Near Worland in Washakie County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)
Jim Bridger Historic Trail
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, June 4, 2016
1. Jim Bridger Historic Trail Marker
Captions: (upper left) Jim Bridger; (upper right) Map of the Bridger Trail.
Inscription.
Jim Bridger Historic Trail. . In 1864 an alternate route to the goldfields of western Montana was needed due to frequent hostile actions along the Bozeman Trail. Though the Civil War raged on, the Nation continued its westward expansion through the efforts of men like Jim Bridger. A trapper, explorer, trader, hunter, scout and guide, Jim Bridger led miners north from the area we now call Fort Caspar. From there the trail led northwesterly through the southern Big Horn Mountains, across the Big Horn Basin, crossing the Shoshone River, into Montana through what was known as Pryor Gap, and finally rejoining the Bozeman Trail. The Bridger Trail reduced the threat of hostile actions against emigrants heading north and proved an important route in the settlement of the Northwest. , The Bridger Trail crossed the Big Horn River approximately 12 miles southwest of here, near where the community of Heiber stands today. The original Bridger Trail passed very close to this location as it paralleled the Big Horn River on its way north.
In 1864 an alternate route to the goldfields of western Montana was needed due to frequent hostile actions along the Bozeman Trail. Though the Civil War raged on, the Nation continued its westward expansion through the efforts of men like Jim Bridger. A trapper, explorer, trader, hunter, scout and guide, Jim Bridger led miners north from the area we now call Fort Caspar. From there the trail led northwesterly through the southern Big Horn Mountains, across the Big Horn Basin, crossing the Shoshone River, into Montana through what was known as Pryor Gap, and finally rejoining the Bozeman Trail. The Bridger Trail reduced the threat of hostile actions against emigrants heading north and proved an important route in the settlement of the Northwest.
The Bridger Trail crossed the Big Horn River approximately 12 miles southwest of here, near where the community of Heiber stands today. The original Bridger Trail passed very close to this location as it paralleled the Big Horn River on its way north.
Erected by Wyoming Highway Department, the Wyoming Centennial Wagon Train, Inc. and the Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management.
44° 2.844′ N, 107° 57.924′ W. Marker is near Worland, Wyoming, in Washakie County. Marker is on West River Road (State Highway 433) near Jim Bridger Trail, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 944 West River Road, Worland WY 82401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Also see . . . The Bridger Trail: A Safer Route to Montana Gold - WyoHistory. In 1864, prospectors demanded a faster and safer route to the new gold fields of Montana Territory. Gold and silver had been discovered the year before at Alder Gulch near Virginia City in what’s now southwestern Montana, and a new gold rush was on.
As a result, mountain man Jim Bridger blazed a trail that was safer than the better-known Bozeman Trail, which ran through Sioux country east of the Bighorn Mountains in the Powder River Basin. Bridger's trail, west of the Bighorns, was much shorter than following the Oregon Trail and Lander Cutoff before turning
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, June 4, 2016
2. Jim Bridger Historic Trail Marker
north toward Montana,..(Submitted on September 15, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 15, 2016. It was originally submitted on September 15, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 599 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on September 15, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
