I love Monday night TV for nothing else but Antique Roadshow on PBS. There is nothing more exciting than seeing someone show up with an artifact that was given to them by their weird uncle Don and see their faces when the appraiser tells them it is worth $7000.00.

Last night the show was in South Carolina and I was quite surprised but also intrigued when Fort Laramie and Lt Caspar Collins were mentioned. A woman shows up with a piece that she thought was put together by a great uncle only to find the original artist was indeed Lt Caspar Collins.

The appraiser went into some of the History of Caspar and his time spent in the west with his father, only to return with a commission as Lieutenant at the age of 20 to guard Fort Laramie and the nearby trade routes. Of course as we know all of this led to his death at the Platte Bridge Station massacre and then to the fort being named after him.

With the piece appraising at $20,000, I think it is time to check some old trunks in the area for more. Of course to find out more about Lt Caspar Collins and see more of his artwork it is an easy ride to the Fort Caspar Museum right here in Casper.

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