This highway of humans was good for trade. Some mountainmen set up supply forts just for this purpose. Fort Bridger was set up by mountainman John Bridger.
After a few years the U.S. Army also set up forts as stopping places for those on the trail. Fort Laramie was like this.
They were more like police and help stations.
None of these forts was meant as protective forts, and few had walls. As a result, the buildings sprawled out over large areas.
That is why you cannot find the walls of most of these forts today.
