Unusual Experiences
Lloyd’s interest in the Oregon Trail led us to join the Oregon Trail Historical association. We joined about 1990; the last meeting we attended was held in Manhattan, Kansas in 2003. Loyd often spoke at these conferences presenting interesting details of his research.
Lloyd was fascinated by the military forts on the trail, especially Fort Kearney in Nebraska and Fort Laramie in Wyoming. The latter was built for fur trading in 1834. and later became an important stopping place on the trail. The immigrants relied on these outposts for food, repairs for the wagons. Usually they stayed a few days to rest in the security of the fort.
Naturally he was also interested in other trails and forts so when were traveling in New Mexico he wanted to visit the site of Fort Union on the Santa Fe trail. I am not sure of the date but it was approximately 1989.
Fort Union was built in 1851 and abandoned in 1891. Although it had been declared a national historical site at the time of our visit, it had not been restored. There was not even a road leading to it so we parked the car and crawled through barb wire fences to reach the location. ,
Fort Laramie
It was after sundown by the time we arrived and the broken, abandoned adobe walls of the former buildings were haunting. Only the jail constructed of stone was semi intact. Lloyd snapped a picture of me standing in the open door.
The end of the trail for that day.
Wilma Gundy
;; Fort Union
Comments