Fort Laramie - August 21

I am haunted by places where there has once been so much life, but where there is now so little. I want to stop at every historical marker, and I regret that the rush of traffic, or a busy schedule, or my poor vision makes me miss so many of them. The interest in once-lively places that have  become lonely places may have driven me to the Presbyterian churches of Wyoming. It certainly motivated my stop today at Fort Laramie, which was, in fact, the most interesting historical stop thus far in my adventure.

Fort Laramie, which had previous names of Fort William and Fort John, was the only fort that oversaw both the entire migration on the Oregon trail and all the resulting Indian wars. It was first built as a trading fort in 1831, and it became an army military post in 1849 just after the migration west on the Oregon and California and Utah trails began. All trails ran by the fort, where pioneers were able to buy supplies. Ruts made by the wagons are still visible. The fort remained in operation until 1890, when all the Indian nations had been forced onto reservation lands and the  frontier was officially declared closed. Although other forts were built throughout the west to "protect the pioneers", none was built as early or lasted as long. The fort was the site of the two significant treaties that the US made with the Indian nations - one in 1851 and another in 1868 - guaranteeing those nations sovereignty over their land in return for safe travel. Both treaties were blatantly broken by the US. Finally, after the battle  of Wounded Knee, the Indian nations were subdued.

Being at Fort Laramie brought back to me the movies I saw every Saturday as a child - most of which had one plot: wagon trains and get in trouble; the cavalry  comes to the rescue. Seeing Fort Laramie was, for me, a very tangible impetus to reexamine the myths by which we live.

There are Presbyteruian  churches in both the  village of Fort Laramie and the neighboring town of Guernsey. Both are served by one pastor, who has recently moved  here from Pensylvania. She was formerly an Air Force sofficer. While both churches are small, they seem to be active and  untroubled.