There is no enduring memory of the history that happened here. There was no one left behind to remember it.
From faded pages of tattered diaries or survivors several generations removed, we assign the early dwellers here to their proper place in the annals of the westward migration.
Engaged in trade with the Plains Indians, the Robidoux family established a post on this site in 1851.
Sometimes referred to as the "winter quarters", this venture followed an earlier post and blacksmith shop owned and operated by the free trader Robidouxs just north of here on the Oregon Trail.
Robidoux brothers Joseph, Antoine, Louis and Isadore visited here and farther west trapping and trading with the many tribes as early as 1822.
Research indicates that Antoine, son of Joseph III, resided here with his Indian wife and children until 1853, serving as post clerk.
The reconstruction of this historical building in 1993 was a joint effort of the Gering Tourism Committee, the City of Gering and the Oregon Trail Community Foundation.
Major Contributors
Goldie and Rupert Bigsby, Landowners, Joe R. Seacrest, The Lincoln Foundation, Western Publishing Company, Inc., North Platte, The Star Herald, Scottsbluff
Special Thanks
Simon Herbert, Historical Preservationist, Hi Tech Builders, John L. Fertig Owner,
Future Business Leaders of America, Gering Chapter, Explorer Post 1800, National Park Service, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Many Individual Contributors and Volunteers
Comments 0 comments