Wednesday in Wyoming - March 11, 2026

 

When I first visited Fort Laramie (my favorite Wyoming fort), I was surprised that it didn't look like a Hollywood version of a western fort. The buildings weren't made of logs, and there was no stockade. I learned that that's because there were few trees in the area.

As you can see, Fort Caspar, a hundred or so miles from Fort Laramie, didn't suffer from a shortage of wood and looks more like the quintessential western fort.

As a bit of trivia, although the city of Casper is spelled with an "e", the fort is not. 

Wednesday in Wyoming - September 11, 2024

 

Before I moved to Wyoming, if you'd asked me to describe a western fort, this  would have been my answer: buildings made of logs, all surrounded by a stockade fence.

I soon discovered that not all forts were like that, but some were, including this one. Fort Caspar near the town of Casper -- notice the different spellings -- is a reconstructed 1865 military post. 

In addition to the buildings, which include barracks, officers' quarters, a stable, and much more, there's a small museum, all of which make it worth a visit if you're in the area.

If you'd like more information, you might find this link helpful.

Wednesday in Wyoming -- January 31, 2018

Not all of the Fort Caspar Museum exhibits are indoors. In addition to the fort itself, this reconstruction of a bridge over the Platter River and a replica of the Mormon ferry that carried pioneers across the sometimes treacherous river highlight important aspects of central Wyoming's history.

And, if you wondered what the marker was, it's to commemorate the Oregon Trail.

I hope you've enjoyed a peek inside the museum and that you've learned a little bit about the state I now call home.

Wednesday in Wyoming -- January 24, 2018

One of the bits of trivia that always amuses me is that there are more pronghorn (what some call antelope) in Wyoming than people. What I hadn't realized until I visited the Fort Caspar Museum was that sheep populations were once so high and that they far exceeded both human and cattle. 

No wonder there was conflict between the cattle and sheep ranchers!

Wednesday in Wyoming -- January 17, 2018

You probably recognized this barrel, but I didn't.  Although I've heard countless news broadcasts talking about the price of a barrel of oil, I'd never actually seen an oil barrel.

Central Wyoming, which is where the Fort Caspar Museum is located, is oil country, so it's no surprise that the museum features such an iconic item.

Wednesday in Wyoming -- January 10, 2018

It's just one exhibit -- a simple series of pictures -- but if you look closely, you'll discover that it tells you a lot about Wyoming, including the state's mammals and butterfly.  Who knew that we had a state butterfly?

This exhibit celebrates Wyoming's firsts -- everything from the first national park (Yellowstone, of course), national monument (Devils Tower), and national forest to the first woman governor (Nellie Tayloe Ross).

These and many other exhibits are part of the Fort Caspar Museum.

Wednesday in Wyoming -- January 3, 2018

This month we're going to explore the Fort Caspar Museum. Not only is it the gateway to Fort Caspar itself, which I highlighted during November, but it's filled with interesting facts about Wyoming.

Here's one that surprised me:

I'd never heard of an atlatl and was intrigued by this predecessor to the bow and arrow.  Were you familiar with atlatls?  If so, where did you learn about them?

Wednesday in Wyoming -- November 29, 2017

We're going to end this month's tour of Fort Caspar with some history. This is the original sign that detailed the fort's history.  Unfortunately, it wasn't totally accurate.

As you can see from the following explanation, several important facts were misstated.

Regardless of the earlier inaccuracies, the fort is an interesting example of nineteenth century military life in Wyoming and a dramatic contrast to Fort Laramie. I encourage you to visit both if you're ever in Wyoming.

Wednesday in Wyoming -- November 22, 2017

Can you guess what this is? After showing you how officers and enlisted men lived at Fort Caspar, I couldn't resist letting you see how the horses fared. Yes, this is the stable.

Each of the stalls has a bin for hay and a basin for water. Judging from this, it appears that the horses had more privacy than enlisted men. Hmmm... What does that tell you?

Wednesday in Wyoming -- November 15, 2017

Last week we saw an officer's quarters at Fort Caspar. Today you'll see how different life was in the enlisted men's barracks.

One large room served as sleeping, eating, and recreational space for many men. And, if you're thinking that the beds look reasonably sized, it's because each of them was designed to sleep two.

Wednesday in Wyoming -- November 8, 2017

Officers who were stationed at Fort Caspar had relatively comfortable lives, including private rooms with large fireplaces (a definite necessity in the cold Wyoming winters), writing desks, and warm rugs.

What surprised me was that they stored their saddles in their rooms.

Wednesday in Wyoming -- November 1, 2017

Welcome to Fort Caspar! Located near Casper, Wyoming (yes, it's spelled differently), this fort celebrates military life in the mid-nineteenth century.

The actual fort was dismantled and its buildings used in the construction of Fort Fetterman, but the site was of enough importance that the buildings were reconstructed as a WPA project during the Depression.

Although the WPA used historically accurate building techniques, one decidedly non-historic element has been added: an electric meter.