The Tools of a Mountain Man – Priming horns, a J. J. Henry pistol and more atop a beaver pelt and a Hudson Bay blanket. The Hudson Bay Company issued blankets to their fur traders who used them for trading with the various tribes. Most commonly they were white with colorful stripes. Red blankets were … Continue reading Horns & Guns
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J. J. Henry pistols were a favorite among the American mountain men. J. J. Henry was a well-known Pennsylvania gun maker who supplied rifles and pistols to the American Fur Company. Learn more about the Rocky Mountain Fur Traders and the J. J. Henry pistol.
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The insignia on Jim Bridger’s rifle, which is on display at the Museum of the Mountain Man Museum in Pinedale, Wyoming. Jim Bridger (James Felix Bridger) was among the foremost mountain men, trappers, scouts and guides who explored and trapped in the Western United States during the decades of 1820-1850. He also helped mediate between … Continue reading Jim Bridger Rifle Plaque
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Jim Bridger (James Felix Bridger) was among the foremost mountain men, trappers, scouts and guides who explored and trapped in the Western United States during the decades of 1820-1850. He also helped mediate between native tribes and encroaching white settlers. What is now known as Fort Bridger State Historic Site in Fort Bridger, Wyoming was … Continue reading Jim Bridger Rifle
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Frank Leslie’s illustrated newspaper captured the sketch of women exercising their right to vote for the first time. It was published Nov. 24, 1888. Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, later renamed Leslie’s Weekly, was an American illustrated literary and news magazine founded in 1852 and published until 1922. Publisher and illustrator Frank Leslie provided weekly illustrations and … Continue reading First Woman to Vote in General Election Cartoon
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The Ames Monument is a large pyramid in Albany County, Wyoming, designed by Henry Hobson Richardson and dedicated to brothers Oakes Ames and Oliver Ames, Jr. The brothers were Union Pacific Railroad financiers. The monument was built at a cost of $65,000 and completed in 1892. The brothers garnered credit for connecting the nation by … Continue reading The Ames Monument
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Artist Alfred Jacob Miller’s watercolor titled “Breakfast at Sunrise” captured this image during the annual fur trader’s rendezvous held in the Green River Valley in Western Wyoming in 1837. “At four o’clock in the morning, it is the duty of the last men on guard to loosen the horses from their pickets, in order to range … Continue reading Alfred Jacob Miller’s “Breakfast at Sunrise”
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Hats made of beaver pelts became so fashionable in Europe 1550-1850 they created the profitable enterprise that led to the development of the American mountain man. The Rocky Mountain Fur Company, originally known as Ashley’s Hundred, was organized in St. Louis, Missouri in 1822 by William Henry Ashley and Andrew Henry. Among the original employees … Continue reading White Beaver Hat
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In the late 1930s, as skiing became a national pastime, Laramie boasted a variety of small ski areas. Summit Tavern and Happy Jack were east of Laramie while Inspiration Point, Libby Creek and the current Snowy Range Ski area were located off Highway 130 to the west. Shown here is an early ski lodge where … Continue reading Ski Lodge
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In the late 1930s, as skiing became a national pastime, Laramie boasted a variety of local ski areas. Summit Tavern and Happy Jack were east of Laramie while Inspiration Point, Libby Creek and the current Snowy Range Ski area were located off Highway 130 to the west. Rental skis were not available. You either owned … Continue reading Origins of Skiing in Albany County: Paul Rechard
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