Green River in Sweetwater County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)
William Manly - 1849
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 10, 2015
1. William Manly - 1849 Marker
Caption: An old woodcut drawing of William Manly and his party carving dugout canoes out of pine trees in Red Canyon in 1849.
Like thousands of people in 1849, William Manly was in a hurry to reach the California gold fields and find his fortune. He offered his services as a mule driver, joining a group of emigrants and headed west on the overland trail. Manly and several other drivers became impatient with the slow pace of wagon travel. He later wrote, "... We put a great many "ifs" together ... if we had a boat ... if there were no falls or bad places ... if we had plenty of provisions ... we might come out on some point or other on the Pacific Ocean ..."
When the travelers arrived at the Green River, they found a boat buried in the sand. Manly and 6 men left the party, repaired the boat, and started down the Green River in August, 1849. The Green River was easy at first, but they soon encountered rapids.
Just below Ashley Falls they wrecked their boat and built dugout canoes out of pine trees. After many adventures they eventually came out of the canyons in Utah and were persuaded to leave the river by famous Ute Chief Wakara.
Manly and his men made their way to Salt Lake City and joined other wagon trains for California.
Erected by
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Waterways & Vessels.
Location. 41° 31.383′ N, 109° 28.297′ W. Marker is in Green River, Wyoming, in Sweetwater County. Marker is on South 2nd East Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 398 South 2nd East Street, Green River WY 82935, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. William Ashley - 1825 (a few steps from this marker); The Great Unknown (within shouting distance of this marker); John Wesley Powell, 1871 (within shouting distance of this marker); Major Wesley Powell and Party (within shouting distance of this marker); Buzz Holstrom (within shouting distance of this marker); The Damsite Surveys (within shouting distance of this marker); Kolb Brothers (within shouting distance of this marker); The French Trio - 1938 (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Green River.
More about this marker. This marker is located next to the perimeter walking path in Island Park. Island Park occupies the northwestern end of Expedition Island and is across the bridge at the south end of South 2nd East Street.
Additional keywords. 49ers
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 10, 2015
2. William Manly - 1849 Marker
This marker is the second one in the distance, just above the bench back.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on November 4, 2015, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 305 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 4, 2015, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
