Nebraska, Ft. Robinson and Fur Trade

After leaving Ft. Laramie we traveled north to Ft. Robinson, NE. On the way we stopped at Agate Fossil National Monument which had dinosaur fossils and an Indian collection (which was closed because someone broke in and stole some of this massive collection of a local rancher family who was friends with Red Cloud and had artifacts he had given them. I guess the rotten apple theory is still in effect.

The state of Nebraska has turned an 1800's fort into state park that has an amazing amount of activities and fun. The old barracks are now hotel rooms, the officers quarters are rented to families, other buildings are museums and there are stage coach rides, horse rides, jeep tours, campfire dinners and a craft center. And then...we got lucky and arrived the same weekend of their annual Inter-tribal Gathering on the parade ground. We rode the stagecoach and took at jeep tour to the top of the bluffs. We went to one of their steak dinners where we were taken into the back country on a hay wagon for dinner and cowboy poetry. The campground was quite nice and the dogs loved the fact that we could let them go and they could chase each other in an open area that was part of the parade ground. This fort had a long history. Besides being established before the Civil War, it was where Crazy Horse was killed when he tried to escape. He had brought his people in to go to the reservation and was taken to jail. When he tried to leave a soldier bayonetted him and he died a few hours later. The Indian people were really badly treated by the government. After the Indian wars ended with Wounded Knee the fort became a remount center for cavalry horses through WWI. Then in WWII it housed German POWs who liked it so well that some of them came back and settled after the war. Before the final closing it was a USDA research center for cattle and horses. The state rescued it from destruction and restored the building for use as a state park and resort. It was a very busy place.

We arrived on the first day of the Inter-tribal Gathering, a native American pow-wow and celebration. They had put up arbors and bleachers and held dances and contests. It was very interesting to watch the dancing and look at the crafts.

Before leaving we drove to Chadron to see the Museum of the Fur Trade. It was the site of a trading post in the 1830s fur trade. The contents of the museum were amazing. There was an extensive gun collection, a textile collection of trade blankets, Indian trade items and artifacts and information about the voyagers who traveled the rivers in search of pelts. There was a reconstructed dugout trading post all set up to conduct trade.

These two days were filled with many enjoyable activities. The trip has been great. We will move on to Rapid City where we will spend five nights in the Black Hills area. Lots of things to do there as well.