Bridger, Jim (1804-1881), a hunter, trapper, fur trader, and guide, was one of the greatest American frontiersmen. While searching for furs in the Rocky Mountains in 1824, Bridger became probably the first white person ever to see the Great Salt Lake. He took part in an early expedition that crossed the South Pass of the Rocky Mountains. He was also one of the first white people to see the wonders of the area that became Yellowstone National Park.
In 1843, when the fur trade declined, he built Fort Bridger in southwest Wyoming. The fort became a way station to supply immigrants on the Oregon Trail. During his 40 years in the mountains, Bridger married three American Indian women, none of whom survived him.
Bridger’s vast geographical knowledge proved valuable when the overland stage routes were planned. He climaxed a useful career by scouting for exploring parties and for army expeditions against the Indians.
Bridger strongly opposed the Mormons and eagerly guided United States troops into Utah during a conflict that has been called the Utah War or Mormon War (1857-1858). He guided the Powder River expedition of 1865. He also became the first person to measure the Bozeman Trail, about 600 miles (970 kilometers) from Fort Laramie, Wyoming, to Virginia City, Montana.
James Bridger was born on March 17, 1804, in Richmond, Virginia. He was the son of an innkeeper. He died near Kansas City, Missouri, on July 17, 1881.
