Register Cliff -- Register Cliff State Historic Site, nr Guernsey WY
N 42° 14.865 W 104° 42.692
13T E 523797 N 4677324
The Oregon Trail's landmark Register Cliff is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Waymark Code: WMK1Z3
Location: Wyoming, United States
Date Posted: 01/31/2014
Views: 5
Register Cliff is a wonderfully human landmark on the Oregon Trail. Tens of thousands of emigrants passed by here, some camped, and many carved their names into the soft sandstone of the cliff. Some included their hometowns, others inscribed the exact date of their passing.
Blasterz LOVE the Oregon Trail, and especially those places along it where you can feel a connection with the emigrants who braved the journey. This is one of those places --
From the Wyoming Heritage website:
"Register Cliff rises more than 100 feet above the North Platte River Valley south of Guernsey, Wyo. The area was the first night camp west of Fort Laramie for Oregon Trail travelers. Under the shadow of the chalky limestone bluffs on the south bank of the river, the emigrants paused to set up camp, pasture their animals and rest from the hardships of the trail.
The stopover gave them time to record their names and the dates of their passage. Many of the inscriptions at Register Cliff are from the 1840s and 1850s, the peak years of travel along the trail. Several states, especially Ohio, are well represented in the carvings.
It is likely that the cliff and its surroundings were a familiar stopping place as early as the fur trade era, though most inscriptions from that time have weathered away. The earliest known carving on the cliff reads, ''1829 This July 14,'' perhaps cut by a French speaker to commemorate Bastille Day. One unusual series of names, representing three generations of Register Cliff scribes, is that of T. H. Unthank, dated 1850; O. N. Unthank, 1869; and O. A. Unthank, 1931.
Register Cliff is one of the three best-known ''registers of the desert.'' The other two are Independence Rock, in central Wyoming, and Names Hill, in western Wyoming. Register Cliff is a short distance from the ranch buildings of Charles A. Guernsey, a cattleman of the 1890s for whom the town of Guernsey was named. Henry Frederick, who later owned the ranch, donated the site to the state of Wyoming as a memorial to the pioneers. Register Cliff was named to the National Register of Historic Places on April 3, 1970."
Street address:
Register Cliff State Historic Site
Guernsey, WY
County / Borough / Parish: Platte
Year listed: 1970
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Exploration/Settlement
Periods of significance: 1850-1874; 1825-1849
Historic function: Conservation area
Current function: Conservation area
Privately owned?: no
Hours of operation: From: 7:00 AM To: 7:00 PM
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.