The Stop at Fort Bridger

Old Fort Bridger, Wyoming

Those Saints who crossed the plains during the Civil War years of the United Sates were required to stop at Fort Bridger, Wyoming and do what?

a.      Have their wagons weighed

b.      Pay a trail tax to support the Union during the war

c.       Take an oath of allegiance to the United States

d.      Register for the draft

Yesterday’s answer:

a.      Push Chimney Rock over

Canadian convert Margaret Judd Clawson was seventeen years old when she crossed the plains with her family in 1849. She recalls one of the experiences of the journey:

“My brother drove an ox team for a widow and her little girl. The little girl was very sweet and amiable, the mother rather peculiar. He said she would ask more questions in a day then ten men could answer in a week. He was a born joker and could no more help joking than he could help breathing. He could never tell her anything so absurd or ridiculous but what she believed it. He got so tired of her questions, such as ‘Riley, I wonder how far we have traveled today?’ and ‘I wonder how far we will travel tomorrow?’ ‘I wonder if we will get to water?’ ‘I wonder if we will see any Indians?’ and ‘I wonder what they will do?’ ‘Will they be friendly or savage?’ Her wondering got so monotonous he could hardly stand it. At last he had his revenge when we came in sight of Chimney Rock. . . . At the rate we traveled it could be seen several days before we reached it [When] she began her speculations about the rock, he told her in a most confidential way that a soon as we got to it, he was going to push it down, that he was sick and tired of hearing so much about Chimney Rock, that it had stood there long enough anyways. . .  Well, she begged and implored him to let it stand that other emigrants might see it who came after us, but he was obdurate. She then threatened to tell Brigham when she got to the Valley. That was always her last resort. Well, he kept her anxiety at fever heat for two days until we were within about a half a mile of it. He then gave in to her pleadings and said he would let it stand. She was so delighted that she gave him an extra good dinner and supper that day.

Holzapfel, Richard Neitzel, Their Faces Toward Zion (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1996), 118-119.