This last weekend I visited Fort Fetterman with my little brothers. The difference in preservation from Fort Laramie was striking. Like Fort Laramie resources in the area such as wood were very hard to get, so when Fort Fetterman was decommissioned most of the buildings were torn apart and their wood used to build the new growing town of Douglas.
Walking around the site you can still see the outlines of the fort buildings and the trail is lined with signs explaing what each outline used to be. I would highly recommend walking through the main two buildings still standing first, because they are full of history not just about Fort Fetterman, but also the army's role in Wyoming history.
This is certainly not an all day stop, but it is worth checking out if only to understand the importance of preservation work like what has been accomplished at Fort Laramie because of landowners who conserved the many remaining buildings there at that time.
Also walk or drive up the hill to the cemetary, it's a quiet memorial to the men and pioneers who died fighting for the future of a better tomorrow.
Do you have a favorite historic site to visit? What is your favorite part of history to study? Have you visited Fort Fetterman?
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