William Henry Ashley (1778-1838) was a United States congressman and fur trader who revolutionized the fur trade and hastened exploration of the American West when he introduced the rendezvous system as a substitute for traditional trading posts.
The Rocky Mountain Fur Company, originally known as Ashley’s Hundred, was organized in St. Louis, Missouri in 1822 by both Ashley and Andrew Henry. Among the company’s original employees were Kit Carson, Jim Bridger and Jedediah Smith.
Learn more about William Ashley and the Rocky Mountain Fur Company.