Green River Rendezvous Site, Sublette County Wyoming.

Really off topic here, and more deserving to be on one of our other blogs such as Today In Wyoing's History, this is the Sublette County Museum Board's marker for the site of the Green River Rendezvous.

Split Rock, Wyoming

Roads to the Great War: Father Duffy: Why Was He Beloved?

Roads to the Great War: Father Duffy: Why Was He Beloved?: At Times Square New York Father Francis Duffy was the chaplain of New York's 69th Infantry, which fought in France as the 165t...

Lex Anteinternet: What Are You Reading?

Over on our most active blog, Lex Anteinternet: What are you reading?:

What are you reading?

A new trailing thread, dedicated to what we're currently reading.

And. . . we hope. . . with participation from you.

What are you reading right  now? Add it down in the commentary section
__________________________________________________________________________________

June 21, 2016

Give Me Eighty Men

I'm presently reading Give Me Eighty Men by Shannon Smith. It's a history of the Fetterman Fight, and a history of the history of the Fetterman Fight. I'll review it when I'm done, but I'll note that the favorable mention of the book by the authors of The Heart of All That Is caused me to pick it up, even though I'd been inclined to previously avoid it.

So far, I'm enjoying it, and its certainly raising a lot questions in my mind about the Fetterman battle, although I'm reserving my judgment on various things so far.

Stop over and let us know what you're reading!

That thread:  What Are You Reading?

Lex Anteinternet: Welcome Home PFC Harold Schultz, USMC

Lex Anteinternet: Welcome Home PFC Harold Schultz, USMC: All these years, PFC Schultz, who is one of the flag raisers on the iconic Rosenthall photograph and the USMC Ogg film of the raising of ...

Blog Mirror: MeredithInWyoming: Some Gave All Continued

Some Gave All Continued

In my prior post on this blog I told the story of Orin Snyder from Salt Creek who lost his life in France during World War I.

Blog Mirror: MeridethinWyoming He Gave All for Eternity

MeridethinWyoming He Gave All for Eternity

This Memorial Day, after visiting the graves of family members, Hubby and I set off to find a special grave in the cemetery. . .

WHEELS THAT WON THE WEST®: Memorial Day 2016

WHEELS THAT WON THE WEST®: Memorial Day 2016: For many, this coming weekend will offer a respite of sorts; a time to enjoy activities with family and friends, do a little traveli...

Mormon Battalion Monument, Salt Lake City Utah.

If there's a photo that gives a worse depiction of a monument on this page than this one, I don't know what it is.

However, as a business traveler, and having seen this for the first time, and not knowing when I'll have the opportunity to photograph it again, here's an early morning photograph of the monument to the Mormon Battalion of the Mexican War on the grounds of Utah's capitol.  

The unit is unique in that its probably the only religiously based unit to have ever served in US service, although there are other units that can claim to be religiously homogeneous.  The unit was raised in a period of extreme tension between the Mormons, which were in the process of relocating to the Salt Lake Valley, and the United States.   The thought was that the raising of the volunteer unit would help dispel that.  

The unit was raised and did march a very long way to campaign in the war, but it did not see much in the way of actual combat, which is not to say that it did not see any.  The monument to the unit is being renovated, and as a result, this photograph only shows that a monument exists, without really given any details.

Lex Anteinternet: Blog Mirror: New mystery arises from iconic Iwo J...

Lex Anteinternet: Blog Mirror: New mystery arises from iconic Iwo J...: Interesting article.  Apparently Bradley, the author of Flag Of Our Fathers, now agrees. New mystery arises from iconic Iwo Ji...

World War One, World War Two, and Korean War Memorial: Chugwater Wyoming

This is the memorial for men lost in World War One, World War Two and the Korean War from the tiny town of Chugwater, Wyoming.  Chugwater is a very small town in Platte County, although it was probably a little larger during the Great War, World War Two, and the Korean War.

Expressing a unique tragedy, the same name appears on this memorial twice, but as that name was very clearly added for a serviceman of the Korean War after the monument was placed, we would have to assume that this represents two servicemen of the same name, likely father and son.

The memorial is located in a very small park across from the town hall.  Oddly, two figures have been added relatively recently which depict current servicemen, carrying M4 carbines. The figures are out of place and sort of resemble the plastic toy soldiers that kids play with and are an unfortunate addition to the memorial.

Sweetwater County World War One Memorial, Bunning Park, Rock Springs Wyoming

This is the World War One monument in Rock Springs Wyoming. Dedicated to the Sweetwater County fallen in the war, it is located in Bunning Park, which was dedicated by a mayor of the city for which the park is named.  Perhaps somewhat ironically, Peter  Bunning was German by birth and had served in the German army before immigrating to Denmark, and then on to the United States, where he became a highly successful Sweetwater County businessman.

The doughboy statue itself is of a design that was widely manufactured following the First World War for memorials.

It can't help be noted that there are a surprisingly large number of names on this memorial, given the short amount of time that the United States had troops in action during the Great War, and given that Sweetwater County's population would not have been large.

The Parting of the Ways

These monuments, within about 100 yards of each other, commemorate the Oregon Trail and the Parting of the Ways, that spot where the Oregon and California Trails diverged.  Unfortunately, as the informational sign makes clear, the monument is in the wrong place.  The actual Parting of the Ways is about ten miles to the west.