During construction of the Union Pacific Railroad land speculators and a large contingent of undesirables kept pace with or move ahead of the construction crews and their military escorts. Townsite speculators tried to anticipate depot locations, purchasing land, selling lots and constructing tent towns.
Before the railroad reached the North Platte crossing at Fort Fred Steele, speculators set up the town of Brownsville on the river's east bank. Commanding Officer, Major Richard I. Dodge, issued an order July 2, 1868 proclaiming all lands within a three mile radius of Fort Fred Steele to be part of the military reservation and prohibiting civilian residence. Benton thus grew up on the west edge of the reservation. In a matter of days Brownsville's population resided in Benton. The tent town of Benton lasted only a few months when its population move west to Rawlins Springs.

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Show me all markers in:  Sinclair, WY  |  Carbon County  |  82334  |  Wyoming  |  United States of America

Railroad and River
Carbon Timber Company
A Well Traveled Sawmill
Town of Ft. Steele
Bridge Tender's House
Image of Fort Fred Steele
Rock Springs Massacre
Major General Philippe Regis de Trobriand
Major Thomas Tipton Thornburgh
Thornburgh's Command

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