Casper in Natrona County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)

Guinard Bridge

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 17, 2015

1. Guinard Bridge Marker

Caption: (top left) Platte Bridge at Fort Caspar, from painting by William Henry Jackson.

Inscription. The center piece of the Platte Bridge Station and Fort Caspar was the bridge built here by Louis Guinard in 1859-1860 and used until Fort Caspar was abandoned in 1867. The bridge superstructure stood on 28 timber cribbings filled with rock and gravel. Not counting the approaches, the bridge was 810 feet long and 17 feet wide. The total cost of construction was estimated at $40,000 dollars. The toll for wagons to cross was $1.00 to $6.00, determined by the height of the river. An additional toll was charged for animals and people. This bridge symbolized the changes being shaped by the expansion of America during the middle 19th Century.

Erected 1988 by Natrona County Historical Society.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Bridges & Viaducts. In addition, it is included in the Oregon Trail series list.

Location. 42° 50.258′ N, 106° 22.301′ W. Marker is in Casper, Wyoming, in Natrona County. It can be reached from Fort Caspar Road near Southwest Wyoming Boulevard (Wyoming Highway 258), on the right when traveling west. Touch for map.

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Marker is at or near this postal address: 4001 Fort Caspar Road, Casper WY 82604, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Wyoming’s Westward Expansion Trails Region.

It is also in the American Mountain West.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Site of Old Platte Bridge (here, next to this marker); The Upper Crossing (a few steps from this marker); The Road to Zion (a few steps from this marker); The Mormon Ferry (a few steps from this marker); Reconstructed Fort Caspar (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Battle at Platte Bridge (about 300 feet away); The Battle of Red Buttes (about 400 feet away); Robert Stuart Cabin Site (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Casper.

More about this marker. This marker is located next to the reconstruction of Platte Bridge.

Additional commentary.
1. Ownership Transfer?
This has been passed down for generations in the Guinard

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 17, 2015

2. Guinard Bridge Marker

The marker is on the left.

family. We don’t know of any paperwork signed by my great-great grandfather Louis Guinard giving the Army rights to his bridge, land and buildings. We’ve been told that he was forced to move so the Army could utilize the property.

I believe my grandfather deserves better than to have his hard work before the army showed up belittled. Who do you think guarded his bridge? It was the pioneers who used it and helped make this country what it is today. Note To Editor only visible by Contributor and editor

— Submitted December 11, 2024, by Ivan Guinard of Burlington, Iowa.

Guinard Bridge image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Willam Henry Jackson, January 16, 2009

3. Guinard Bridge

Credits. This page was last revised on December 13, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 19, 2015, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 1,616 times since then and 89 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 19, 2015, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.