Jim Bridger
Jim Bridger by J. Cecil Alter, published by University of Oklahoma Press in 1962, is a revised edition that spans 358 pages. This biography chronicles the life of Jim Bridger, who embarked on a remarkable journey as a mountain man, trapper, and guide in the 19th century. The narrative begins with Bridger’s recruitment by General William H. Ashley to explore the Missouri River, setting the stage for his significant contributions to the fur trade and his extensive knowledge of the Rocky Mountain region.
Readers will find a detailed account of Bridger’s adventures and achievements, including his pioneering use of Indian trails and his explorations of notable landmarks such as the Great Salt Lake and Yellowstone Park. J. Cecil Alter presents an authentic portrayal of Bridger’s life, focusing solely on events in which he participated, while omitting unverified tales. This biography not only highlights Bridger’s skills and luck in a perilous environment but also sheds light on the historical context of his era, making it a valuable resource for those interested in biography, history, and the lives of outlaws in the United States.
Official synopsis Publisher
On March 20, 1822, the Missouri Republican published a notice addressed “to enterprising young men” in the St. Louise area. “The subscriber,” it said “wishes to engage one hundred young men to ascend the Missouri River to its source, there to be employed for one, two, or three years. For particulars enquire of Major Andrew Henry… or of the subscriber near St. Louise.” The “subscriber” was General William H. Ashley, and among the “enterprising young men” who embarked with Major Henry less than a month later was eighteen-year-old James Bridger, former blacksmith’s apprentice. So began the Ashley-Henry fur empire and the long, colorful career of Jim Bridger.
In the years that followed, Jim Bridger became a master mountain man, an expert trapper, and a guide without equal. He came to know the Rocky Mountain region and its inhabitants as a farmer knows his fields and flocks. Indeed, J. Cecil Alter tells us, “he was among the first white men to use the Indian trail over South Pass; he was first to taste the waters of the Great Salt lake, first to report a two-ocean stream, foremost in describing the Yellowstone Park phenomena, and the only man to run the Big Horn River rapid on a raft; and he originally selected the Crow Creek-Sherman-Dale Creek route the Laramie Mountains and Bridger’s Pass over the Continental Divide, which were adopted by the Union pacific Railroad.”
Such knowledge, together with extraordinary skill and uncanny luck, preserved Jim Bridger in a country where nearly half of his mountain companions met violent death. It also gave rise to a brood of impossible tales about Old Gabe and his adventures-tales which he himself may unwittingly have helped along with his droll humor.
Based on Mr. Alter’s original biography of 1925 (a facsimile edition of which, with addenda, appeared in 1950) and a wealth of new facts gleaned from many years of careful research, Jim Bridger is the authentic story of the Old Scout’s life. Only those events in which Bridger took part are included; improbable and uncorroborated stories, however interesting, have been omitted.
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