Independence Rock - Wyoming
Posted by: 
Hikenutty
N 42° 29.689 W 107° 08.192
13T E 324431 N 4706929
This location was famous along the Oregon trail as a place to inscribe your name as you passed by. Many emmigrants left home in the spring, hoping to make it to Independence Rock by July 4th, when people on the trail would gather for a party.
Waymark Code: WM1WAG
Location: Wyoming, United States
Date Posted: 07/19/2007
Views: 166
The state historic marker at this site tells the story of Independence Rock, from the early days as a beacon to native Americans and fur trappers, and then later for wagon trains, the Pony Express and stagecoach lines.
The following information on Independence Rock is from www.historyglobe.com:
Named for a fur trader's Fourth of July celebration in 1830, this huge rock became one of the most famous of all Oregon Trail landmarks. The giant piece of granite is 1,900 feet long, 700 feet wide, and 128 feet high.
The landmark was a favorite resting place for travelers along the trail. Called the "Great Register of the Desert", more than 5,000 names of early emigrant were carved on this boulder.
Starting the trail in the early spring, emigrants along the Oregon Trail hoped to reach Independence Rock by July 4, Independence Day. If they had not arrived by then, they knew they were behind schedule.
The rock and surrounding area has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places as well as being a Wyoming State Historic Site.