| Willow Springs | |
|---|---|
  Willow Springs Location of Willow Springs in Wyoming  Willow Springs Willow Springs (the United States) | |
| Location | West of Tie Siding, Wyoming |
| Coordinates | 41°05′29″N105°34′08″W / 41.09152°N 105.568778°W |
| Built | 1862 |
| Built for | Early pioneers, Overland Stage and Mail |
Willow Springs, Albany County, Wyoming, (now called the Willow Springs campsite), was a resting spot for early American pioneers heading west on the Overland Trail. The site is located south of the present city of Laramie, Wyoming in Albany County in the southern Laramie Valley. [1] The pioneers selected the site because it has good water year-round. The site was also used as a route for the Overland Stage and Mail from 1862 to 1869. Willow Springs saw its peak use during the California gold rush, which started in 1949. Travelers to Willow Springs arrived from both the Overland Trail from Colorado and the Overland Trail Military Route from Nebraska, which joined south of Willow Springs. From Willow Springs, the Overland Trail travels north to the next stop, the Big Laramie Stage Station. Wells Fargo and Company took over operations in 1866. [2] Because of the fresh artesian water from the springs, the site was also used by the Native Americans for many years. Willow Springs Campsite Archaeological digs have taken place at Willow Springs. The first digs were done in the 1960s by University of Wyoming William Mulloy (1917–1978). In 2021, the University of Wyoming, Office of the Wyoming State Archaeologist, started digs again. The site digs has uncovered many artifacts from prehistoric times, ceramics, the Plains Indian Wars, and the wagon trains. The site is on a private ranch now. [1] [3]
With the opening of the Union Pacific Railroad's first transcontinental railroad in 1868, [4] the wagon trains started to end. [5] [6] [7] [8]
