Carter train runs into trouble crossing Green

NAME ROCK -Today the Historic Trails wagon train will make the fairly short trip to Fort Bridger.

The train ran into major problems fording the Green River Wednesday with only one wagon successfully making it through the river.

A deep hole in the river caused difficulties, according to a KTWO-TV news report.

One Conestoga wagon fell into the hole. As its team of Belgians strained, the front wheels of the' wagon pulled loose from the undercarriage, leaving the wagon bed and back wheels in the middle of the river.

The floating wagon was pulled to shore with a Wyoming National Guard vehicle, KTWO reported.

River crossings were a major concern and problem for emigrants.

Hamilton Scott wrote of crossing the Green in 1862:

July 18. Unloaded and corked five wagons, making tow boats of them. We got twelve wagons ferried over this evening.

July 19. Swam our stock over this morning and by dark we had the wagons all over safe without mishaps. The river was very high and running very rapid.·We had considerable trouble in swimming our stock over. We put our horses in three times and they would go about ha(fway across then turn down stream and drift back to the same side that we put them in on. We finally had to lead one beside our new constructed boats and the rest followed after him. It seemed almost a miracle that we got safely across.

In 1853 emigrant Amelia Stewart Knight wrote in lyrical style:

little one crying with cold feet sixteen wagons all getting ready to cross the creek hurry and bustle and get breakfast over feed the cattle and tumble things into the wagons Hurrah boys all ready we will be thefirst to cross the creek this morning gee up Tip and Tyler and away we go the sun just rising.

Source: Scott, Wyoming Archives and Knight, Women's Voices from the Oregon Trail,.used with permission.