American Pioneer Series #3 - Mountain Men
Who were mountain men? They were explorers living in the wilderness making their living from hunting and trapping.
They most were most common in the Rocky Mountains from the 1810s to 1880s and were instrumental in opening up the emigrant trails allowing people in the American Easy to settle into new territories.
These men decided to move into the wilderness following the Lewis and Clarke expedition to benefit from the thriving fur trade in the region. When the fur trade died, many of them decided to stay.
“We are done with this life in the mountains—done with wading in beaver dams, and freezing or starving alternately—done with Indian trading and Indian fighting. The fur trade is dead in the Rocky Mountains, and it is no place for us now if ever it was."