Day 10 (D-51) Fort Laramie

We'll leave the city of Cheyenne on the third day of our trip to head for Custer National Park in the Black Hills, with 400 km to cover this day.   Two stops along the way, to break up the 5-hour drive.
First, Fort Laramie.

The first Fort Laramie as it looked prior to 1840. Painting from memory by Alfred Jacob Miller.

In1834 this outpost was named Fort William.  They traded with the Native Americans.
In 1841 it became Fort John.  That year, the first of many emigrants going west arrived at Fort John.  Tens of thousands of emigrants bound for Oregon, California, and the Salt Lake Valley would eventually stop at the fort.  The traders at Fort John did seasonal business selling to the emigrants the things they needed for their journey. 

In 1849 the US Army bought the fort and the post was officially renamed Fort Laramie, becoming a military post.  As the years went by, the post continued to grow in size and importance.  Fort Laramie played an important role in several treaty negotiations with the Northern Plans Indian Nations.  But there were more and more emigrants arriving, and conflicts grew.  
When the Indian Wars came to an end, Fort Laramie's importance diminished.  The post was abandoned and sold in 1890.  Fort Laramie didn't come to life again until 1938 when it became a part of the National Park System.

Tripadvisor gives you some photos here, for those who will not be traveling with us.  For the group, don't look, if you prefer to wait until June 18th!
https://www.tripadvisor.fr/LocationPhotos-g60809-w6-Fort_Laramie_Wyoming.html#223075143

My best,
Jane
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--to head to =  Remember, it means "to go in that direction."
--along the way =  http://www.wordreference.com/enfr/along%20the%20way
--to break up the drive =  "couper le trajet", make some stops
--bound for =  headed for, going in the direction of
--went by (to go by: a phrasal verb) = to pass  ("As time goes by", the song from the film Casablanca with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman!)