1. THE MOUNTAIN MEN

3. MOUNTAIN MEN Prime period 1820-1840 Only about 200-300 a year
Lured by the west
Opportunity
to make
money

5. CHARACTERISTICS OF A MOUNTAIN MAN
Illiterate
Uneducated
Primitive
Relatively young
Reckless
Adventuresome
In need of money
However, some had college degrees and were very refined

6. DESCRIPTION OF MT MEN
Many were very large-Natives looked at them with awe and superstition
Eventually occupation developed lifestyle, conduct and habits, a culture of their own
Harsh language
Smelly and dirty
They never laundered their buckskin suit and seldom removed it

7. DESCRIPTION Many mountain men were more savage than Natives
Little concern for family or
comforts
Not materialistic
Traveled with a rifle,skinning
knife, horse, traps and utensils

9. DESCRIPTION Ate well at times and poorly at others
Cut off horses tail and ears to make stew
Tapped into horses veins
Ate moccasins, ants, black crickets, deer excrement soup, bark and berries
Explored trails & helped name the west
Traders gave Indians the whiskey trade, small pox, diphtheria and cholera
Trapped themselves out of business by the 1840’s

10. TRAPPERS
Trappers were divided into three categories
Free trapper-Unaffiliated, unfettered, most colorful and romantic
Company trapper-Affiliated with a company
Fur trader-Did not trap, but traded with Indians (The whiskey trade was his bonanza)

13. Beaver Skin Hats

14. Where trappers sold pelts:
Either in Taos, New Mexico
Caravan that
brought supplies
to annual “rendezvous”

15. Taos A wild city, north of Santa Fe Trail Pelts were sold
Supplies purchased
Gambling, whiskey,
women

17. Rendezvous Different location each year in Wyoming or Utah
Fur companies brought boats and wagons filled with supplies
Weeklong party,
dancing, story telling,
trading
Mountain men left penniless

20. Hudson Bay Company 1670 British Still operating-sells blankets
Dominated fur industry in Northern Rocky Mountains during the trappers era
250,000 skins sold in Europe
One man earned $50,000 in one year

21. Missouri Fur Company 1808 First in the US Owner was Manuel Lisa
Base-Omaha
Operated upper Missouri River system
1811-sent trappers to upper Arkansas River

23. American Fur Company 1808 Operates in Yellowstone River system
Owner-John Jacob Astor (America’s first millionaire)
1811- Made settlement on Columbia river to expand industry into NW

24. Rocky Mountain Fur Company
1822
Upper Missouri River
First Rocky Mountain success
1834-Was sold to American Fur Company

25. MOUNTAIN MEN 1840’s saw the end of the Mountain Men
Silk hats had replaced the beaver skin hat so there was no longer a market
The rendezvous had been replaced by the trading post

26. Legacy of Mountain Men
Discovered trail & passes
Established relations
with Native Americans
Established trade
routes and trails west

27. TRADE 1821-Mexican Independence
(Spain had not allowed Mexicans to trade with Americans)
William Becknell quickly took advantage of this and became known as the “father of Santa Fe Trade”
Raiding Indians became a problem-Government marked the trail and provided escorts

29. TRADE Santa Fe Trail was in its prime from 1820-1870
Preceded the Oregon Trail, the 49ers and the 59ers
Manufactured goods from the east sent west for pelts, blankets and whiskey
Tough trip because of long stretches without contact with civilization, natural barriers and Indian problems

31. BENT’S FORT
Charles (25 and a West Point graduate) and William (15) headed west to find their future
To enter the fur trading business-
carried trinkets to help trade
Located along the Arkansas River
(wood and water available)
Established a good relationship
with Indians, purchased pelts

33. BENT’S FORT 1833-Chose a site on the Arkansas River
Ceran St. Vrain suggested the Spanish style (Bent, St. Vrain & Company)
Chose the high ground
Adobe instead of wood because:
Wood was scarce
Did not burn
Warm in the winter and cool
in the summer

37. BELLTOWER

39. NORTHEAST BASTION

40. SOUTHWEST BASTION

41. ARKANSAS RIVER FROM SW BASTION

42. BENT’S FORT
Tried to provide eastern culture (White tablecloths, imported china and a wine cellar)
Permanent employees-Blacksmiths, carpenters, gunsmiths and hunters
Six different languages spoken-French, Spanish, German, English, Comanche and Arapaho

43. BILLIARD ROOM

44. PRIVATE QUARTERS

45. TRAPPERS QUARTERS

46. ST VRAINS QUARTERS

47. BENT’S FORT
William Bent married a Cheyenne woman-Good relations with Indians
US annexed Texas in 1845 –Mexicans viewed this as an act of war
Bent’s Fort was used as an advance base and rendezvous for General Kearney (1650 troops); because of this trade stopped

48. BENT’S FORT
Charles Bent had been appointed governor of newly annexed New Mexico
He was killed by the Mexicans and the Pueblo Indians
St Vrain sold his interest in the fort to William
Army wanted to buy it from him
The fort was burned to the ground
Did not like the price
Possibly cholera
Built a second fort 38 miles away

49. OTHER TRADING POSTS Ft Robidoux Ft Davy Crockett (nw colorado)
Ft Lupton (S. Platte)
Ft St. Vrain
Forts died out
Indian trade fell
Silk Hats
Buffalo robes
were plentiful

51. John Fremont 1840’s- Manifest destiny
Senator Thomas Hart Benton - from Mo. Pushed for $30,000 to explore and map the west
John Fremont led the topographical corps of engineers in the US army
Nicknamed “the pathfinder”
Fremont eloped with Jessica Benton

52. John Fremont
He led three expeditions (Jessica wrote the journals for him)
His fourth journey west was for a RR company-this was a disaster
His fifth journey was a private prospecting excursion to California
His books were well written and his maps and journals were accurate-journals were best sellers and musts for anyone heading west
The Library of Congress published 100,000 journals of his first expedition

53. John Gunnison
John Gunnison went on a search for a pass through the mountains that a RR could get through
Gunnison concluded that a RR could not get through the Colorado mountains
After leaving Colorado Gunnison and his men were killed and mutilated
Fremont concluded on his fifth expedition that a rr could get through the Colorado mountains
Narrow Gauge railroad