Fort Caspar Museum Plans Heartfelt Tribute For Caspar Collins Day

Casper's history runs deep, and it's been 160 years since the city's namesake, Lt. Caspar Collins, and other soldiers were killed in battles at the Platte Bridge and Red Buttes on July 26, 1865.

Earlier this month, Casper Mayor Ray Pacheco proclaimed July 26, 2025, to be Caspar Collins Day. So, on Caspar Collins Day, the Fort Caspar Museum will hold a ceremony to honor Collins and the other fallen soldiers.

The memorial will include a reading of the names of the fallen soldiers from the 11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry and 11th Kansas Cavalry, followed by a brief service led by members of the United Veterans Council and American Legion.

The military had been present in the area since 1862 when Lt. Col. William O. Collins sent the 11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry to protect the telegraph line at "Guniard's Bridge." The unit relocated to the station's complex, where it was renamed "Platte Bridge Station."

Later, it was renamed in honor of Caspar Collins.

Even after losing Collins and the other soldiers in battle, Fort Caspar continued to protect the emigrant trails and the telegraph until it was closed in 1867. At that time, any usable materials were sent to build Fort Fetterman.

The city of Casper wasn't founded until over 20 years later, in 1888, but it took nearly 50 years before the fort was reconstructed. In 1936, Fort Caspar was restored to its appearance as it was in 1865.

The Fort Caspar Museum Association is collaborating with the Fort Caspar Museum to complete the commemorative cemetery by installing marble headstones for the 11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, as well as for other regiments that suffered losses while stationed at the fort.

To maintain momentum for the project, the Fort Caspar Museum Association hosts an ongoing fundraiser that collects donations to help provide headstones, installation, a walkway, and interpretive markers for the site.