Saturday, December 3, 2016

Sweetwater Station, Freemont County Wyoming.


There's a highway rest station on top of Beaver Rim at Sweetwater Station that I've stopped in a million times, but I've never photographed it before.  Probably because there's always been a lot of people there and I felt self conscious about it.  Anyhow, the other day I went through and it was just me, so I took these photos with my Iphone.

The photos here will be left large so that the details on the signs can be read.  I didn't do a very good job of photographing them while there, but it was relatively early in the day and light conditions were not idea.


This is a converging location on the trail and a lot of different things are significant about the spot.  It's a significant Oregon Trial spot in and of itself.  It was also the location of an Army post, protecting the trail, during the 1860s.  Lt. Caspar Collins, who lost his life famously leading a mixed company at the Battle of Platte Bridge Station, was stationed at Sweetwater Station.





Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Owen Wister Monument, Medicine Bow Wyoming


This is a monument to Owen Wister in Medicine  Bow, Wyoming.  Granted, it isn't in the "some gave all category", but we have strayed from the strict criteria that implies a bit.  Wister is famous, of course, for writing The Virginian, in which Medicine Bow plays a prominent part.



The monument is located just outside of a museum, which was not open when I drove through and stopped (I'm afraid I've driven through many times and not stopped).  The same location has a plaque with a large collection of the local brands on it, scene here.

Friday, October 28, 2016

San Jacinto Monument, San Jacinto Battleground State Park, Texas

San Jacinto Monument as viewed from the USS Texas.

These are photographs of the San Jacinto Monument, erected at the location of the Battle of San Jacinto in Harris County, Texas. The monument is the largest masonry column in the world.


The monument commemorates the April 21, 1836 Battle of San Jacinto, which occurred on this location, and which secured Texas' independence from Mexico. It was built from 1936 to 1939 and includes inscriptions which relate the story of Texas obtaining independence.



 Fossils in the monument's limestone.

 Reflecting pool.