Parting of the Ways
National Register of Historic Places

Parting of the Ways

Farson, Sweetwater County, Wyoming
Listed
January 11, 1976
Type
Site
Period
Pre Contact
Ref No.
76001962

About this property

The Parting of the Ways is a historic site in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States, where the Oregon and California Trails fork from the original route to Fort Bridger to an alternative route, the Sublette-Greenwood Cutoff, across the Little Colorado Desert. Many wagon trains parted company, some preferring the shorter cutoff route, which involved fifty waterless miles, to the longer but better-watered main route. The junction is marked by a small sandstone boulder about 15 inches (38 cm) high, placed by L.C. Bishop and Paul Henderson and inscribed with a left-pointing arrow with "F. Bridger" and a right-pointing arrow with "S. Cut Off." The route was not established by Sublette, but rather a mountain man named Greenwood. The error in attribution arose when Joseph E. Ware's Emigrant's Guide to California (1849) listed the alternate path as the "Sublette Cutoff."

Location

Farson, Sweetwater County, Wyoming
42.25752, -109.22899

Categories

TRANSPORTATIONEXPLORATION/SETTLEMENTCOMMUNICATIONS
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Parting of the Ways

This page lists Parting of the Ways. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Parting of the Ways report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

South Pass City Historic District
Listed
26.3 mi
South Pass
Industrial
26.3 mi
Atlantic City Mercantile
Industrial
30 mi
Carpenter Hotel Historic District
Industrial
30.2 mi
Jensen Ranch
Listed
30.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Parting of the Ways listed on the National Register?

Parting of the Ways was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 11, 1976.

What type of historic resource is Parting of the Ways?

Parting of the Ways is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Parting of the Ways?

The period of significance for Parting of the Ways is recorded as the pre_contact era.

Can I research the history near Parting of the Ways?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Parting of the Ways will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Sweetwater County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Sweetwater County.

Explore SweetwaterCounty ›

More historic places in Wyoming

Browse all historic places in Wyoming.

View Wyominghistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Wyoming history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Wyominghistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Parting of the Ways will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report