What is Independence Rock made of

Independence Rock is a large granite rock, approximately 130 feet (40 m) high, 1,900 feet (580 m) long, and 850 feet (260 m) wide, which is in southwestern Natrona County, Wyoming along Wyoming Highway 220.

Why is Independence Rock special?

Independence Rock was the most-noted landmark of the wagon trails west of Fort Laramie. … They carved their names and messages into the granite, using Independence Rock as a bulletin board for Oregon Trail travelers. In 1961, it was designated a national historic landmark managed by the State of Wyoming.

What did independence Rock look like?

At a distance, J. Goldsborough Bruff said the rock “looks like a huge whale.” Like other goldrushers, Bruff found it “painted & marked in every way, all over, with names, dates, initials.” To George Harter, Independence Rock was shaped “much like an apple cut in the middle and one half laid flat side down.”

Why is it called Independence Rock?

Independence Rock – Natrona County, Wyoming An oval outcrop of granite rock, it is 1,900 feet long, 700 feet wide, and rises 128 feet above the range. The rock derived its name from a party of fur trappers who camped there and celebrated Independence Day in their own style on July 4, 1830.

Does Independence Rock still exist?

Described by most as “looking like a great beached whale…,” the Rock is now the site of a modern Highway Rest Area and State Interpretative Site. It was the names carved in stone here that caused Father Peter J. DeSmet to appropriately name this place “The Register of the Desert” in 1840.

Why did the Oregon Trail start in Independence Missouri?

The 2,000-mile Oregon Trail began to be heavily traveled in 1843 by settlers wanting to establish new homes in the northwest, while others split off on the equally long and grueling California Trail to seek their fortunes in the gold fields.

When was Independence Rock established?

The Oregon Trail: Independence Rock. Named for a fur trader’s Fourth of July celebration in 1830, this huge rock became one of the most famous of all Oregon Trail landmarks.

Where did pioneers carve their names?

Also called Register Rock and Sand Point Station, thousands of pioneers camped here and inscribed their names upon the sandstone while traveling along the Oregon, California and Mormon Trails.

Why did Travelers Want Independence Rock by July 4th?

One of the few landmarks in this desolate, uninhabited land is Independence Rock, a rounded granite extrusion rising 128 feet above the level prairie, supposedly named because an ideal schedule would see the travelers reaching this point around Independence Day (July 4th) in order to be able to cross the Sierra Nevada …

What happened at Fort Bridger?

The settlers reported that Bridger was selling liquor and ammunition to the Indians, in violation of federal law. Brigham Young, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and a federal Indian agent, responded by sending the Mormon militia to the fort in 1853.

Article first time published on

How many people didn't survive the journey west?

According to the Oregon California Trails Association, almost one in ten who embarked on the trail didn’t survive. Most people died of diseases such as dysentery, cholera, smallpox or flu, or in accidents caused by inexperience, exhaustion and carelessness.

Can you climb on Independence Rock?

The rock is a protected site, but you are still allowed to climb the steep dome. Please don’t scratch your name in the rock now, as that takes away from the history surrounding the site. Some people had even scratched their names right among the pioneers, making it difficult to take a nice picture.

Where does Wyoming get its name?

Wyoming gets its name from a green valley in northeast Pennsylvania originally purchased from the Iroquois by a Connecticut land company. An Ohio congressman in 1865 first proposed the name—but later, after he saw our dry, wide plains, he wasn’t so sure he’d had the right idea.

What dangers did the pioneers face?

Major threats to pioneer life and limb came from accidents, exhaustion, and disease. Crossing rivers were probably the most dangerous thing pioneers did. Swollen rivers could tip over and drown both people and oxen. Such accidents could cause the loss of life and most or all of valuable supplies.

How long did it take to walk the Oregon Trail?

Perhaps some 300,000 to 400,000 people used it during its heyday from the mid-1840s to the late 1860s, and possibly a half million traversed it overall, covering an average of 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 km) per day; most completed their journeys in four to five months.

What state is Devil's Gate in?

Devil’s Gate or Devils Gate is a natural rock formation, a gorge on the Sweetwater River in Wyoming, United States, five miles (8 km) southwest of Independence Rock.

Where is Martin's Cove Wyoming?

Martin’s Cove is a historic site in Wyoming. The 933 acre (3.8 km²) cove is located 55 miles (89 km) southwest of Casper, Wyoming, in Natrona County. It is located on the Mormon Trail and is also part of the North Platte-Sweetwater segment of the Oregon Trail.

At what Landmark did the pioneers cross the Rocky Mountains?

South Pass – Fremont County, Wyoming South Pass was perhaps the most important landmark along the emigrant trails. It marked the end of the long ascent to the Continental Divide and the emigrants’ arrival at the frontier of the Oregon country. It was also thought to be the halfway point along the trail.

Who was the first settler to complete the Oregon Trail?

The first person to follow the entire route of the Oregon Trail was Robert Stuart of Astoria in 1812-13. He did so in reverse, traveling west to east, and in the process discovered the South Pass, so named because it was south of the pass Lewis and Clark followed over the Continental Divide.

What was the most important landmark along the Oregon Trail?

Eagle Rock, part of the Scotts Bluff rock formation, an important landmark on the Oregon Trail, Scotts Bluff National Monument, western Nebraska.

Why didn't most pioneers ride in their wagons?

People didn’t ride in the wagons often, because they didn’t want to wear out their animals. Instead they walked alongside them, getting just as dusty as the animals. The long journey was hard on both people and animals. It was even hard on the wagons, which usually had to be repaired several times during the trip.

What were the two main causes of death along the trail?

Nearly one in ten who set off on the Oregon Trail did not survive. The two biggest causes of death were disease and accidents.

What two trails started the Independence Missouri?

Pioneers in Independence In addition to the Oregon Trail, Independence, MO, was also the starting point for the California and Santa Fe trails.

Where is the Green River on the Oregon Trail?

The Green River, just west of South Pass, was from 1825 to 1840 the site of the annual rendezvous of the mountain men and a main thoroughfare for mountain trappers. It remained an important landmark for emigrants on the Oregon Trail and for Forty-niners on their way to the California gold fields.

Where is Soda Springs on the Oregon Trail?

Located along a shortcut on the Oregon-California Trail off of the main route to Fort Hall, Idaho is Soda Springs. These natural bubbling pools of carbonated water, caused by ancient volcanic activity, were first called “Beer Springs”.

Was Fort Laramie on the Oregon Trail?

Fort Laramie once stood sentinel over the Oregon, California, and Mormon emigration trails; was a stop on the Pony Express route; and served as a staging ground for both peaceful and hostile dealings with Plains Indians.

What were the 3 real enemies of the settlers?

The common misperception is that Native Americans were the emigrant’s biggest problem en route. Quite the contrary, most native tribes were quite helpful to the emigrants. The real enemies of the pioneers were cholera, poor sanitation and, surprisingly, accidental gunshots.

How far did the pioneers typically walk each day for 6 months?

Average distance covered in a day was usually fifteen miles, but on a good day twenty could be traveled.

How much did it cost to join a wagon train?

The overland journey from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon or California meant a six-month trip across 2,000 miles of hard country. It was costly—as much as $1,000 for a family of four. That fee included a wagon at about $100.

Who burned Fort Bridger?

The Mormons responded by quickly mobilizing the Nauvoo Legion. This guerrilla militia force burned down Fort Bridger and Fort Supply, stampeded thousands of army cattle, and set fire to the prairie grass and seventy-two army supply wagons.

What was Fort Bridger used for on the Oregon Trail?

In 1843 he established Fort Bridger, in southwestern Wyoming, as a way station for emigrants traveling westward on the Oregon Trail and as a fur-trading post. (The fort later served the U.S. Army, and it was not abandoned until 1890.)