Friday, August 13, 2010

Fort Laramie


Just west of the Wyoming/Nebraska state line is one of my favorite
parks: Fort Laramie National Historic Site. It was a primary stopping
point for pioneers heading west. The original fort was built in the
1830's, and the current version was decommisioned in 1890. The
original Treaty of Fort Laramie was signed there in 1851 and was to
ensure that the Native Americans in the area would keep their land
in perpetuity. As you can probably guess, this treaty was later violated
by the government.
The grounds of the park are really interesting and a visitor has access
to all of the buildings in various levels of refurbishment. Like most of
the countryside around the fort, the park has a very wide-open feel to
it, and even though there were probably 200 people there, it felt like we
had the place to ourselves. I enjoy historical sites like this that involve
the visitor, while not being too commercial.