Fort Laramie

Fort Laramie began its days as Fort William and later Fort John, as an outpost on the fur trade route operated by the American Fur Company.  By 1841, emigrants heading west on the Oregon-Mormon Trail first stopped at the fort with many more emigrants to follow.  The army purchased the fort in 1849, officially renaming it Fort Laramie, to protect wagon trains from Indian attack.  By 1852, an estimated 50,000 pioneers passed through the fort, and with the waves of emigrants, tensions with Plains Indian groups increased.  The Grattan fight of 1854, which involved an incident with a wagon train near Fort Laramie, was the first major battle of the Indian Wars on the Northern Plains.  During its years of use, Fort Laramie served as a key location at which treaties were signed and troops were stationed, supplying and reinforcing forts along the Bozeman Trail.  Fort Laramie was also a stop on the famous, though short-lived, Pony Express route and on Ben Holliday’s Overland Stage Line.  The army closed the fort in 1890 and sold many of its buildings to the public.  Today, the fort’s remaining buildings have been restored by the National Park Service, and visitors during the summer can interact with costumed interpreters who bring the past to life.  Audio tours are also available to rent for a nominal fee and provide visitors with a detailed and dramatic tour of the fort.

Protect Our Heritage!
Archaeologists are still piecing together the happenings at Fort Laramie.  Please do not remove artifacts, use a metal detector, or deface property.