Commanding Officer's Quarters, Ft. Bridger, 2003. Photo by Geoff Dobson Compare with 1880's view to the lower left. Commanding Officer's Quarters, 1880's the original commanding officers quarters was a one-story log house. With the establishment of the post as an official military post reconstructed to Army standards, life could be comfortable although it must have seemed as if there was a revolving door on the Commanding Officer's office. During the period 1858 to 1861 when the regular army was replaced by volunteers, there were five commanding officers, Wm. Hoffman, E. R. Canby, R. C. Gatlin, Alfred Cuming and Franklin Gardner. The short terms, however, were brought about by the war brewing in the East. Canby was posted to New Mexico to defend it from from his old comrade-in-arms, Henry Hopkins Sibley, who was delegated the task by President Davis of securing New Mexico for the Confederate States. Gatlin, Cummings, and Gardner all left to join Confederate forces. Gardner, interestingly, was born in New York. With the war, the fort was turned over to volunteers until 1866 when the regular army again took over control. During the war the condition at the fort declined. Thus,in 1866 Gen. Orville E. Babcock passed through the facility and noted its deplorable state from neglect during the war, ""I passed this post and found it in a shamful condition--grounds not policed, buildings out of order, flooring burned up, bridges burned, shade trees broken down." But several months later when Andrew Burt assumed command, Mrs. Burt found the posting to be most agreeable. The post trader's ox trains brought from St. Louis some of the finer items of life including a piano. The post had the first school in the Territory constructed by the post trader. The post's importance declined when by-passes were constructed, such as the Lander Cutoff, the first road in the Rockies, built in 1858. Frederic W. Lander was the chief engineer for the construction of the Pacific Wagon Road from Independence, Mo. to Honey Lake, Ca. Lander's most significant accomplishment was the location and construction of the Cutoff from South Pass to a point near Soda Springs. The advantage of the Lander Cutoff was that it provided better water, wood, and forage than the older route. During its first year, 1859, 13,000 emigrants utilized the new route. The Lander Cutoff remained in use until 1912. For more on Lander Expedition see discussion of Frederic Lander under Pacific Railroad. Military use of the Fort Bridger was abondoned in 1890. School House at Fort Bridger, undated. Icehouse to left. The school at Fort Bridger was established in 1860 by the fort sutler, Judge William A. Carter, with its first teacher being Fannie Foot. Prior to the formation of schools, children would have to attend boarding schools elsewhere. Jim Bridger, as an example, sent his daughter to a missionary school in Oregon. Unfortunately, the mission was attacked by Indians, the missionaries killed, and Bridger's daughter kidnapped by the Indians. She was never heard of again. Fort Bridger, undated but believed to be approx. 1920's Next page: Ft. Bridger continued, Judge William S Carter, Thornburgh.