THE LADY IN GREEN

Since it was built, Fort Laramie, has been the home for many spirits of visitors that seem to have never left. The most widely known is the Lady in Green. It is said she rode out over the hills in 1850 and just disappeared. Her ghost is reportedly seen every seven years.

This is her story, as told by a commander of the fort: "Years ago, when Fort Laramie was a trading post of the American Fur Company, the agent in charge brought his beautiful daughter with him. She had been educated in private schools in the East and was an accomplished horeswoman. Although her father was uneasy about her safety on the frontier, she begged to stay with him. He made her promise never to leave the compound without an escort, and he warned his assistants to keep a guarded eye on her.

"One day, however, the agent was called away from the post, and his daughter slipped away, saddled her favorite horse, a beautiful black, and rode off. Two post workers, alerted to her absence, charged after her, but could not catch up with her, nor did she heed their calls. As if on wings, horse and rider vanished on the Oregon Trail. Now, she may have lost her way and starved to death or drowned in the river. No one really knows. At any rate, neither she nor her horse were ever seen again—alive."

"Her father, of course, was distraught. He spent months, maybe even years, searching for the girl, but, from what I hear, he never bore ill will toward those to whom he had entrusted her care. He seemed to understand that his daughter's obstinacy and foolhardiness could not be contained.

"Years later, a legend grew among the Indians and traders of the valley that every seven years the ghost of the agent's daughter would ride along the old trail east of Fort Laramie."