depended on you finding a way to get over the mountain and find help. Franklin Graves was a resourceful man.
I’ve had the good fortune to stare at several replica wagons over the past couple of years. It’s hard to imagine being cooped up inside of one. Easy to see why they preferred to walk most of the time.
Since none of the structures that are standing were there in 1846, I most enjoyed walking down to the river and staring at it. It certainly was there. And it’s likely the Graves family and others camped close to it, because that would mean easier access to water for themselves and their animals.
I was glad we stopped at Ft. Laramie. But it wasn’t at all my favorite stop along the way. But come back for the next installment! That favorite stop is coming up soon.
For the next post in this series, go here.