Rock in the Glen. Photo by Geoff Dobson. Register Cliff was not the only place that early travellers left their names. Just to the west of Deer Creek, present day Glenrock, is the Rock in the Glen. There again, names of those making the trek westward were inscribed on the rock. Most of the names are on the back side of the rock. Access, across a prickly pear strewn field, is by a foot path from a small park. Directly in front the rock is a private residence. Independence Rock Names were also inscribed further to the west on Independence Rock, named by William Sublette in 1830, when his freight wagons reached the rock on the Fourth of July. Over 5000 names are placed on the rock. Even by 1842, the Rock was noted for the numbers of names left. Fremont commented: AUGUST. 1st.--The hunters went ahead this morning, as buffalo appeared tolerably abundant, and I was desirous to secure a small stock of provisions; and we moved about seven mules up the valley, and encamped one mile below Rock Independence. This is an isolated granite rock, about six hundred and fifty yards long, and forty in height. Except in a depression of the summit, where a little soil supports a scanty growth of shrubs, with a solitary dwarf pine, it is entirely bare. Everywhere within six or eight feet of the ground, where the surface is sufficiently smooth, and in some places sixty or eighty feet above, the rock is inscribed with the names of travelers. Many a name famous in the history of this country, and some well known to science, are to be found mixed among those of the traders and travelers for pleasure and curiosity, and of missionaries among the savages. Some of these have been washed away by the rain, but the greater number are still very legible. The position of this rock is in longitude 107° 56', latitude 42° 29' 36". We remained at our camp of August 1st until noon of the next day, occupied in drying meat. By observation, the longitude of the place is 107° 25' 23", latitude 42° 29' 56". Among those who inscribed their names on the rock was Father Pierre DeSmet who later wrote, "It might be called the great registry of the desert, for on it may be read in large characters the names of the several travelers who have visited the Rocky Mountains. My name figures amongst so many others, as that of the first priest who has visited these solitary regions. Fremont left a cross on the rock. Masonic Lodge Meeting, Independence Rock, 1920. The above photo, taken by Charles Ewing Sproul of Lander, Wyo., depicts a special Masonic Lodge held July 4, 1920. The meeting commemorated the first Lodge held in present day Wyoming, July 4, 1862, at Independence Rock by approximately 20 members of a wagon train who were able to vouch for each other. In 1875, Asa L. Brown, a Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Washington Territory wrote Edgar P. Snow, Grand Master of the newly formed Grand Lodge of Wyoming explained that members of the wagon train desired to celebrate the Fourth of July. He continued with regard to the Lodge meeting: "We had just concluded our arrangements for a celebration on the rock, when Capt. Kennedy's train from Oskaloosa, Iowa, came in, bringing the body of a man who had been accidentally shot and killed that morning. Of course, we all turned out to the burial, deferring our celebration until 4 p.m., at which time we were visited by one of those short, severe storms, peculiar to that locality, which, in the language of some of the boys, 'busted the celebration.' But some of us determined on having some sort of a celebration, as well as a remembrance of the day and place, and so about the time the sun set in the west, to close the day, about twenty who could vouch, and so to speak, intervouch for each other, wended their way to the summit of the rock, and soon discovered a recess, or, rather depression, in the rock, the form and situation of which seemed prepared by nature for our special use. "An altar of twelve stones was improvised, to which a more thoughtful or patriotic traveler added the thirteenth, emblematical of the original colonies, and being elected to the East by acclamation, I was duly installed, i.e., led to the granite seat. The several stations and places were filled, and the Tyler, a venerable traveler, with flowing hair and beard of almost snowy whiteness, took his place without the western gate on a little pinnacle, which gave him a perfect command of view for the entire summit of the rock, so he could easily guard against the approach of all, either ascending or descending. I then informally opened Independence Lodge, No. 1, on the degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason, when several of the brethren made short, appropriate addresses, and our venerable Tyler gave us reminiscences of his early Masonic history, extending from 1821 to 1862. It was a meeting which is no doubt remembered by all of the participants who are yet living, and some of those who there became acquainted, have kept up fraternal intercourse ever since." According to Casper historian Alfred J. Mokler (1863-1952), writing in 1920, the Square and Compass for the 1862 Lodge were cut from cardboard and the jewels cut from tins. Following the meeting, the regalia was wrapped in oil cloth and secreted in a crevice in the rock. The regalia was eventually discovered by Split Rock rancher Gus Lankin who, in turn, turned them over to Tom Sun. Sun presented them to Rawlins Lodge No. 5. James Rankin of that lodge carried them to Cheyenne. The Bible was owned by Edwin Brown who presented it to the Grand Lodge of Wyoming. When the Cheyenne Temple burned, it was one of the few items saved. Independence Rock looking west, 1850. In the distance is Devils Gate. To the west of Independence Rock, the wagons had to detour away from the Sweetwater where the river wends its way through a narrow gorge known as Devils Gate. In 1852, Thomas Turnbull (1812-1864) emigrated to California from Chicago. In his diary, he made note of the area about Devils Gate: a little way above [Independence Rock] we crossed the Sweet Water by Ford, raised the Waggon Boxes about 1 Foot & got through safe there was about 10 logs made into a Crib a man lived there & had a tent & kept Groceries, charged $1 pr Waggon 100s of Horses, Cattle, & Mules were here & a little ahead af[t]er leaving the Ford we went along above the River, tremendous mountains of Rocks all round the next we passed was the Devils Gate where the Sweet Water runs through a small gap, a tremendous height the Rocks seem to be perpendicular at the head of the D G. to the right is a handsome valley of grass through which the Sweet water runs but instead of going to the right on acc't of Teams as far as your eye could carry you on this vast plain we turned to the left up a creek that runs into the Sweet Water close by the D. G. about 2m. & found good grass & plenty Buff dung & Sage for fire camp'd 6 Oclock Later a poney express station was established at Devils Gate and even later former Army scout Tom Sun placed corrals for his ranch at the end of the gorge. Devils Gate, 1880's To the west of Devils Gate, the pioneers came across the "Ice Slough." Turnbull made note: Friday 18th. left Sweet "W. at 6 Oclock in the morning just after starting the Wind ridge mountains made there appearance all covered with Snow About 2 Hours travel we came to the Alkali Swamp we saw some men digging for Ice, it is said that Ice can be found 2ft under ground, saw one deer plenty ground Dogs. Cattle lying dead on the Road, passed over 1000 head of Cattle, the road the most of the way very heavy Sand & Gravel * * *. Arial View of Ice Slough, looking north toward the Sweetwater The slough provided in the heat of summer unusual refreshment. In his notes J. Goldsborough Bruff wrote, "...by digging a couple of feet, ice is obtained. The surface is dug up all around by travelers - as much from curiosity as to obtain so desirable a luxury in a march so dry and thirsty...." Indeed, the Belshaw party from Lake County, Indiana, paused at the Slough on July 4, 1853. Capt. George Belshaw noted in his diary that lemonade was made with the ice, "It relished first rate." In the Slough, peat built up over the tundra-like sub-surface, insulating the frozen water below from the summer heat. Today the slough is a broad green swale leading north toward the Sweetwater. Because of changes to the drainage wrought by irrigation, the sub-surface ice no longer forms. Along the Sweetwater at the top of the Rattlesnake Range is a cleft known as Split Rock which provided another landmark for the early traveler. Nearby along the river was established an early Pony Express Station known as Sweetwater Station. The original station lasted about a year and was replaced by the Split Rock station. Split Rock station was replaced by a fortified stage and telegraph station also known as Sweetwater Station. Sweetwater Station, water color, William Henry Jackson. In the distance is Split Rock. Closer to the viewer is the stage and pony express station. The foreground is abuzz with activity. A pony express rider doffs his had to the passing Overland Stage. Behind the stage is an ox-drawn freight wagon. A bullwhacker, walking beside the left wheel ox, guides the team. Heading in the opposite direction is a mule-drawn Murphy wagon. The muleskinner is riding the left wheel mule. Indians with travois are carrying their goods. A trapper walks behind his burro followed by his dog. In the lower right, pack mules carry their loads. The scene was painted in the 1930's by William Henry Jackson (1843-1942). Jackson came west in 1866 and was employed on the Oregon Trail as a bullwhacker. As discussed on a later page, Jackson was employed as the photographer for the Hayden Expedition. The painting represents a period earlier than Jackson's time on the Oregon Trail but was painted from a combination of Jackson's memory and his early photographs. Beginning in 1930 through 1940, Jackson did a number of water color paintings illustrating the early Oregon Trail. Sixty-three of those drawings and paintings are on display at the Scott's Bluff National Monument. Jackson, following service in the Union Army, received training in photography at the Styles Studio in Burlington, VT. After breakup of his engagement to be married, he headed west and was employed for a short time on the Oregon Trail as a bullwhacker before establishing a photographic studio in Omaha. Later, Jackson recalled his experience as a bullwhacker by noting that after several months he wore two pairs of trousers because fortunately the holes were in different places and, thus, protected his modesty. He also noted that prior to the experience he never used profanity, but at the end of the job, his vocabulary had changed. Bullwhackers were, however, noted for their use of language. Two days past South Pass, a broad valley twenty miles wide, the trail split at a point known as the Parting of the Ways. The left trail lead to Fort Bridger and Utah and California. The right-hand trail, known as the Sublette Cutoff, lead to Fort Hall and Oregon. Monument marking the "Parting of the Ways," State Road 28. The Monument reads: "PARTING OF THE WAYS" THIS MARKS A FORK IN THE TRAIL RIGHT TO OREGON. LEFT TO UTAH AND CALIFORNIA 1812, ROBERT STUART AND EAST BOUND ASTORIANS USED SOUTH PASS GATEWAY 1824, ELEVEN WESTBOUND ASHLEY- H ENRY MEN LED BY JEDEDIAH SMITH AND THOMAS FITZPARTICK 1832, N. WYETH AND CAPT. B. L. E. BONNEVILLE PARTIES 1841, BARTLESON-BIDWELL PARTY. 1852, PEAK YEAR ESTIMATED 50,000 EMIGRANTS ERECTED BY THE HISTORICAL LANDMARK COMMISSION OF WYOMING 1956 The Sublette Cutoff reduced the time on the trail by about eight days, but at a cost. It crossed a waterless desert and lengthed the distance to the next point of supply. Some question exists as to the true location of the Parting of the Ways. It has also been contended that its true location is about another eight miles to the west at a point accessible only on Jeep trails. It has also been observed that one could separate from the Oregon Trail and continue to California at Fort Hall. Thus, many 49'ers continued on the Sublette Cutoff because of the savings in time. The party of emmigrants to use the Sublette Cutoff was the Stephens-Murphy Party captained by Caleb Greenwood and his two half-Indian sons. Captain Greenwood, it is said, because of his many years living with the Crow had taken on Indian dress and manners and, thus, at least one female member of the party had expressed the opinion that she was more terrified of Captain Greenwood that of the Indians. Greenwood had participated in the Astoria expedition. Also acting as a guide was 64 year old Isaac Hitchcock. Hitchcock had, allegedly, been a part of the Bonneville expedition to California. In any event, the new cutoff suggested by Hitchcock followed the same route as previously used by the Bonneville expedition. The Sublette Cutoff remained in general use, however, only until 1859 and the opening of the Lander Cutoff. Thereafter, it was in use only by those going to Salt Lake City. "True" Parting of the Ways Those crossing the desert noted the increasing quanties of dead cattle along the road. David Dinwiddie in another 1853 wagon train from Indiana, observed in his diary: "Perfect desert, sand and sage. Near Dry Sandy Creek. Fine view of snow in the mountains. At junction of Great Salt Lake and Fort Hall Roads. Saw 15 dead cattle today." The area near Big Sandy was described by Joel Palmer in his 1845 Journal: "July 20. This day we traveled about thirteen miles, to Big Sandy. The road was over a level sandy plain, covered with wild sage. At Little Sandy the road forks—one taking to the right and striking Big Sandy in six miles, and thence forty miles to Green River, striking the latter some thirty or forty miles above the lower ford, and thence to Big Bear River, striking it about fifteen miles below the old road. By taking this trail two and a half days' travel may be saved; but in the forty miles between Big Sandy and Green River there is no water, and but little grass. Scene near Big Sandy Capt. Stansbury in his diaries, noted that in the course of one day's twenty-four mile march he observed the relics of seventeen wagons and the carcasses of twenty-seven dead oxen. Lander Cutoff ruts west of Big Piney. In 1858, Congress appropriated funds for the construction of a new wagon road leading from the last crossing on the Sweetwater and proceeding along the southern edge of the Wind Rivers and crossing the Green River near Big Piney. From there it crosses present-day Lincoln County and leaves Wyoming near Afton. The new road, constructed in 90 days, shortened the journey by nearly seven days and provided ample supplies of wood, water, and grass. The Lander Cutoff remained in general use until about 1912. Next page: The Pony Express, The Pacific Telegraph.