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Fort Bridger's history is long and varied spanning every major phase of Western frontier development except the fur trade. Its establishment, early operation and namesake relates to one of the most famous of all the early trappers and explorers: James Bridger. The decline of the fur trade in the Rocky Mountains in the late 1830s forced the mountain men who remained on the frontier to seek new occupations. Jim Bridger established a small trading post in the valley of the Black's Fork of the Green River and formed a partnership with Louis Vasquez. Erected in 1842, the post was open for business early in 1843. Bridger's proposed intention was to establish trade with the friendly Indians in the neighborhood and with the emigrants who passed the fort on their way west. Because of a convenient location on the Overland Route, Fort Bridger became second in importance only to Fort Laramie as a resupply and outfitting point for travelers between the Missouri River and the Pacific Coast.

A dispute over the ownership of the Fort developed in 1853. The Mormons, who had settled the valley of the Salt Lake in 1847, claimed they had purchased the fort for $6,000, paid in gold coin. Bridger denied such a transaction had ever occurred. In the fall of 1853, two parties of Mormons sent out from Salt Lake City came to the vicinity, established Fort Supply and took over Fort Bridger. The two forts were then used to aid converts to the church as they traveled over the trail to Salt Lake City; to establish trade with the other emigrants; and to check the threat of Indian hostilities the Mormons claimed Bridger was promoting. Friction developed between the Mormons and the Federal Government in the late 1850s. President Buchanan dispatched United States troops to the area in 1857 precipitating the so-called ''Mormon War''. Upon the approach of ''Johnston's Army'', the Mormons deserted and burned both Fort Bridger and Fort Supply. Colonel A.S. Johnston, later famous as a Confederate general, immediately took over the sites and declared Fort Bridger to be a military reservation. In 1858 it was officially made a military post and a building program started.

In the 1860s, in addition to military activities, the fort served as a major station for the Pony Express, the Overland Stage Line, and the trans-continental telegraph. Troops from the fort patrolled the trails and frequently provided escort and protection when Indian depredations made travel hazardous. Regular Union troops arriving at Fort Bridger after the Civil War found it in a state of poor repair. A renewed building program started soon afterwards. Though strategically located, Fort Bridger never served as the base for any of the major military expeditions. The post was abandoned in 1878 but reactivated in 1880. Through the 1880s the military erected additional buildings and barracks and made many general improvements. The military permanently abandoned Fort Bridger in 1890.

Photo on File at the State Historic Preservation Office