National Historic Trails Interpretive Center Announces Patio Talk “Fire - Aim - Ready”
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CASPER, Wyo. - The National Historic Trails Interpretive Center presents a special program on Saturday, September 15 at 1 p.m. called “Fire - Aim - Ready.” This program will retell stories regarding gun accidents along the pioneer trails, one of the highest accidental deaths for pioneers. The NHTIC provides the community the opportunity to connect with America’s cultural heritage and the role played by public lands in its development.
Guns were a great tool to have on your journey west but it was also a source of great tragedy along the way. Pioneers were under constant fear of attacks from Native Americans and pioneer travelers in general, but they were more likely killed by their own misuse of weapons. Many trail travelers did not know how to properly handle their own guns or were careless, which caused many accidents along the way. Visitors to this program will learn about the guns of the period as well as several stories related to gun tragedies, which happened along the trails.
Accidents were the second-greatest killer on the trail. According to Jason Vlcan, Visitor Information Specialist with the NHTIC, “accidental gunshot wounds resulted in more deaths than attacks from either Indians or lawless emigrants along the trail. Please come and join us for our last patio talk of the year!”
NHTIC general admission and events are free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, please contact the NHTIC at (307) 261-7783.
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, Wyoming.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.