Jedediah Strong Smith was a hunter, trapper, fur trader, trailblazer, author, cartographer and explorer of the Rocky Mountains, North American West and Southwest during the early 19th century. Smith’s explorations led to the use of the 20-mile wide South Pass as a dominant point for crossing the Continental Divide for pioneers on the Oregon Trail.
Throughout his travels, he survived three massacres and one bear mauling. Smith’s explorations and documentation were important aids to later American westward expansion. In 1831, while searching for water near the Santa Fe Trail in present-day southwest Kansas, Smith disappeared. Later, it was discovered that he’d been killed during an encounter with the Comanche.
Learn more about Jedediah Smith and his connection to Wyoming.