The Oregon Trail ruts at Guernsey State Park are one of the attractions featured in the newly formed Oregon Trail Historic Byway. Area officials hope the designation increases tourism in the area and sheds a newfound respect on the area’s history.

Goshen and Platte counties brim with history.

The area is home to the Oregon Trail, the Mormon Trail, the Pony Express route, Cold Springs, Gratton Battlefield, the Overland Trail and thousands of proud residents.

But it was a few years of work and dedication that brought a simple idea to life – make the stretch of U.S. Highway 26 from the Ne braska state line to Interstate 25 at exit 92 a national historic byway.

This recognition allows towns along the byway to apply for grants designed to promote, protect and enhance the things along a stretch of road that are unique to an area.

“The Oregon Trail has the historic and cultural, but it’s also scenic,” State Scenic Byway Coordinator Talbot Hauffe said. “It has several of the intrinsic qualities, but historic is the biggest one.”

The idea sparked in 2005 through former Torrington Mayor Mike Varney’s interest in the Stuart/Aster Party’s trip through the area.

When he became mayor, Varney decided to take action.

“The history of Highway 26 and how it flows through Wyoming from the east side to the west,” Varney said, “ I thought, ‘you know, that’s something we ought to promote.’”

As the plan moved forward, city and town councils in every town along the route from Torrington to Wheatland and commissioners from Goshen and Platte counties elected officials to serve on a historic byway committee.

The group of interested parties worked to draft a plan of historic routes along the area, including backways such as U.S. Highway 270 from Guernsey to Hartville.

They hired a personal consultant out of Utah to help put all the pieces into place.

The plan then went to the Wyoming Department of Transportation.

“We had other areas we wanted as part of the plan,” Homesteader’s Museum Director Dan Ringle said. “The state and WYDOT said we needed to pare it down.”



For the complete article see the 04-30-2010 issue.

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