Jim Bridger, a True Mountain Man (1804-1881) Interpretation Sign Museum of the Mountain Man ~ Pinedale, Wyoming
Perhaps no one embodied the western mountain man stereotype better than Jim Bridger,. Hardy, resourceful, & skilled a wilderness life, Bridger made a name for himself in the development of the West.
Blacksmith to Trapper
In 1822, at the age of 18, James "Jim" Bridger quit his blacksmith apprenticeship in St. Louis to join the new Ashley & Henry fur trade company. By 1826, he had become a brigade leader of a group of trappers then employed by Smith, Jackson, & Sublette.
Legendary Mountain Man
Bridger's reputation as an extraordinary man of the mountains spread rapidly. By the age of 30, Jim Bridger had out-thought & out-trapped the expanding & highly competitive American Fur Company.
Shrewd Business Owner
In 1830, Bridger became part owner in the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, previously the Smith, Jackson, & Sublette Company. Often employing over 200 trappers at one time, the Rocky Mountain Fur Company became one of the most powerful fur trade enterprises in the American West.
*This man is a perfect original...It is stated by those who have had him in their employ, that in the midst of the mountains...when one or uncertain of the proper directions, they would always appeal to Bridger."
-The Missouri Republican, St Louis,
Oct. 24, 1851
Success Beyond the Fur Trade
For 30 years after the decline of the beaver trade, Jim Bridger guided settlers, the army, & numerous hunting & exploratory expeditions in the west. His trading post, located at Fort Bridger, was a focal point of the Oregon Trail. Bridger's name has been preserved in many place names within Wyoming & Montana.
Family Life
Bridger had 3 wives during his lifetime (two Shoshone & one Flathead), 4 daughters & 2 sons. Near the end of his life, he returned to live on his farm near Little Santa Fe, Missouri with his daughter Virginia & her husband. He died in 1881 at the age of 77, & was buried near present day Kansas City.
***insert photo-Jim Bridger, c. 1860-1880
Jim Bridger, a True Mountain Man (1804-1881) Interpretation Sign Museum of the Mountain Man ~ Pinedale, Wyoming
Perhaps no one embodied the western mountain man stereotype better than Jim Bridger,. Hardy, resourceful, & skilled a wilderness life, Bridger made a name for himself in the development of the West.
Blacksmith to Trapper
In 1822, at the age of 18, James "Jim" Bridger quit his blacksmith apprenticeship in St. Louis to join the new Ashley & Henry fur trade company. By 1826, he had become a brigade leader of a group of trappers then employed by Smith, Jackson, & Sublette.
Legendary Mountain Man
Bridger's reputation as an extraordinary man of the mountains spread rapidly. By the age of 30, Jim Bridger had out-thought & out-trapped the expanding & highly competitive American Fur Company.
Shrewd Business Owner
In 1830, Bridger became part owner in the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, previously the Smith, Jackson, & Sublette Company. Often employing over 200 trappers at one time, the Rocky Mountain Fur Company became one of the most powerful fur trade enterprises in the American West.
*This man is a perfect original...It is stated by those who have had him in their employ, that in the midst of the mountains...when one or uncertain of the proper directions, they would always appeal to Bridger."
-The Missouri Republican, St Louis,
Oct. 24, 1851
Success Beyond the Fur Trade
For 30 years after the decline of the beaver trade, Jim Bridger guided settlers, the army, & numerous hunting & exploratory expeditions in the west. His trading post, located at Fort Bridger, was a focal point of the Oregon Trail. Bridger's name has been preserved in many place names within Wyoming & Montana.
Family Life
Bridger had 3 wives during his lifetime (two Shoshone & one Flathead), 4 daughters & 2 sons. Near the end of his life, he returned to live on his farm near Little Santa Fe, Missouri with his daughter Virginia & her husband. He died in 1881 at the age of 77, & was buried near present day Kansas City.
***insert photo-Jim Bridger, c. 1860-1880