Register Cliff - Guernsey, Wyoming
by Susan Rissi Tregoning
Title
Register Cliff - Guernsey, Wyoming
Artist
Susan Rissi Tregoning
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Names carved into the cliff wall at Register Cliff in Guernsey, Wyoming.
It took a day's travel to reach Register Cliff from Fort Laramie during the westward expansion. This towering sandstone cliff, which ascends 100 feet above the valley of the North Platte River, was frequently mentioned in Oregon Trail guidebooks from the 19th century as an essential waypoint and landmark for travelers on the Trail. Its soft limestone surface provided a convenient canvas for pioneers to carve their names into as they passed. Initially, in the late 1820s, trappers and fur traders were among the first to leave their marks here. Still, it is from the migration years of the 1840s and 1850s that most of today's remaining inscriptions date. Sadly, vandalism has marred this historic site with modern graffiti.
Copyright 2024 Susan Rissi Tregoning
Uploaded
March 26th, 2024
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