LeRoy
Hafen’s Books
Recently I’ve had some
interesting reading. Aside from Jacob Fowler’s Journal, which I
hope everyone has read, or will read, I came upon a book "Fur
Trappers and Traders of the Far Southwest" by S. Matthew
Despain and edited by LeRoy R. Hafen. It contains information
gleaned from LeRoy Hafen’s ten volume "The Mountain Men and
the Fur Trade of the Far West." This work brings much
attention to the fact that the southern portion of the fur trade
was at least as important to the American fur trade as was the
western ventures, if not more so.
A major difference in the
two areas, besides the rendezvous held in the western portion, was
that travel and weather in the southwest mountains and deserts was
much more viable in the winter months than was the case in the
heavy winter weather of the western mountains. Not only that, but
the southern fur trade had points of supply and socialization that
the west had not: Taos, Santa Fe, and other communities stretching
from New Mexico down into Mexico proper. Likewise, many of the
notable trappers and traders shuttled back and forth to
California.
I find it interesting that
many people today, when thinking or talking about the fur trade ,
consider only those names that for some reason or other have a
panache’ that to the, at least somewhat uninformed, is not
shared by the trappers of the southern trade. Bridger, Glass,
Carson (who probably spent much more time in the south that in the
west), Ashley, Fitzpatrick, Russell, and Sublette seem much more
familiar than the southwest's’ Baca, DeMun, Kirker, Slover,
Fowler, Young, Provost, Robidoux, Yount, Wolfskill, Smith
(that’s Peg Leg who lost his leg, not in the western portion of
the trade, but in the southwest,) Wootton, and Bent. Perhaps it is
like today’s motorcycles. Among many Harley’s have the
reputation of being the best bike out there—but that’s not
necessarily so. There are lots of motorcycles that are just as
good and some that, depending on what you are looking at, are
better. Same with the two areas of the fur trade. The mountain men
of the southwest had as many thrilling adventures as did the ones
of the west. They just have had less publicity to pump up their
reputations.
Look for a moment at the
difference in the western and southern terrains. Travel in the
mountains of the west was restricted to a few passes. The western
plains in the winter had brutal weather. There was the danger of
the Blackfeet, the thieving Crow, the duplicitous Snakes, and the
other tribes with various agendas and actions. The Hudson Bay
Company was a major competitor, often trapping out streams just
ahead of the Americans. Getting plews to market was a hardy
undertaking and getting trade goods to the rendezvous was another.
The southern fur trade was a
different case. Wagon trains regularly traveled from St. Louis to
Santa Fe. Plews of all sorts could therefore regularly be shipped
east. There was a considerable market at Santa Fe and the more
southern Mexican cities. Goods of all kinds were available at
Santa Fe and at Taos, not to exclude housing and women.
Admittedly, the Mexican and Spanish governments presented some
problems, but it was sporadic and usually not deadly.
Rivers abound in the
southwest and during the fur trade they were rich with beaver. The
trappers reaped a fortune in pelts, and they had a ready market
for sheep, deer, and antelope hides they bartered from the Indians
as well.
There were forts used as
trading posts in what is now Delta, Meeker, La Junta and Pueblo,
Colorado. California and New Mexico abounded with settlements.
Contrary to the desires of many with whom I have had long
conversations, the southwest mountains and deserts of the fur
trade had advantages the inter-mountains did not. And they were
more heavily populated and used. Yes, much of it was not the
idyllic vacationland of huge forests and burbling streams that
many imagine is where the western mountain men spent their time.
The southwest has its share of mountains and trees and water but
it also has the temperate deserts and plains (look at the
snowbirds who flock to it in today’s world). For most of the
winters trappers could trap and traders could travel to Indian
villages and trade. Travel to settlements and cities was easy and
booze and women and spicy foods and dry, heated housing was easy
to get.
Now I ask you—if you were
going to be a trapper or trader and you going to live and conduct
your business out west—would you pick the western portion or the
southwest? Many of the most notable of the original fur trade
persons chose to go south, young man.