Show Thornburg Road Construction Was Pioneer Epic Little does the casual traveler travel travel- traveler er riding over the Vernal-Manila Vernal Highway the only road which now crosses the Uinta Mountains and the only south north-south high high- highway highway way within a radious of almost miles realize that 65 years ago an earlier road was construe construe- constructed ted across this towering mountain moun moun- mountain tain range Thornburgh Road now over over- overgrown overgrown grown with brush from disuse winding its way up over the passing near ft ft high mountain peaks and on into in in- in into to historic Fort Bridger Wyom Wyom- WyomIng ing tells a romantic and fascinating fascinating story of U S Army and freight hauling activities In Uin Vin- Uintah tah County when he the pioneers p irti ie were reC breaking kin virgin soil oo In Ashley Valley Built during the years 1881 1883 to serve the needs of U S government officials in establish- establish establishing establishing ing big a military post Fort Thorn- Thorn Thornburg Thornburg Thornburg burg on the mouth of Ashley Creek Just six and one-half one miles north of Vernal the road served its makers a few brief years Then with the establish establish- establishment establishment ment of Fort Duchesne it was no longer used and the portions of it which are still visible visible today I are silent monuments to a her her- heroic heroic struggle against great natural natural al obstacles When in 1880 the U S gov gov- government government was contemplating the construction of a fort In north north- northeastern eastern Utah Judge William A Carter who lived at Fort Brid- Brid Bridget ger get suggested the building of a wagon from Fort Bridger to the proposed site of the new post The ITie wagon road was begun a later It followed one of the trails trail used by Uintah Ute Indians ans ens in traveling to the Wyoming fort Without the use of surveys or special equipment the road was first constructed by Judge Carter who was stricken ill on the creek which now bears his name and who died shortly afterwards It was during the Autumn of that year that Fort Thornburg named for Major Mayor J M Thorn Thorn- Thornburg bur burg who was killed in 1879 1870 in Inan inen an en engagement with the White WhiteRiver WhiteRiver River Utes was established near neat the present site of Maeser Masser end and nd it was the th following year yeas 1882 that the road was really christened by a train of twenty- twenty two six-mule six teams and wag wag- wagons wagons ons hauling a freight from Fort Fori Bridger Bridget to Fort Thornburg Three weeks spent In fighting mow InOW drifts on on high mountain passes extracting wagon from bogs in mountain meadows climbing steep stokes slopes es and seal seal- ing log slippery mountain sides Bides were necessary nece ary to deliver the ship ship- shipment shipment ment to Fort Thornburg Immediately afterwards detachments de de- detachments of soldiers were turn turn- turned ed into road builders and before belore the summer was finished the route Bute could be traveled in ap ap- ap approximately approximately proximately half the time The summer cummer of 1883 saw four lour com corn patties of infantry working on I the road for a period of three months and saw Thornburg road a main artery between I Wyoming and Utah However the establishment of Fort Fott Duch Duch- Duchaine Duchesne esne aine shortly afterwards made both Fort Thornburg and Thorn Thorn- Thornburg Thornburg burg road obsolete and both de de- de decRy cRy ed rapidly Today a marker indicates the place where stood Fort Thorn Thorn- Thornburg Thornburg burg and only an occasional stretch of winding road ro d marks the route taken by hardy freighters who hauled supplies for army arm outposts in the early days YS of Uintah civilization Uon I |