[RouxStir]

"Why don't we ever hear of bogs and/or peat in North America?"

There's a pretty interesting bog near out West. Not much to see but of historical significance. I think it is in or near the Great Basin. The bog has (or had) thick slabs of peat that were over ice that stayed frozen year 'round because the peat insulated the ice. When travelers on the Oregon trail began going through the area, the native Americans showed them the bog as a source of water. The travelers would cut blocks of ice from the bog and pack them on their wagons, insulated with peat. They collected the cold water as the ice melted.

I was on a bicyle trip that followed the Oregon Trail when I visited the site in the early 80's and the bog was still visible but was part of a cattle pasture. The cattle congregated there and it was essentially a big mud hole when I saw it. Although , supposedly, the peat extended further back from where the cattle were.

[wideminded]

Thanks to everyone who commented on bogs and peat in North America. I sure learned a lot.

[syriacus]

There's a pretty interesting bog near out West. Not much to see but of historical significance. I think it is in or near the Great Basin...

Very interesting history!