The Bridger Trail , also known as the Bridger Road and Bridger Immigrant Road , was an overland route connecting the Oregon Trail to the gold fields of Montana . Gold was discovered in Virginia City, Montana in 1863, prompting settlers and prospectors to find a trail to travel from central Wyoming to Montana. In 1863, John Bozeman and John Jacobs scouted the Bozeman Trail , which was a direct route to the Montana gold fields through the Powder River Country . At the time the region was controlled by the Sioux , Cheyenne and Arapaho , who stepped up their raids in response to the stream of settlers along the trail.
24-634: In 1864 the commandant of Fort Laramie , Colonel William O. Collins, concerned about the hostilities along the Bozeman Trail, asked Jim Bridger to lead a party of settlers from Denver on a new route to the mines through the Big Horn Basin along the western edge of the Big Horn Mountains . In 1859, Bridger had guided a topographical expedition through the area, and knew the region well. The road ran approximately 425 miles (684 km), paralleling
48-485: A household in the county was $ 36,619, and the median income for a family was $ 45,575. Males had a median income of $ 33,524 versus $ 21,374 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 18,913. About 8.70% of families and 11.80% of the population were below the poverty line , including 16.20% of those under age 18 and 7.20% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2010 United States Census , there were 75,450 people, 30,616 households, and 19,714 families in
72-579: Is a county in the U.S. state of Wyoming . As of the 2020 United States Census , the population was 79,955, making it the second-most populous county in Wyoming. Its county seat is Casper . Natrona County comprises the Casper, WY Metropolitan Statistical Area . In 2010, the center of population of Wyoming was in Natrona County, near Alcova . Prior to Wyoming's settlement by European-based populations,
96-460: Is a heavily Republican county. It is rather conservative for an urban county, having gone Republican in all but three elections since 1944. No Democratic presidential candidate has won forty percent of the county's vote since Lyndon Johnson garnered 52 percent in his 1964 landslide against Barry Goldwater . Bill Clinton did win a 100-vote plurality in the 1992 election due to a significant third-party vote . In 2024, Donald Trump received 72.7% of
120-412: Is land and 35 square miles (91 km ) (0.7%) is water. Natrona County derives its name from the vast deposits of the mineral Natron found within the county. Of the 18 million tons of Natron consumed by American industry annually 17 Million tons is mined in Wyoming due to it purity. As of the 2000 United States Census , of 2000, there were 66,533 persons, 26,819 households, and 17,754 families in
144-614: Is located in Big Horn County near U.S. Route 14 / 16 / 20 at Bridger Butte. The Waltman crossing at 43°4′20″N 107°12′41″W / 43.07222°N 107.21139°W / 43.07222; -107.21139 is in Natrona County where the Bridger Road crosses U.S. 20/ U.S. Route 26 near Sand Draw and Waltman Draw. The sites encompass 5 acres (2.0 ha) each. The Dry Creek Crossing and Waltman Crossing site were placed on
168-832: The Bridger Mountains located just to the west of the southern end of the Bighorn Mountains . After cresting the range, the trail led down along the Kirby Creek drainage to where it meets the Bighorn River near the current town of Lucerne . From there, the trail turned north and follows the Bighorn River. At the mouth of the Nowood River the trail turned northeast and headed toward the Greybull River . After that crossing,
192-476: The Casper area in the late 19th century. Natrona County was created by the legislature of the Wyoming Territory on March 9, 1888, and it was organized in 1890. The land for Natrona County was annexed from Carbon County . Natrona County was named for the deposits of natron found in the area. According to George Mitchell, first mayor of Casper and member of the organization commission for Natrona County,
216-457: The Bozeman Trail and running to the west of the Bighorn Mountains in the lands of the Crow and Shoshone people. In all, 10 wagon trains made the trip in spring and summer of 1864, two of them guided personally by Bridger. The following year, hostilities along the Bozeman Trail had escalated to the point where Major General Grenville M. Dodge ordered Brigadier General Patrick E. Connor to lead
240-561: The National Register of Historic Places on January 17, 1975. Fort Laramie Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.226 via cp1108 cp1108, Varnish XID 762699134 Upstream caches: cp1108 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Fri, 29 Nov 2024 05:44:45 GMT Natrona County, Wyoming Natrona County
264-562: The Virginia City gold mines. The trip could be made in as little as 34 days, though most of the wagon trains took some time to prospect the streams along the route. As compared to the Bozeman Trail, the Bridger Trail was much less suited for wagon trains as grazing and water along the route were limited. However, in 1864, the trail is credited with handling 25% of the total growth in Virginia City's population. At least ten wagon trains used
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#1732859085220288-683: The area's stretches played host to nomadic tribes such as Cheyenne , Arapaho , Shoshone , and Sioux . New York investor John Jacob Astor established the settlement of Astoria on the Columbia River , and sent Robert Stuart eastward to blaze a trail and lay the foundation of a string of trading posts. Stuart documented the South Pass Route through the Continental Divide , near the SW corner of present-day Natrona County. Stuart's company erected
312-441: The county. The population density was 14.1 people per square mile (5.4 people/km ). There were 33,807 housing units at an average density of 6.3 units per square mile (2.4 units/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 92.8% white, 1.0% American Indian, 0.9% black or African American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.2% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 6.9% of
336-418: The county. The population density was 12 people per square mile (4.6 people/km ). There were 29,882 housing units at an average density of 6 units per square mile (2.3 units/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 94.15% White , 0.76% Black or African American , 1.03% Native American , 0.42% Asian , 0.04% Pacific Islander , 1.92% from other races , and 1.68% from two or more races. 4.90% of
360-626: The first Powder River Expedition to try to end the raids along the trail. Connor chose Bridger as one of his guides, and Bridger spent the next few years guiding various military excursions into the Powder River Country and never again led settlers along the Bridger Trail. The route left the Oregon Trail at Red Buttes, near Fort Caspar in central Wyoming, and headed in a northwestern direction. The trail crossed Badwater Creek near present-day Lysite, Wyoming , and followed Bridger Creek into
384-608: The first hut in the area in 1812, near present-day Bessemer Bend . In 1840, Father Pierre-Jean De Smet began preaching the Christian teaching to this area's indigenous peoples. He carved his name on Independence Rock and called it The Register of the Desert . Later explorers who inscribed the rock include John C. Frémont (1843), who explored the country along the Platte and Sweetwater Rivers. The first Euro-American settlement occurred in
408-427: The name was first suggested "by my old friend the late Cy Iba, who at one time owned the soda lakes." In 1909, Natrona County gained land from Fremont County . The boundaries were adjusted slightly in 1911 and 1931, and at that point the county gained its present outline. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has an area of 5,376 square miles (13,920 km ), of which 5,340 square miles (13,800 km )
432-471: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 24.6% were of German , 11.6% English , 11.3% American and 11.2% Irish ancestry. There were 26,819 households, out of which 32.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.40% were married couples living together, 10.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.80% were non-families. 27.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.40% had someone living alone who
456-423: The population. In terms of ancestry, 27.2% were German , 15.2% were Irish , 13.2% were English , and 10.7% were American . Of the 30,616 households, 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.6% were non-families, and 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size
480-598: The settlers forded the Shoshone River near Powell and continued north into Montana. After traveling through Bridger Canyon, the trail met the Clark's Fork Yellowstone River and followed it downstream past the present day town of Bridger, Montana , finally joining the Bozeman Trail at its confluence with Rock Creek, about 10 miles south of present-day Laurel, Montana . The two trails continued together west across Montana to
504-475: The trail in 1864, the largest being composed of 129 wagons and carrying some 350 to 450 people. Few remnants of the trail remain today. Some visible tracks can be seen in Fremont County and Hot Springs, County . There are two sets of remaining carvings of settlers names: one on a sandstone cliff face near Bridger Creek, and the other at Signature Rock between Byron, Wyoming and Cowley, Wyoming . The trail
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#1732859085220528-494: Was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age was 36.8 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 50,936 and the median income for a family was $ 62,859. Males had a median income of $ 47,610 versus $ 30,664 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 28,235. About 5.4% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line , including 9.9% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over. Like almost all of Wyoming, Natrona
552-439: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.95. The county population contained 26.00% under the age of 18, 10.10% from 18 to 24, 27.90% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.00 males. The median income for
576-480: Was not well-defined in most places, but used a single well-defined path at stream crossings and other places where the terrain limits the choice of route, where the most distinct traces survive. Two portions of the Bridger Road are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The Dry Creek crossing at 44°27′34″N 108°31′44″W / 44.45944°N 108.52889°W / 44.45944; -108.52889
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