Trails Center
| Contacts: | Lesley A. Elser | |||
| 307-261-7603 |
Trails Center Announces California Gold Rush Presentation
The National Historic Trails Interpretive Center (NHTIC) and the Oregon-California Trails Association will host a special talk on the California Gold Rush this Saturday, March 3, at 10 a.m.
Author Hal James will offer insight into his book Bruff’s Wake: J. Goldsborough Bruff and the California Gold Rush, 1849-51.
At the mid-point of the 19th century, J. Goldsborough Bruff was caught up in one of the largest mass migrations in history. Given his early military training and leadership abilities, he was inspired to form and lead an emigrating company of 64 men to California. Other than searching for riches and adventure, his main purpose was to compile a guidebook for future travelers that resulted in one of the best descriptive accounts of trail life during the gold rush of 1849. With curiosity, a sharp eye, and tireless energy, he recorded a narrative, complemented with field sketches, on all that transpired during his six-month journey from St. Joseph, Missouri to the gold fields of California. Two thirds of Bruff’s sketches presented some of the first panoramic illustrations of overland America and the newly acquired California lands.
The talk will last about an hour and will take place at the NHTIC. Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the Trails Center.
The NHTIC is a part of the BLM's National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS). The areas of the NLCS are specifically designed to conserve, protect and restore the exceptional scientific, natural, cultural, ecological, historical, and recreation values of these treasured landscapes.
The NHTIC is a public-private partnership between the BLM and the National Historic Trails Center Foundation. The facility is located at 1501 N. Poplar Street, Casper, Wyo. The Center is currently operating on winter hours, and is open Tuesday – Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
Trails Center 1501 North Poplar Street Casper, WY 82601