Explorers, Trappers and Traders Index

FRONTIER LEGENDS

Explorers, Trappers, & Traders

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Lewis and Clark

Lewis and Clark West to the Pacific by Frank R. "Bob" Davenport.

Photo and Copyright held by: Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation

The story of America's exploration goes back for centuries, beginning with the Vikings' visiting Newfoundland in about 1000 A.D., followed by Spanish and French explorers, and continuing through England's colonization of the Atlantic coast in the 17th century. After the foundation was laid for the United States of America, frontiersmen, trappers, and traders pushed westward. Beyond these men, numerous more followed, looking for fame and fortune in the vast West.

Many of these explorers and frontiersmen were the first non-Indians to see the vast regions of the American West. Leaving civilization behind and following rivers, crossing great plains, and scaling mountains, these men paved the way for the many pioneers and fortune seekers who followed in their footsteps. The history of the fur trade is filled with stories of adventure, daring, and savage warfare. Competition was stiff in the fur trade and not only were they involved in hostilities with the Indians, upon whose land they trod, but also against each other, competing fur trade companies, and other countries who claimed the land upon which they did business. Their isolated lives in the wilderness also included extreme temperatures, blizzards, and battles with wild beasts, many tales of which can never be known.

John C. "Grizzly" Adams (1812-1860) - A hunter, trapper, and prospector, Adams made fame for himself when he began to catch and train grizzly bears.

James Aird (??-1819) - An early trapper and trader who worked on the Upper Mississippi River.

John Davis Albert (1806-1899) - A mountain man who made his way from Maryland to the Rocky Mountains.

Cyrus Alexander (1805-1872) - A frontiersman, Alexander was a trapper with William Sublette before becoming a miner and agricultural pioneer in California.

Manuel Alvarez (1794-1856) - A mountain man, trapper and trader who turned politician.

Louis Ambroise (1801-1842) - A trapper and trader in the Colorado Mountains.

American Fur Company (1808-1842) - Founded by John Jacob Astor in 1808, the American Fur Company would become one of the largest businesses in the country at the start of the 19th century.

Captain Juan Bautista de Anza II (1736-1788) - A Mexican-born trailblazer and explorer, de Anza was the first person of European descent to establish an overland trail from Mexico to the northern Pacific coast of California.

William Henry Ashley (1778-1838) - Co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, Ashley led a hundred men along the Missouri River on trapping expeditions. The men became known as "Ashley's Hundred."

John Jacob Astor (1763-1848) - Astor, who formed the American Fur Company, was the head of the Astor family dynasty and the first millionaire in the United States.

Charles Autobee (1812-1882) - Trader, trapper and mountain man, Autobee worked with such notable men as William Bent, Ceran St. Vrain, Kit Carson, James Bridger, and James Beckwourth, as well as a number of Indian tribes.

Lucas Vazquez de Ayllon (1475-1526) - A Spanish conquistador and explorer who tried to start a colony in North America in 1526. He was the first European colonizer of what is now South Carolina.

Marcelino Baca (1808?-1862) - Soldier, trapper and trader of New Mexico.

Jim Baker (1818-1898) - One of the most colorful figures of the Old West, Baker worked as a trapper, scout and guide and was a friend of Jim Bridger and Kit Carson. He was also one of General John C. Fremont's favorite scouts.

Vasco Nunez de Balboa (1475?-1519) - Spanish conquistador and explorer, Balboa who was the first European to see the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean in 1513 after crossing the Isthmus of Panama.

William Becknell (1788-1856) - A frontiersman and trader who established the Santa Fe Trail.

James Pierson Beckwourth (1798-1860) - Born as a slave, but later freed, Beckwourth joined William Henry Ashley's Rocky Mountain Fur Company. Later he lived among the Crow Indians, established two trading posts, helped to found the town of Pueblo, Colorado, and acted as a scout for John C. Freemont.

Charles Bent (1799-1847) - He and brother, William, helped to "open the West," by trading with the Indians and building Bent's Fort in Colorado in 1833.

William Bent (1809-1869) - The younger brother of Charles Bent, William was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1809. The brothers established Bent's Fort in Colorado in 1833 to trade with the plains Indians and area trappers.

Bartholomew Berthold (1780-1831) - A prominent St. Louis fur trader, he was the brother-in-law of Pierre Chouteau, Jr.

Jefferson Blackwell - A fur trader who worked with John Gannt in the upper Rocky Mountains.

Benjamin Louis Eulalie de Bonneville (1796-1878) - A French-born army officer, frontiersman and explorer of the American West, Bonneville is best known for blazing portions of the Oregon Trail.

Daniel Boone (1734-1820) - Frontiersman, pioneer, surveyor and Indian Fighter who blazed the trail known as the Wilderness Road in 1775.

James Bowie (1796-1836) - An aggressive frontiersman, pioneer, explorer, and commander of the volunteers at the Alamo, where he died.

Alexander K. Branch (1798-1841) – Also known as Jose de Jesus Branch, he was frontiersman and trapper who worked in the southwest and the Rocky Mountains.

Francis Ziba Branch (1802-1874) - Sailor, trapper and trader, he was one of a group who opened what became known as the Old Spanish Trail from New Mexico to California.

Elias Brevoort (1822-??) - Frontiersman, trader, and author, Brevoort was well acquainted with the Santa Fe Trail and southwest.

James Bridger (1804-1881) - An accomplished trapper, scout, and mountain man, Bridger was one of the first non-Indians to see the natural wonders of what would become Yellowstone Park.

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo (?-1543) - A Spanish or Portuguese explorer, Cabrillo was the first European to explore the Californian coast

Robert Campbell (1804-1879) - Fur trader, merchant and Indian Commissioner, he often worked with William L. Sublette.

Christopher "Kit" Carson (1809-1868) - Carson was a daring and brave explorer, mountain man, trapper, scout, soldier, and buffalo hunter.

Sebastiao Melendez Rodriguez Cermeno (1560?-1602) - A Spanish navigator and explorer, Cermeno was Portuguese by birth.

Touissant Charbonneau (1767-1843) - A French-Canadian explorer and trader, and a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, best known as the husband of Sacagawea.

Francois Auguste Chardon (1795-1848) - A fur trader who became part of the Upper Missouri Outfit of the American Fur Company.

The Chouteaus - Early French traders and trappers who operated west of St. Louis, Missouri in the latter part of the 1700s and early 1800s.

William Clark (1770-1838) - Explorer and geographical expert who co-lead the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

John Colter (1774?-1813) - Frontiersman, explorer, fur trapper, mountain man, and army scout credited with the being the discoverer of the Yellowstone area.

Columbia Fur Company (1821-1827) - Started by former members of the North West Company, the firm did well and was bought out by the American Fur Company in 1827.

Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) - An Italian explorer who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492, hoping to find a route to India. He is credited with discovering the Americas; but, that is probably not true, as it appears the Vikings were here centuries before.

Francisco Vasquez de Coronado (1510-1554) - Spanish ruler, explorer and conquistador. He was the first European to explore North America's Southwest.

Hernando Cortes (1485-1547) - He was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century.

William Craig (1807-1869) - A frontiersman and trapper, Craig worked along with other better known traders including William Sublette and Jedediah Smith.

Davy Crockett (1786-1836) - Frontiersman, explorer, and American folk hero, Crockett a represented Tennessee in the U.S. Congress, served in the Texas Revolution, and died at the age of 49 at the Battle of the Alamo.

Alexander Culbertson (1809-1879) - Fur trader and buffalo hunter who worked with famed trader, Kenneth McKenzie.

John Day (1770?-1820) - A fur trapper and frontiersman, he worked for both the American Fur Company and the North West Company.

Edward De Morin (1818-1902) - Trapper and Trader who worked for the American Fur Company.

Hernando De Soto (1496?1542) - Hernando de Soto was about thirty-six years of age when he was appointed adelantado of Florida. He was "a gentleman by all four descents," and had recently been created by the Emperor, a knight of the order of Santiago.

Joseph Dickson (1775-1844) - One of the first known mountain men, he, along with Forrest Hancock, followed Lewis and Clark up the Missouri River.

Andres Dorantes de Carranza (1500?-1550s) - An early Spanish explorer, de Carranza was a native of the southwestern Castilian town of Gibraleon, Spain.

Estevanico (1500?-1539) - He was the first known person born in Africa to have arrived in the present-day continental United States.

Continued Next Page

Also See:

Exploring America

Fur Trading in the American West

The Great Fur Trade Companies

Trading Posts of the Fur Trade

Trading Posts and Their Stories

Trappers, Traders & Pathfinders

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