New Fork River Crossing

The Lander Road crossed the New Fork River here, where the water was shallow enough for emigrant wagons to ford without a ferry, and the availability of good water, livestock feed, and firewood made it a popular layover site. Construction of the Lander Road followed complaints from earlier emigrants about exorbitant ferry prices and the lack of good water and feed along the southern trail routes. In 1857, Congress ordered construction of a practicable route for emigration, and the Lander Road was one result. Opened in 1859 and named for its chief engineer, Frederick West Lander, it first served emigrants and later became the main link between ranches in the Green River Valley and people living in Star Valley to the west and Lander Valley to the east. Known to early emigrants as the first fork of the Green River or the East River, the New Fork River was the first major river crossed in the Green River Basin.

Wyoming · United States