"
Fort Bridger" was originally a
19th-century fur trading outpost established in 1842 on
Blacks Fork of the
Green River and later a vital resupply
point for wagon trains on the
Oregon Trail,
California Trail and Mormon Trail. The
Army established a military post here in 1858 during the
Utah War until it was finally closed in 1890. A small town,
Fort Bridger, Wyoming, remains near the fort and takes its name from it.
The post was established by the mountain man
Jim Bridger, after whom it is named, and
Louis Vasquez.
In 1845, Lanford
Hastings published a guide entitled "
The Emigrant's
Guide to
Oregon and
California", which advised California emigrants to leave the Oregon Trail, at Fort Bridger, pass through the
Wasatch Range, across the
Great Salt Lake Desert, an 80-mile waterless drive, loop around the
Ruby Mountains, and rejoin the California Trail about seven miles west of modern
Elko . The ill-fated
Donner Party followed that route, along which they were met by a rider sent by Hastings to deliver letters to traveling emigrants. On July 12, the Reeds and Donners were given one of these letters, in which among other messages, Hastings claimed to have "worked out a new and better road to California", and said he would be waiting at Fort Bridger to guide the emigrants along the new cutoff.
With the arrival of the
Mormon pioneers in 1847, disputes arose between Bridger and the new settlers. By 1853, a militia of Mormons was sent to arrest him for selling alcohol and firearms to the
Native Americans, a violation of
Federal Law. He escaped capture, temporarily returning to the
East.
Near the existing fort, the Mormons established their own
Fort Supply the same year. In 1855, Mormons took over Fort Bridger, reportedly buying it from Bridger for $8,
000 in gold coins.
The Mormons claimed, over Bridger's denials, they had purchased the fort from Vasquez. There was a deed dated August 3, 1855, recorded
October 21, 1858, in
Salt Lake City in
Records Book B. p. 128 that ostensibly sold Fort Bridger to the
LDS Church. Bridger and Vasquez's name was signed by
H. F. Morrell in the presence of Alinerin
Grow and
William Adams Hickman, purportedly pursuant to a power of attorney. Since Bridger was absent from the area in 1855, acting as guide for Sir
St. George Gore, and absent a signed power of attorney from Bridger.
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- published: 24 Sep 2015
- views: 21