Fort Laramie was established as a fur trading post in the 1830s as Fort William, then became an important stop for travelers on the Oregon Trail. The U.S. Army took over the site in 1849 to better protect the many wagon trains heading west. Later in the 1860s and ’70s, it acted as staging grounds for Indian Wars all over the West. The structures left here are original from construction in 1849. I have stopped here three times over the years, and have found that it is a spooky, restless place — though there is little history of drama or trauma affiliated with it. If on a tour of the West that includes Scotts Bluff National Monument in Nebraska, stop by here as you exit on Highway 26 heading toward Yellowstone. It is definitely worthwhile!
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