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Show Fort : Bridger-Vernal Bridger Vernal - MiIJiIaryRoad MilitaryRoad Military MiIJiIary MilitaryRoad Road Built : by Government : ThornbLrg Thornbt.rg Thornbtrg Thornburg . Road now overgrownfrom overgrown overgrownfrom overgrowrfrom from disuse disme winding its way up over overthe overthe ovethe ] the Ulntah's Ulntahs Uintah's Uintahs ' passing near 13,000 13000 , feet feethigh feethigh feelhigh high mountain peaks and on into historic his- his historic his historic - toric Fort Bridger , Wyoming , tells teHs sromantic a aromantic aromantic romantic and fascinating story of U US US US activi activi- activities activities activities - - and freight-hauling freight hauling - S Army , ties in that regionhen region \ ' uhen \\hen hen 'then then Vernal pioneers pio- pio pioneers pio pioneers - neers were breaking virgin soil soU in inAshley inAshley irAshley Ashley ValleyBui1t ValleyBuilt Valley ValleyBuilt Built Bui1t during the years 1881-1883 1881 1883 - toserve to toserve tcserve serve the needs of U S 8 govern government governmentofficials governmentofficials men t tofficials officials In establishing establ1sning establisning a mnitary military mnitarypost militarypost militarypost post Port Fort Thornburg , on the mouth mouthof mouthof mouthof of Ashley Creek just six and onehalfmiles one-half one half onehalfmiles one-hallmiles one hallmiles - - miles north of Vernal the road serv- serv served served serv served - - ed its makers a brief few years then thenwith , , with the establishment of Port Fort Du- Du Duchesne Duchesne Du-chesne Du chesne - - chesne ceased to be necessary and andthe andthe andthe the portions of it which are still vis- vis visible visible vis visible - ible today are silent sflent monuments to q a , ahercic ciheroic heroic hercic struggle against great natural naturalobstacles naturalobstacles naturalobstacles naturalobstaclesWhen obstacles obstaclesWhen When in 1880 the U S government governmentwas gover me't met me'twas me " ' twas was contemplating contemplatmg the construction of ofa ofa ofa a Port Fort In northeastern Utah Judge JudgeWilliam JudgeWilliam JudgeWilliam William A Carter who lived at Fort FortBridger FortBridger FortBridger Bridger suggested the building of a awagon awagon awagon wagon road rood from Port Fort Bridger to the theproposed theproposed theproposed proposed site of the new postThe postThe post postThe The wagon road was begun a year yearlater yearlater yearlater later It followed foHowed one of the trails us- us used used us used - ed by Uin Ulntah Uintah tah Ute Indians in traveling travelingto to the Wyoming Port Fort Without the theuse theuse theuse use of surveys or special equipment equipmentthe the road was first constructed by byJudge byJudge byJudge Judge Carter who took sick on the theCreek theCreek theCreek Creek which now bears his name andwho and andwho andwho who died shortly afterwards . It was during the autumn of that thatyear thatyear thatyear year that Fort Thornburg ( named for forMajor forMajor forMajor Major J M Thornburg who was kill- kill killed killed kill killed - ed In 1879 in an engagement with the theWhite theWhite theWhite White River Utes ) was established establishednear establishednear establishednear near the present site of 01 Maeser , and andit andit andit it was the following fonowing year ( (1882) 1882 ( ) that thatthe thatthe thatthe the road was really christened by a atrain atrain atrain train of twenty-two twenty two - , six-mule six mule - teams teamsand teamsand teamsand and wagons wagoru ; hauling freight from Fort FortBridger FortBridger FortBridger Bridger to Port Fort rhornb'l1r'Y rhornbl1rY rhnrnburry ornbvr'1 ornbvr1 ' ' ' ' Tb 'T'h Th Tt ' Tb00weeks ) , . * -00weeks 00weeks - o oweeks weeks spent in fighting snow driftson drifts driftson driftson on high mountain passes , , extracting extractingwagons extractingwagons extractingwagons wagons from bogs in mountain meadows mea- mea meadows mea meadows - - dows , climbing steep slopes , , and scal- scal scalIng scaling scal scaling - - ing slippery mountain sides , were ne- ne necessary necessary ne necessary - - cessary to del1v deliver r the merchandise to toFort toFort toFort Fort ThornburgImmediately Thornburg ThornburgImmediately Immediately af afterwards erwards detach detach- detachments detachments detachments - ments of soldiers were turned intoroad into intoroad intoroad road builders and before the summer summerwas summerwas summerwas was finished the route could be travelled trav trav- travelled travelled - elled in approximately approxJmately half the time timeThe timeThe timeThe The summer "ummer ummer " of 1883 saw four compan compan- companIes companies - - ies of Infantry working on the road roadfor roadfor roadfor for a period of three months , and saw sawThornburg sawThornburg sawThornburg Thornburg road a main artery between betweenWyoming betweenWyoming betweenWyoming Wyoming and Utah However , the es- es establishment establishment es establishment - tablishment of Forth Duchesne short short- shortly shortly shortly - ly afterwards made both Port Fort Thorn Thorn- Thornburg Thornburg Thornburg - burg and Thornburg road obsolete obsoleteand , , and both decayed rapidly . Today only a marker , , placed on thesite the thesite thesite site by Boy Scouts of Maeser , marks marksthe marksthe marksthe the place where stood Port Fort Thornburg Thorn Thorn- Thornburg Thornburg - burg . , and only an occasional stretch stretchof stretchof stretchof of winding road marks the route tak- tak taken taken tak taken - - en by hardy freighters who hauled hauledsupplies hauledsupplies hauledsupplies supplies for army ouiposts outposts almost sixty six- six sixty six sixty - ty years ago _ I r- r - : M MR R Rr " rm r t ! & n a 3t 3 3n 3r 3a 3a 3D 3r a D r , . , w ? , . . , F . s sS sF S - F ' . m mG ma G a . . m . BRUSH CREEK GORGE-Reached GORGE Reached GORGE-Itea GORGE Itea - - 'hcd hcd < ' over the Vemal Vernal Manda Manila . Highway Highwayand Highwayand and noted tor for its deep , maJestic c ( ' 'nyon nyon 'nyons nyons ' . , cut by swift . , wtft fiowmg lowing [ strea stream 1 . , Fishing In Brush Creek is rated the best In astern Eastern Utah . |
