1843 – Jim Bridger Established A Fort That Become Part Of The Oregon Trail In Wyoming

In 1843, pioneer and mountain man Jim Bridger established a fur trading post, and a fort to protect him from Native American attacks, within present day southern Wyoming. Fort Bridger eventually became one of the stops for emigrants embarking on the Oregon Trail.

On July 7, 1847, the Mormon Pioneer Company, one of many private pioneer companies at that time, stopped by Fort Bridger. However, the employees of the company considered the prices at the trading post to be too high, and moved on to another part of the Oregon Trail.

In modern times, Jim Bridger’s former trading post is owned by the statue of Wyoming and has been established as the Fort Bridger State Historic Site.