Near Fort Laramie in Goshen County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)
Mary Elizabeth Homsley
The Homsley company traveled to Council Bluff. Somewhere in Nebraska Mary gave birth to their fifth child. Before arriving at Fort Laramie Mary and the baby boy were stricken with measles, and the company elected to cross at the fort, perhaps in search of medical aid. The crossing was a disaster. The wagon carrying Mary overturned and she and the baby were thrown into the river. Both were rescued, but Mary's condition worsened that night and on the following day, June 10, she died. She was wrapped in a featherbed and buried here. The baby survived for several weeks, but he, too, passed away when the company was near present Boise, Idaho.
The company went on to Oregon, where Benjamin took a donation land claim on Elliott Prairie, Clackamas County. He raised his two surviving children alone and never remarried. He died in 1908 and is buried in Rock Creek Cemetery in Clackamas County.
Mary Homsley's grave was rediscovered in 1925 by passing cowboys. The headstone was enclosed in the present monument the following year. Contacted in Oregon, Lura Homsley Gibson could still vividly recall her mother's death and standing at a lonely grave saying a final good-bye, nearly seventy-five years before.
Erected 1991 by Oregon-California Trails Association.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers • Women. In addition, it is included in the Oregon Trail series list.
Location. 42° 13.326′ N, 104° 33.984′ W. Marker is near Fort Laramie, Wyoming, in Goshen County. Marker can be reached from Road 92 (County Route 50) near Gray Rocks Road, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fort Laramie WY 82212, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Journey West Continues (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Greatest Ride in History (approx. 0.9 miles away); ‘Where’s the Wall?’ (approx. 1.2 miles away); Noncommissioned Officers’ Quarters (approx. 1.2 miles away); The Cavalry Stables (approx. 1.2 miles away); The Rustic Hotel “ . . . No Second-Rate Affair” (approx. 1.2 miles away); The Rustic Hotel (approx. 1.2 miles away); The Post Hospital (approx. 1.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Laramie.
More about this marker. The Homsley burial site is to the north (right) of Road 92. Follow the signs.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 20, 2018. It was originally submitted on October 2, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 236 times since then and 2 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 2, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.