Wednesday in Wyoming - October 23, 2024

 

How would you like to cook all your meals over an open fire for months and months? That's what the pioneers did on their journey west.

As you probably guessed, this picture came from the Historic Trails Museum in Casper, which is one of my favorite Wyoming museums.

Wednesday in Wyoming - May 8, 2024

 

Last week we saw what the Pony Express required of its riders, but the young men were only part of the equation. Equally important were the horses. They had to be fast, reliable, and able to carry not only the rider (who could weigh no more than 125 pounds) and forty pounds of mail and other materials in the specially designed saddles.

Wednesday in Wyoming _ May 1, 2024

 

There were so many interesting exhibits at the Historic Trails Museum in Casper that I decided to feature it again this month.

Although it was only in operation for 18 months, the Pony Express earned a spot in American  history, often being romanticized. 

The advertisement for riders makes the job sound anything but romantic. In case you can't read the fine print, here's what it says:

Wanted young, skinny, wiry fellows not over eighteen. Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred. 

That doesn't sound like a good deal to me, but the $25 weekly pay was a definite lure ... if you lived to collect it.

Wednesday in Wyoming - April 24, 2024

 

You can probably guess why this is one of my favorite scenes in the Historic Trails Museum. While I doubt that I would have had the courage or stamina to travel the Oregon Trail, if I'd been part of the journey west, I have no doubt that I would have wanted to record my experiences in a journal ... perhaps with the hope of one day turning those experiences into a book.

Wednesday in Wyoming - April 17, 2024

 

One of the things that makes visits to the National Historic Trails Museum so enjoyable is that there are participative exhibits. In this one, visitors climb inside the covered wagon on the right for a simulated crossing of the Platte River. It's more dangerous than you might think.

Wednesday in Wyoming - April 10, 2024

 

One of the things that surprised me when I did research about the Oregon Trail was that the pioneers WALKED. I'd assumed they rode in the covered wagons, but that wasn't the case. Yes, they sometimes slept in the wagons, but for the most part they walked alongside the oxen.

Can you imagine doing that, especially given the hazards along the trail (hint: rattlesnakes)? I can't.

Wednesday in Wyoming - April 19, 2017

Perspective is everything. From this angle, you could believe you were experiencing the same thing the early pioneers did, exploring a land with few settlers.

The reality is, this statue is located at the National Historic Trails Center in Casper, with buildings, a parking lot, and a fire hydrant close at hand.

Which one do you prefer? I vote for the first one.

If you'd like to visit the museum -- which I highly recommend -- here's the link for more information.