Old sign
The big wooden sign is 50 years old and will be replaced.
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Erosion
Years of foot traffic have eroded around the base of the big sign destabilizing the rock work.
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Rocks
Boulders have been brought in and will be used to stabilize the new fill dirt around the base of the big sign.
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Rock work
Restoration begins: Fill dirt and rocks have been added around the big sign where erosion was occurring. Site work is being done by Wind River Stone Scapes of Pinedale.
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Wind River Range sign
The old Wind River Range sign will be updated and replaced, and two additional signs will be installed, for the Green River Drift and the pronghorn archaeology.
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Old Wind River sign
The old carved sign had become mostly unreadable. This sign has been removed and will be replaced with a more modern and updated sign.
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Restoration work begins on Trappers Point historical site
Getting ready for the 50th anniversary in 2018
by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online!
October 23, 2017
2018 is the 50th anniversary of the Trappers Point Overlook. This historical site overlooks the Green River Rendezvous grounds National Historic Landmark at the confluence of Horse Creek and the Green River which was the site of six of the sixteen Rocky Mountain fur trade rendezvous in the early 1800s. During the fur trade rendezvous in July fur trappers gathered to turn in their beaver furs and trade for supplies and goods. Thousands of Native Americans from many area tribes also came for the gathering, bringing thousands more horses with them.
It would have been quite a site of activity from the vantage point of the Trappers Point overlook during that time. Today the view is pastoral with ranching activities and grazing cattle and horses. Herds of deer and pronghorn antelope, and an occasional moose, move through as they travel up and down the valley.
The Trappers Point monument is located on a hill just southwest of US 191 at the Cora junction between Pinedale and Daniel. The 10 acres historic site is owned and managed by the Sublette County Historical Society, a 501c3 non-profit organization which operates the Museum of the Mountain Man in Pinedale.
In addition to the fur trade history, the site also overlooks two other sites that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Green River Drift Cattle Trail is listed as a Traditional Cultural Property. The Drift cattle sorting grounds are just east of the Trappers Point monument. The nearby Trappers Point Archaeology site is a 6,000-year old pronghorn kill site. The Trappers Point Wildlife Overpass over US 191 is in view from the Trappers Point overlook and is the travel corridor for the spring and fall seasonal migration of thousands of pronghorn antelope moving up and down the Upper Green River Valley. Another wildlife underpass and a cattle underpass under US 191 can also be seen from the Trappers Point historical site hill viewpoint. This nexus of three historically significant uses makes the Trappers Point monument even more significant as a site to educate the public about the history of the Upper Green River Valley in Wyoming.
The site and sign at the historic site are showing wear and tear after fifty years. With the help of a very generous donation from the Underwood Family Foundation and grants from the Jonah Interagency Office (JIO/BLM), Wyoming Office of Tourism, and the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund a project was funded to restore the historic site.
Much of the site restoration is being done by Wind River Stone Scapes Inc. of Pinedale. The big wooden historical sign was removed on Friday, October 20th. Rock work on the sign bases will be redone and erosion occurring around the big sign base will be stabilized. Six new historical signs will be installed. Three rock benches will be put in for visitors to take advantage of the great views from the top, and stair steps will be put in to make it easier to get up the hill. Some work planting the signs will be done by volunteers in the community.
The work will be completed in the spring of 2018 and ready for a rededication ceremony which will be held during Green River Rendezvous Days in July 2018. The public is still welcome to come up and visit the site during the restoration process. Progress on the site can be seen from the www.trapperspoint.com wildlife overpass webcam.
Partners in the Trappers Point historical site restoration project are:
Underwood Family Foundation
BLM/Jonah Interagency Office
Wyoming Office of Tourism
Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund
Sublette County Historic Preservation Board
Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office
Upper Green River Cattle Association
Wyoming Archeological Society (Upper Green River Basin Chapter)
For more information contact the Sublette County Historical Society at the Museum of the Mountain Man in Pinedale, 307-367-4101, director@mmmuseum.com.
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