Chief Washakie  (1804—1900) was a Shoshone chief who performed extraordinary acts of friendship for white settlers while exhibiting tremendous prowess as a warrior against his people’s tribal enemies. When wagon trains were passing through Shoshone country in the 1850s, Washakie and his people aided the overland travelers in fording streams and recovering strayed cattle. He was … Continue reading Chief Washakie →

Originally established as a private fur trading fort in 1834, Fort Laramie evolved into the largest and best known military post on the Northern Plains before its abandonment in 1890. This “grand old post” witnessed the entire sweeping saga of America’s western expansion alongside Native American resistance to encroachment on their territories. The popular view … Continue reading Fort Laramie →

Kit Carson  (1809-1868) Christopher Houston “Kit” Carson (Dec. 24, 1809 – May 23, 1868) was an American explorer, guide, fur trapper, Indian agent, rancher, and soldier who traveled through the southwestern and western United States. Carson became a frontier legend in his lifetime through biographies and news articles written about his adventures. Exaggerated versions of his … Continue reading Kit Carson →

Fur Trade Rendezvous began in Wyoming in 1825 near present day Burnt Fort. Until 1840, they were held near Pinedale, Kemmerer, or on the Wind River near Riverton and Lander.  Occasionally, they were held in Utah or Idaho. Rendezvous were like trade fairs where trappers and Native Americans sold pelts to the fur companies and … Continue reading Fur Trade Rendezvous →

Sir William Drummond Stewart, 7th Baronet (1795 – 1871) was a Scottish adventurer and British military officer who traveled extensively in the American West in the 1830s. To document his trip, he hired American artist Alfred Jacob Miller to join him. Miller (1810-1874) is famous today for his images of the American West, specifically of … Continue reading William Drummond Stewart →

Jim Baker (1818–1898) was a trapper, scout, guide and friend of Jim Bridger and Kit Carson. A colorful figure of the Old West, he was also one of General John C. Fremont’s favorite scouts. Born in Belleville, Illinois, at age 21 he was recruited by Jim Bridger as a trapper for the American Fur Company, … Continue reading Jim Baker →

Jim Bridger’s Map This hand-drawn version of mountain man Jim Bridger’s map depicts parts of what are now Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. It was drawn by Col. William Collins and is in the collection of the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming. Learn more about Jim Bridger and other great Wyoming history. Resources

James Pierson Beckwourth (1798 -1866) was an African-American mountain man, fur trader and explorer. Beckwourth’s mother was an enslaved African-American and his father, Sir Jennings Beckwourth, was the slave owner who acknowledged the son they shared. As a fur trapper, young Beckwourth lived with the Crow tribe for a number of years and is credited with the discovery … Continue reading Jim Beckwourth →

Alfred Jacob Miller (January 2, 1810 – June 26, 1874) was an American painter and sketcher best known for his paintings depicting the northwestern United States. His 1837 painting  titled  “Approaching Buffalo” depicts a Native American buffalo hunt. “The hunters form for themselves a peculiar kind of a cap; it has two ears with a … Continue reading Approaching Buffalo →

Hugh Glass (1780–1833) was an American fur trapper and frontiersman noted for his exploits in the American West, including his legendary cross-country trek after being mauled by a grizzly bear. Learn more about the legend of Hugh Glass.  Resources