Rocky Mountain Fur Company: Difference between revisions

In the early 1820s General William Ashley, of the Missouri militia, was looking to enter state politics but needed to raise funds to do so. Having barely survived a slew of past entrepreneurial and military pursuits, Ashley was looking at an insolvent future. To counteract his previous financial failures, he looked west to the fur trade. Joining him as a partner in the firm of ''Ashley Henry''<ref name=Barbour>Barbour, Barton H. (2000). ''The fur trade at Fort Laramie National Historic Site.'' National Park Service, pp. 158-160.</ref> was Major Andrew Henry, a long-time friend of Ashley's.

Joining him as a partner was Major Andrew Henry, a long-time friend of Ashley's. Canvasing the local St. Louis area in 1822, they''Ashley Henry'' published an ad in the ''St. Louis Enquirer''.<ref>Advertisement." St. Louis Enquirer (St. Louis, Missouri) III, no. 296, March 23, 1822: [4]. Readex: America's Historical Newspapers</ref> It targeted "One Hundred enterprising young men . . . to ascend the river Missouri to its source, there to be employed for one, two, or three years." The caliber of men sought by Ashley and Henry would serve as the prototypical "mountain man". The criteria for the position was simple enough – masculine, well-armed, and able to work (trap) for up to three years.<ref name=":0" />

The ad attracted ample attention; roughly 180 men signed up. Among those hired were Jedediah Smith and Jim Bridger.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://hughglass.org/mountain-man/|title = Mountain Man Hugh Glass - the Real Story}}</ref> Later, the Sublette brothers, [[William Sublette|William]] and [[Milton Sublette|Milton]], [[Jim Beckwourth]], [[Hugh Glass]], [[Thomas Fitzpatrick (trapper)|Thomas Fitzpatrick]], [[David Edward Jackson]], [[Joseph Meek]], [[Robert Newell (politician)|Robert Newell]] joined the company. Smith, Jackson and William Sublette bought the Companyfirm in 1826, changing its name to ''Smith, Jackson and William Sublette.''<ref name=Barbour/> They sold out to Bridger, Milton Sublette, Fitzpatrick and two others in 1830, at which time the enterprise was given the name by which it is most commonly referred to.<ref name=Barbour/> <ref>{{cite web |last1=Caesar |first1=Gene | authorlink=Gene Caesar|title=King of the Mountain Men |url=https://archive.org/details/kingofthemountai000029mbp/page/n5/mode/2up |access-date=18 April 2021 |pages=22,81–82,103 |date=1961|publisher=E.P. Dutton Co }}</ref><ref name=sv>{{cite book |last1=Vestal |first1=Stanley |title=Jim Bridger; Mountain Man |date=1970 |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |location=Lincoln |isbn=9780803257207 |pages=8,13,40,68,86,103}}</ref>