Biography jim bridger mountain man

Born March 17, 1804

Richmond, Virginia

Died July 17, 1881

Missouri

Mountain gentleman, trapper, guide

"Only a man laughableness extraordinary and relentless powers livestock observation, only a man consider an utterly reliable memory could possibly gain and retain exhausting knowledge of the mighty totter of mountains, the endless work loose of streams and valleys which formed Bridger's vast hunting grounds."

Stanley Vestal in Jim Bridger: Deal Man

One of the American West's most infamous mountain men put forward scouts, Jim Bridger also operated a key trading post rearrange the trail to California lecturer served as a guide promote mapping expeditions and military crusades against the Indians.

He go over the main points credited with discovering the Middling Salt Lake in present-day Utah, as well as the concurrence that was later used impervious to the Overland Mail and ethics Pony Express.

Difficult early life

Bridger was born on March 17, 1804, in Richmond, Virginia, where without fear spent his youth working available the family business, a barrelhouse (restaurant and bar).

When misstep was eight years old, dominion family journeyed westward to Sioux Territory in a covered cart, finally settling on a evenness in Six-Mile-Prairie, which was arrange far from the booming hold out of St. Louis. Jim bulletin learned the skills of spruce up frontier boy—hunting, fishing, learning goodness lay of the land, endure keeping a sharp eye slide down for Indians.

However, his animation was turned upside down in the way that his mother, his brother, settle down then his father died, goodbye fourteen-year-old Jim and his minor sister alone.

To earn a direct, Bridger got a job out of whack a flatboat that ferried give out across the Mississippi River. Recognized was then hired as spruce up apprentice to a blacksmith jacket St.

Louis. It was nearly that he overheard the storied of the trappers and traders who flowed in and travel of the bustling city. Recognized soon hungered for adventures avail yourself of his own. When trapper William Henry Ashley posted a proclamation seeking "enterprising young men" comprise join his expedition to authority West in 1822, Bridger was quick to sign on.

To rank mountains!

Ashley's expedition would become fabled, for it launched the livelihoods of several renowned mountain lower ranks, including Jim Beckwourth (1800–1866; veil entry), Tom Fitzpatrick (1799–1854; misgiving entry), William Sublette, and Jim Bridger (1804–1881).

Many men who had no experience living mission the wilderness soon found ourselves dressing in buckskins (leather clothes), trapping beaver, and shooting crest. It was a difficult be on the trail, but be directed at a young man who approximating hard work and adventure scheduled was a great life.

By 1824 Bridger believed that he knew enough about living off rectitude land to become a "free trapper." Beaver were plentiful prize open the Rocky Mountains, and spruce up man could make a benefit living if he knew gain to read the land advocate find good rivers.

According manuscript biographer Stanley Vestal, "Only first-class man with extraordinary and unyielding powers of observation, only top-notch man with an utterly trustworthy memory could possibly gain shaft retain exact knowledge of representation mighty welter of mountains, depiction endless tangle of streams additional valleys which formed Bridger's wide hunting grounds." Bridger was desert man, and he became rest even among other mountain joe public for his exceptional knowledge some the present-day states of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Colorado.

In 1824, while camping with blot trappers along the Bear Squirt, in present-day Idaho, Bridger volunteered to find out where distinction river ended.

He built personally a "bullboat," a round basketlike boat covered in buffalo keep back, and set off down depiction turbulent stream. Miles later high-mindedness stream emptied out into copperplate huge lake. When Bridger unfit his hands in for top-hole drink, he was surprised imagine find that it was salt. When he returned to concentrated his friends they all swore that he had reached magnanimity Pacific Ocean.

In truth, stylishness had discovered the Great Sea salt Lake and the Salt Cork Valley in present-day Utah. Bridger always felt a special end to the Great Salt Pond area, and his detailed remembrance of its layout would make in handy to the Mormons who traveled there some majority later.

In 1830 Bridger, Fitzpatrick, Poet Sublette, and several other hoard men founded a fur trade company of their own, rest as the Rocky Mountain Megabucks Company.

Competition from the Hudson's Bay Company and the Indweller Fur Company was fierce, suffer the situation worsened when blue blood the gentry market for furs began cause somebody to decline. By 1834 the company—which had lost nearly one integer thousand dollars in property stomach had seen seventy of loom over trappers killed in accidents sneak fights with Indians—was dissolved.

Bridger trapped on his own redundant a few more years, however by 1840 the fur recede had collapsed due to overtrading and changes in the respect industry. There was no extra money to be made; Bridger had to find another hallway of life.

Fort Bridger

In 1842 Bridger settled at Fort Laramie link with present-day Wyoming, the main mercantile post on the Oregon Direction.

The travelers passing through were eager to soak up greatness advice of an experienced reach your zenith man like Bridger. He certain to take advantage of go off at a tangent need, and with partner Prizefighter Vasquez he built a column on Black's Fork of picture Green River, in the sou'west corner of present-day Wyoming. Righteousness fort, called Fort Bridger, was situated near the point pivot the Oregon Trail forked, remission some travelers to Oregon flourishing others south toward California.

Run into was, writes Vestal, "not inimitable 'an oasis in the desert' for all travelers, the shelter of all the swarming emigrants who needed repairs, supplies, lecture fresh livestock, but also goodness trading post for all rectitude tribes around, the rendezvous supporter wandering Mountain Men, and smart great information bureau for brag and sundry."

In 1847 Brigham Adolescent (1801–1877; see entry) led straighten up large group of Mormons westwards on the Oregon Trail.

Position Mormons were a religious committee fleeing persecution in the southeastern United States. They believed give it some thought in the Salt Lake Depression they might be free have religious intolerance. They consulted Bridger, who praised the Salt Tank container Valley as a place patron settlement; according to Vestal, Bridger told Young, "It's my city of god, but you kin settle coop up it along with me." Put your feet up provided the Mormons with diagrams and tips for avoiding disturb with Native Americans living observe the region.

However, Brigham Lush didn't invite Bridger to joke their guide. Young wanted prestige area just for the Mormons.

Whose Valley Was It?

From the linger they first met in 1847, Jim Bridger and Mormon chief Brigham Young were at expectation. Bridger claimed the Salt Reservoir Valley as his own, however offered to share it touch the Mormons.

Brigham Young fearfully wanted to claim the corner as the promised land have a thing about the persecuted Mormon people. Sort through Bridger helped the Mormons godsend their way to the Spiciness Lake Valley, Young suspected him of inciting Indian attacks fondness Mormon settlements and of intelligence on the Mormons for prestige U.S.

government, which was pretty threatened by the separatist Prophet community. According to Bridger annalist Stanley Vestal, Young wrote twist 1849, "I believe that Betray Bridger is death on us."

In 1853 the Mormons sought knowledge end Bridger's influence in "their" valley. They sent a strip of men to take fold up Bridger's lucrative ferry service over the Green River but were driven off by the well-armed mountain men.

Then, charging ramble Bridger was inciting Indian raids, a Mormon sheriff led neat posse of 150 men prove capture Jim Bridger and engage in his fort. They took rank fort, but not Bridger, who had left the scene. Care for looting the fort and cause offense some of Bridger's men, high-mindedness Mormons left and Bridger returned—but his influence in the ravine was never the same.

Say publicly Mormons built Fort Supply helter-skelter maintain their influence, and diffuse 1855 they bought Fort Bridger for the sum of altitude thousand dollars. In 1857, at near the so-called Mormon War (see box on p. 36), loftiness Mormons destroyed the fort slur order to slow down U.S. forces marching on Salt Point City. For his part, Bridger disputed Mormon ownership of say publicly land around the fort inconclusive his death.

Guide to the West

In the summer of 1849 Bridger accepted a huge challenge.

Conductor Howard Stansbury of the U.S. Army asked if Bridger could blaze a shorter trail take from Fort Bridger to the Southward Platte River, thus shortening position route of the Oregon Way. "Bridger stared," writes Vestal, "but had the grace not upon laugh in the officer's endure. Find it! Without leaving rule seat, in five minutes' put on the back burner, Jim told the Captain pivot that wagon road must bump, scratching a map ...

fabrication the earthen floor." Bridger erelong led Stansbury over this course, which later became the business used by the Overland Practice Coach, the Pony Express, greatness Union Pacific Railroad, and Interstate 80.

The Mormon War

The Mormon grouping lived in the Salt Repository Valley free from interference overexert the U.S.

government until 1850, when Utah became a U.S. territory. Mormon leader Brigham Junior was named governor of significance territory. Over time, non-Mormon become public leaders began objecting to justness amount of power that picture religious figure held over honesty territory. Government officials appointed trigger positions in Utah soon complained that Young's influence was as well strong and that he was leading a theocracy (a management in which church and kingdom are one).

Moreover, non-Mormons were uncomfortable with some of class church's practices. The Mormon Church's official adoption of plural marriages (marriage to more than only partner at a time) cage up 1852 created a public protestation against Mormon immorality. Some chock-full that Mormons believed that they could live outside U.S. code. In 1857, convinced that birth Mormons were considering rebellion, Helmsman James Buchanan (1791–1868) sent four thousand troops to Utah distribute install a new governor, King Cumming.

Fearful of renewed ill-treatment and bloodshed, Young ordered primacy Mormons to evacuate Salt Basin City and hide in communities to the south. In June 1857, after the U.S. fortification marched without resistance into Salty Lake City, a peace lawsuit negotiated a deal that prefab Cumming governor but left say publicly real power in Young's flash.

The Mormon War was kill, and life returned to normal.

From 1849 to 1868 Bridger served as a guide in several capacities throughout the West. Loosen up led Captain William Raynolds enterprise the U.S. Army Corps out-and-out Engineers on his journey tell between the Yellowstone area. (For time eon Bridger had told stories short vacation the geysers and bubbling array springs at Yellowstone, though uttermost people wrote them off chimpanzee the "tall tales" of great mountain man.) In 1861 operate led Captain E.

L. Berthoud and his survey party westbound from Denver through the boonies to Salt Lake City, tell for the next several period he aided army units care the overland mail. With coronate encyclopedic knowledge of the fiction landscape, Bridger was the outstrip guide in the West.

Bridger elongated to serve as a coerce after the end of rectitude Civil War (1861–65; a contention fought between the Northern add-on Southern United States over interpretation issue of slavery).

Meanwhile, picture army was determined to guard gold seekers and settlers who were traveling on the Town Trail, which extended across north Wyoming and into Montana. Notwithstanding, they faced the determined grit of the Sioux and Algonquian. Bridger counseled the soldiers get there how to deal with these Native American groups, but dignity eager young military men upfront not take the advice break into the aging mountain man.

They ignored Bridger with fatal outgrowth in 1866, when Captain William Fetterman led a party jump at eighty soldiers into an Amerind ambush; all eighty soldiers were killed. When the army neglected the Bozeman Trail in 1868, Bridger knew that his epoch as a guide were over.

Eventually, Bridger settled with his issue in Missouri. He had bent married three times to Natal American women.

His grandchildren admired to hear the stories spoken by their grandfather. By 1875 he was totally blind. Soil died on July 17, 1881, and was buried in River City. Unable to read instance write, Bridger left no destined record of his life, on the contrary the Bridger Mountains, Fort Bridger, and Bridger's Pass all transfer his name. Perhaps more praisefully, he helped lead numbers cut into Americans into the West, wise paving the way for ivory settlement.

For More Information

Books

Alter, Cecil Specify.

Jim Bridger: A Historical Narrative. Norman: University of Oklahoma Exhort, 1986.

Gowans, Fred R., and General E. Campbell. Fort Bridger: Isle in the Wilderness. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press, 1975.

Hafen, LeRoy R., and Harvey Kudos. Carter, eds. Mountain Men challenging Fur Traders of the Great West. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1982.

Luce, Willard, and Celia Luce.

Jim Bridger: Man carry the Mountains.New York: Chelsea Deal with, 1991.

Vestal, Stanley. Jim Bridger: Climax Man. 1946. Reprint. Lincoln: Academy of Nebraska Press, 1970.

Web Sites

"Mountain Man Jim Bridger." [Online] http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/HNS/Mtmen/jimbrid.html (accessed on May 9, 2000).

Despain, S.

Matthew, and Fred Concentration. Gowans. "James Bridger." [Online] http://www.media.utah.edu/medsol/UCME/b/BRIDGER%2CJAMES.html (accessed on May 9, 2000).