"I have established a small fort, with a blacksmith shop and a supply of iron in the road of the emigrants on Black Fork of Green River, which promises fairly." —Jim Bridger
The year was 1843, a pivotal time in the history of the West. The great chapter of the Mountain Men was coming to a close and the tale of the emigrants was just beginning. Jim Bridger knew that as well as anyone. At age 39, he had spent more than 20 years in the fur trade, traveling about with the likes of William Ashley, John Jacob Astor, Jedediah Smith, William Sublette, Thomas Fitzpatrick and others. He had seen the supplies diminish, the whims of fashion change.
And he had seen the wagons that were coming west in increasing numbers. In the letter he dictated and sent to Pierre Chocteau Jr., he continued: "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, smithwork, 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. . . ."
Times were changing, and Bridger meant to change with them. Little did he think, however, that the post he established would not only outlast him but would be a significant player through 150 years of Western history.
Now a Wyoming State Historic Site, Fort Bridger is located just off I-80 — the freeway that replaced the wagon trail. And although it bears Bridger's name, it tells a whole lot more about the development of the West, says Linda Byers, site superintendent at Fort Bridger.
A lot has been going on at the site in recent years, she says. They have renovated the museum at the fort, which still boasts a collection of historic buildings. An archaeological dig has been uncovering new treasures; and throughout the summer, costumed interpreters help tell the story.
In order to help visitors grasp the complex history of the fort, Byers likes to divide its story into what she calls the "5 M's."
MOUNTAIN MEN: First, of course, was Bridger, who had a partner in the endeavor, fellow trapper Louis Vasquez. For 10 years, the two maintained a prosperous partnership, with Bridger often traveling and trading, and Vasquez keeping the books and tending the store.
Hardly a wagon train passed by without stopping. Hardly a journal did not contain a mention — even if a rather disparaging one.
In 1846, for example, Edwin Bryant, bound for California, noted: "Fort Bridger, as it is called, is a small trading post, established and now occupied by Messrs. Bridger and Vasquez. The buildings are two or three miserable log cabins, rudely constructed, and bearing but a faint resemblance to habitable houses. . . ."
But by 1853, changing emigration patterns were having an impact on the economics of the fort, explains Byers. For one thing, those bound for the Pacific Northwest were crossing the Continental Divide at South Pass then taking shortcuts to Fort Hall, Idaho, thus bypassing Fort Bridger.
And the pioneers who were using the old trail were mostly Mormons headed for the Salt Lake Valley and were not stopping for supplies.
Fort Bridger was at that time part of the Utah Territory, but relations between Bridger and the Mormons became strained.
MORMONS: In 1855, "the fort changed hands," says Byers. "But as with other intriguing aspects of history, what actually transpired remains a mystery."
Mormon records show receipts to the effect they purchased the fort for a total of $8,000 — $4,000 of which was received by Vasquez in 1855 and the other $4,000 in 1858.
Bridger, however, claimed he had to flee the fort in 1853 because the territorial governor, Brigham Young, sent 150 armed men to arrest him. Young accused Bridger of treaty violations, such as selling liquor and ammunition to the Indians.
However, Bridger was forewarned and got away before he could be captured. He eventually ended up in Washington, D.C., where his complaints about unfair treatment by the Mormons fed into growing agitation against them. This eventually led to sending troops under Sidney Albert Johnston to quell the "rebellion."
Bridger, as always the canny frontiersman, even convinced the Army to lease his fort — never mind that his partner had apparently already sold it.
Bridger is something of an enigma, notes Byers. "Because he could not read or write, all we know about him was written by other people." He never returned to the West, however; living out his life on a farm in Missouri.
MILITARY: While they owned the fort, the Mormons had built a big stone wall to enclose and protect the buildings that were there. When Johnston's Army arrived to occupy it, all they found were smoldering ruins enclosed by the cobblestone wall. As part of their "scorch and burn" policy, the Mormons had set fire to the fort rather than leave it for the Army.
Johnston left a few wagons in the enclosure, then sought shelter from a harsh winter at a nearby location called Camp Scott. In 1858, after negotiations resolved the conflict and put and end to the Utah War, Fort Bridger was designated and occupied as an Army depot.
President James Buchanan set aside a total of 500 acres for military use, and over the next 30 years, the fort — as did the territory — underwent many changes.
"Commanding officers came and went," says Byers. "Troops were mustered in and out, buildings were built and then replaced, the size of the reservation was increased and decreased as deemed necessary."
One constant during this period was a man named William A. Carter, more often referred to as Judge Carter, who had come originally with Johnston's Army to build a mercantile store on the military base. He not only thrived as a merchant, he also became postmaster, probate judge, cattle baron, freighting contractor and beef and lumber contractor for the Army.
MILK BARN: The Carter family outlasted the Army. In 1890, Fort Bridger and other frontier posts were closed as several western territories became states. However, it was thanks to the Carters that Utah has a jog out of its corner, says Byers. "He lobbied to be part of Wyoming, and Congress took that whole corner away from the Utah Territory."
All the the buildings, except those still in use by the Carter family, were sold to the public and moved off of the fort's grounds, says Byers. "Those that could not be moved away were moved into by local residents and livestock. Much of the remaining fort was used to graze cattle, and the 1888 barracks building served as a milking barn for dairy cattle. So this fourth M represents the early civilian ranching community."
MUSEUM: In the 1930s, the Carter family donated part of the original fort grounds and buildings to the state of Wyoming, and the process of restoration and preservation began.
Today, you can visit the fort and get a feel for each period of its history. There is a reconstruction of the original fort operated by Bridger and Vasquez. An interpretive archaeological site along the Mormon Wall has uncovered artifacts from that era.
A few buildings and a little cemetery remain from the Carter period. A New Year's Eve fire in 1930 destroyed their home. "All that was saved was a baby grand piano, now in Laramie, and a carbide chandelier," says Byers.
A museum is now housed in the 1888 stone barracks building. Its oldest artifact is a 1785 Spanish silver coin. It shows the scope of trading that went on in those days, says Byers; a coin minted probably in Mexico City shows up on the Wyoming plain. "That's the oldest thing we can identify," she says. But the archaeological dig has been a rich source of artifacts. "The nice thing is that because the area was once a cow barn, there was a nice thick layer of manure that a lot of pot hunters didn't want to dig through. Plus the floors were wooden boards, so things fell through the cracks."
In addition to exhibits on the history, the museum also contains a variety of early guns and weapons and other bits and pieces of the past. "We have so much here," she says. "A Pony Express barn was here. Butch Cassidy may have been here. All the trails came this way. That's why we're here. It was the Emigrant Highway."
One of the next projects at the park will be to restore an old motel that was part of the Lincoln Highway. "That came by here as well. We are very proud of our history."
You come here, she says, and you see it all — the transition from wilderness to civilization, with all the twists and turns that marvelous journey took. And that's one more M you can add to the list.
E-mail: carma@desnews.com