Eagle Rock, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska
Posted by: hykesj
N 41° 49.580 W 103° 42.246
13T E 607615 N 4631305
Resembling an old-fashioned “Greetings from Nebraska” post card, this stamp shows a stage coach and Scotts Bluff located in the western part of the state.
Waymark Code: WMZJKB
Location: Nebraska, United States
Date Posted: 11/19/2018
Views: 6
Consisting of sandstone and siltstone, and rising 800 feet above the surrounding plain, Scotts Bluff was a familiar landmark to early emigrants traveling on the old Oregon trail. For folks traveling westbound, Scotts Bluff was located about one-third the way along this trail.
The original trail passed several miles south of Scotts Bluff, not just to avoid the bluffs, but also the extensive “badlands” between the bluffs and the North Platte River. It wasn’t long though before the trail was re-routed through a gap between Scotts Bluff and South Bluff called Mitchell Pass. This cut about eight miles (and nearly one full day of travel) off the journey westward. Now the trail passed directly under Eagle Rock, the southern tip of Scotts Bluff.
Scotts Bluff was named after Hiram Scott, a clerk with the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, who died near this spot in 1828. The exact circumstances surrounding Scott’s death and burial are not known for certain as several conflicting accounts exist.
Today, the area around Scotts Bluff has been designated a National Monument dedicated to the Oregon Trail and the people who traversed it, including the Pony Express which passed through here during its short lifetime. There’s also a road to the top of Scotts Bluff leading to several overlooks. From here, you can get a birds-eye view of the city of Scottsbluff, the North Platte River, those extensive “badlands” and a seemingly never-ending line of coal trains rolling out of Wyoming’s Powder River Basin.
Stamp Issuing Country: United States
Date of Issue: 4-Apr-2002
Denomination: 34c
Color: multicolored
Stamp Type: Single Stamp
Relevant Web Site: Not listed
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