Kevin – Sunday. Yesterday’s blog got a tad long because we crammed so much into our time with the Day family. So, I’m going to add a little more about yesterday before adding a little about today.
David was particularly interested in visiting the “Parting of the Ways” site. The marker out on HW-28 that discusses the Parting is NOT the correct location. As I asked Stan Kimball some years ago, “Why don’t you put markers where things actually happened?” Stan’s reply was, “We put markers where people can read them.” I couldn’t argue with that logic. A marker 17-miles out in the desert will not get read by many people, but one along a highway will. That applies to Parting of the Ways.
The Wyoming Historical Society emplaced that very nice marker on HW-28 back in the 1950’s. At the time they truly thought the spot was where the Sublette (aka Greenwood) cut-off which divided emigrating groups by bypassing Fort Bridger. If you were going to Oregon, turning right would cut nearly 80 miles off your journey, but the cost was a difficult 45-mile stretch without water. If you were headed to Salt Lake City or California, you’d take the left fork to Fort Bridger, some 100 miles further on.
The OCTA folks figured out the correct location many years ago. A modest, home-made marker has been emplaced at the ‘true’ Parting of the Ways out in the desert. This is what it looked like yesterday.
WARNING: If you ever decide to go see this location, PLEASE read the article at the following link.
Link to ArticleDon’t go alone or in just one 4WD vehicle – preferably a high clearance one. And PLEASE don’t go if the ground is wet or may get wet. You might be out there a very long time. Here are the locations for the two markers..
False Parting of the Ways: 42.284464, -109.05896
True Parting of the Ways: 42.257583, -109.227952
In either case, the Parting of the Ways proved to be another psychological ‘divorce’ for emigrants just like leaving home. You’d developed friendships along the way. You’d worked cooperatively. You’d suffered together in difficult situations. You’d learned to lean on each other for help. Now at Parting of the Ways, wagon trains would endure another separation. Oregon-bound folks that were better prepared could take the cut-off by turning right (actually going straight ahead). Those who needed reliable water or who were headed to Utah or California took the left fork for Fort Bridger. As the sign says, ‘They did not know if they would ever see each other again.”
Enough for yesterday.
Today was Sunday, a lay-over day for us to rest, catch up on blogging/journaling, do some planning and adjustment of schedule … and church. Farson has a small ‘branch’ (congregation) of our church. Nice folks greeted us warmly. They had a ‘linger-longer’ after meetings. We were able to shuffle off another 3 sleeves of … chocolate cookies with white creamed sugar filling.
This was a month with a 5th Sunday. That means there’s a special meeting with a topic to be decided by the local leaders. President Walters chose to show a recent talk by Salani Lesā Pita of BYU. The title was, “The Most Desirable Above All Things.”
Link to Talk ArticleThis was one of the best talks I’ve heard in years. Her theses and delivery were excellent. The Spirit was strong and her message inspiring – inspiring enough to cause me to start to change some habits and begin some new ones. Please consider watching her talk and then doing something.
