Fort Laramie is located at the confluence of the N. Platte and Laramie Rivers in Wyoming. It started as a trading post in 1841 and became a popular stop for pioneers on the Oregon Trail. With the coming of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869, its importance declined and the Fort was abandoned in 1890. One year later, the nine-mile-long, six-mile-wide former military reservation was opened to settlement. Fifty buildings were auctioned off and moved, yet remaining ones give a good picture of how the Fort appeared and what life there was like. The Fort became a National Monument in 1938 and a National Historical Site in 1960.The first photo is undated and shows the barracks building, which was built in 1876. Click all to enlarge.
The sutler’s (post trader) building was built in 1849 and is seen here in an 1877 photo.
Known as “Old Bedlam” the bachelor officers’ quarters was built in 1849 and is seen here in a 1938 photo. It is the oldest documented building in Wyoming.
The Captain’s Quarters building was built in 1870 and is seen here in an undated photo.
A great aerial view of Fort Laramie.
