Schellhase 2022 Midwest and Western RV Travels: 14 Sep 2022 - Downtown Casper Oddities, Ft Caspar, Casper Army Air Base

14 Sep

Early to bed, early to rise and head to the local RAM dealership to get at the head of the line for an oil change with the "no appointment necessary Express Lane service". I was there before anyone else and the first question was, "Do you have an appointment?" No, I don't have an appointment! Why should I have an appointment?! So that did not work out and got me in a foul mood first thing in the morning. No worries, I can get it done at Kearney NE. I got back to the campground and had a lengthy discussion with the Chrysler Dodge Ram Fiat Customer Care representative in Auburn Hills MI.

We headed out for another day of sightseeing in and around Casper WY. We started out in the downtown area with three oddities!

The first one was "The Spiral Staircase to Nowhere". It used to lead to apartments but nowadays it simply stands there, stopping at the top and going nowhere.

A horned owl watches over us as we check out the staircase!

The second was "The Echo Chamber" which is located behind the Natrona County Library. The curved wall will echo whatever is said by the person standing in the exact center of the circle, but others simply hear the person's voice. It really echo's!!

This video does not really capture the echo's that well.

The third was the Well's Fargo "Egg Beater" Tower. This tower serves absolutely no purpose other than just an icon. There are no labels, no plaques, no radio antennas, no cellular antennas, no nothing. One of the locals we talked to could not explain it. It just stands there. Supposedly if you stand underneath it and look up as you spin around you will feel like you are in an egg beater. We were going to but some jack-wagon parked his trailer under there.

So there you have it! Three oddities in downtown Casper WY! Next stop, Fort Caspar.

There was an incredible amount of emigrant traffic through the Casper WY area in the mid-1800's with the Oregon/Mormon/California trails passing through as well as the Pony Express. Here are markers in front of the museum identifying this as part of the trail.

The Oregon Trail

The Mormon Trail

The Pony Express

The Oregon Trail

The trails

The Wyoming plains were also the home of several Native American tribes including the Arapahoe, Shoshone, Sioux and Cheyenne. Initially conflicts with them were seldom, but by 1855 hostilities increased. In response, U.S. troops established forts in various locations. A bridge over the Platte River and trading post were built here and soon a telegraph station and Pony Express relay station were established. From 1862-1865 the Platte Bridge Station hosted hosted one Army company.

In July 1865, Native Americans gathered to attack the Platte Bridge Station to revenge the Sand Creek Massacre that occurred in the Colorado Territory. Lt Caspar Collins led a small detachment from the Platte Bridge Station to escort an Army supply train and was ambushed. Five soldiers including Collins were killed. In 1865 the Army officially changed the name of Platte Bridge Station to Fort Caspar to honor the fallen lieutenant.

In 1936 Casper WY residents reconstructed Fort Caspar using sketches made by Lt Caspar in 1863. The Fort Caspar Museum opened in 1983.

The museum tells the story of the Fort, but also tells the story of Casper WY. Outside displays include a reconstructed Mormon ferry boat and part of the Guinard Bridge in addition to some of the Fort buildings and other features. We started inside and worked our way through the museum and then went outside. Some pictures:

Local leather craftsmen making saddles and other products

Ceremonial pipes, sometimes called "Peace Pipes"

Casper WY started to develop in 1888 as the first buildings were erected. That same year the railroad reached Casper and in 1889 the town was incorporated. Every town needs a fire department, so a volunteer department was formed.

The Casper Fire Department

Casper's volunteer fire bell was hung in the cupalo at Town Hall on 1 Aug 1896

The original Charter with the charter members listed

In 1908 the first gusher oil well was drilled and that started a new oil era for Casper that continues today.

Sheep production became a huge industry here.

A sheep wagon

We moved outside and had a look at Fort Caspar buildings. They have done a great job equipping them as they likely looked when they were occupied by the Army.

Some locals checking us out!

The Mormon Ferry, built by Brigham Young and the Pioneer Party in 1847. They needed a way to get their people across the Platte River during their migration to the west.

Guinard Bridge, built in 1859-1860 and used until the fort was abandoned in 1867. It was 810 feet long and 17 feet wide. The toll for wagons to cross was $1 to $6, determined by the height of the river. Animals and people required an additional charge.

We enjoyed the museum and the fort buildings. From here we drove west of town to the airport and the old site of the Casper Army Air Base.

As we drove in, six of the "locals" were checking us out, at a distance of course!

The museum here is called the Wyoming Veteran's Memorial Museum. The building used to be the Enlistedmen's Service Club when this was the Casper Army Air Base and it has been beautifully preserved, most notably the hardwood floor. One of the displays is an old radio and you can almost hear the radio playing and Airmen dancing and having a good time!

So the history of this base, site selection started months before Pearl harbor and construction started. After the attack, this base sprang to life as a key training base for B-17 bombers followed by B-24 bombers. Within 30 months of operation, the Casper Army Air Base trained 16,000 men. Following the war, in 1945 the base closed but would continue on in service by hosting the Wyoming Air National Guard summer camps starting in 1949. They were doing fighter-interceptor training with F-51 Mustangs and transitioned to jets in the early 1950's.

The museum has numerous interesting artifacts. A few pictures:

Aerial Reconnaissance training equipment

The main museum area. Notice the extensive murals on the walls. These are original artwork completed by several Airmen assigned to the base and they have been preserved! The theme for the artwork was local history, and they cover basically all of the walls of the former Enlistedmen's Club.

Some more pictures of the artifacts:

Some U.S. weapons from the era.

Trench artwork. Engravings on mess kits and other items

Artifacts from Vietnam including sandals made from tires

Other Vietnam era items

Items from CMSgt Peebles during his career

Helmets and weapons from WWII

Items from Iraq, including POGS, the cardboard "coins" we got in change when we bought something from the base exchange.

After we finished up at the museum, we headed back towards the campground and stopped at the Hangar Restaurant for lunch. As mentioned before, the town of Bar Nunn including our campground is sitting on what used to be Wardwell Field airport. Some of the streets are actually runways and taxiways. A hangar building remains and has been converted into a great restaurant and a family fun center.

What the Hangar used to look like, The Hangar was built in 1927 as the Natrona County Airport. In September 1930 Wardwell Field was named in honor of Maj Doyen P Wardwell of Casper, a pioneer of aviation development in WY. He was killed in a plane crash in Casper on 8 Aug 1929. This airfield was eventually closed and moved to the old Casper Army Air Base location.