Markers in Time
October 26, 2011 in RVs, Uncategorized
Monoliths on the Nebraska Prairie
Chimney Rock @Wikipedia
Flat, dry plains stretch across the Oregon Trail in an endless, mind-numbing carpet of dirt scrub and sky. Rivers, streaking through in all directions, counter the monotony with episodes of drama and terror. Rattlesnakes hide in the bushes, or sunbathe on the rocks, storing up venom and dread.
From the air-conditioned comfort of the Jeep, with a cooler full of Diet Coke, and a trailer that will give us shelter, ice cream and hot running water, it’s hard to imagine the hardships of traveling this land in a covered wagon.
Out of this desperate land, however, strange and wonderful rock formations rise up on the landscape, markers in time and clear measures of progress on the long Oregon Trail.
Not only were these geographical monoliths fascinating to eastern flatlanders, they provided recreation, diversion, opportunities for exploration, and places to camp and layover a few days.
Register Cliff @ Wikipedia
Register Cliff rises one hundred feet above the North Platte River valley. Following a day’s journey from Fort Laramie, emigrants spent the night at Register Cliff and inscribed their names into the rock face. Source: Wyoming Heritage.
Chimney Rock was one of the most picturesque landmarks along the Oregon Trail. It signaled the end of the prairies as the trail became more steep and rugged heading west towards the Rocky Mountains. Many drawings of it were made by surveyors and artists, and most pioneers mentioned it in their diaries. Travelers reported that it was visible forty miles away. Source: History Globe.
Ayers Bridge @ Wikipedia
Ayers Bridge: Crafted by the hands of Mother Nature, Ayres Natural Bridge, located just south of the Oregon Trail, is one of only three natural bridges in the United States with water beneath. For the Indians who first lived in this country, the natural bridge was a deadly place. A young brave had been struck by lightning and killed while hunting the canyon. Legend of an evil spirit who lived below the bridge resulted. When white settlers realized the Indians’ beliefs they used the bridge as an escape from Indian attacks. Source: Converse County Tourism.
Independence Rock 1870 @ Wikipedia
Independence Rock: Named for a fur trader’s Fourth of July celebration in 1830, this huge rock became one of the most famous of all Oregon Trail landmarks. The giant piece of granite is 1,900 feet long, 700 feet wide, and 128 feet high. Starting the trail in the early spring, emigrants along the Oregon Trail hoped to reach Independence Rock by July 4, Independence Day. If they had not arrived by then, they knew they were behind schedule. Source: History Globe.
Devil's Gate @Wikipeida
Devil’s Gate: A few miles west of Independence Rock, the Sweetwater threads it way through a narrow canyon called Devils Gate. But the wagons never passed through the chasm; they wisely detoured around. In the early 1860s, four women, members of a wagon train, camped at this point, and climbed to the top of the ridge above the gorge. One of them, 18-years-old, ventured too close to the edge, fell and was killed. She was buried in the gorge and her grave board was inscribed with this epitaph (Source: Oregon Trail 101):
Scott's Bluff @ Wikipedia
“Here lies the body of Caroline Todd
Whose soul has lately gone to God;
Ere redemption was too late,
She was redeemed at Devil”s Gate.
Scott’s Bluff: Towering eight hundred feet above the North Platte River, Scotts Bluff has been a natural landmark for many peoples, and it served as the path marker for those on the Oregon, California, Mormon, and Pony Express Trails. Wagon trains used the bluff as a major landmark for navigation. Source: National Park Service.
Gothenburg, Nebraska to Glenrock, Wyoming 
