Western Nebraska and the Oregon Trail
Saturday, September 24th, 2011August 23rd
We started the day with a visit to Fort Robinson which has held many purposes in its long life: first a trading post with the Indians, a fort to protect settlers from the Indian attacks, a central post during the Sioux wars and cavalry training camp, a canine training camp, a prisoner of war camp during WWII and today a state historic site, with surviving buildings serving as lodging for tourists. We also attended a ranger talk about the Plains Indians given inside an authentic teepee. The ranger, a Native American, dispelled some of the misconceptions about Indians. He explained how they actually had a big hand in annihilating the bison population (by trading hides with the white man they could gain wealth.) The destruction of the bison eventually led to their own demise.
From Fort Robinson, we continued the road across the plains to our next stop: the Agate Fossil Beds. This area, now known as Agate, had a similar climate and landscape 20 million years ago as today’s Serengeti Plains in Africa. It was home to some very interesting animals. The fossil beds were discovered by a rancher who owned the land and recognized their scientific value. There are prehistoric footprints, fossil bones and the fossilized cork-screw shaped burrows of an ancient beaver called Daemonelix, or the “devil’s burrows.” This rancher, James Cook, not only welcomed archaeologists, but also befriended the Oglala Dakota Sioux and invited them frequently to come to his ranch. Over the years he collected many gifts and traditional goods from the Sioux. Today they are on display in a special museum in the visitor’s center. We braved the 100-degree heat to hike out to the Niobrara River and then up to the site to see the Daemonelix.
Our last stop in Nebraska was along the Oregon Trail, where hundreds of thousands of settlers braved the long, difficult journey from Missouri to the Oregon Coast. The site at Scotts Bluff was a particularly meaningful stop along the trail for the settlers who were walking beside their oxen-pulled carts- it was a geologic break in the vast Great Plains. The journey was physically and emotionally trying and many people died along the route. We also chose this spot to return towards the west (no we weren’t going back to California, but making a small detour to visit some sites in Colorado.) After a long, but inspiring day, we arrived in the small town of Fort Laramie, Wyoming where we camped in a small private campground and renewed our energy for the next days of adventure.
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