17 March 2010 Let’s drink to ol’ Jim Bridger

17 March 2010 Let’s drink to ol’ Jim Bridger




One of the true heroes of westward expansion, Jim Bridger was remembered primarily for his tall tales rather than for his many contributions to the discovery and mapping of the American West.

Born in Virginia, he was apprenticed to a blacksmith in Illinois after his family moved. At the age of 17 he signed on with the Ashley-Henry fur trading expedition with intent of becoming a fur trapper. Henry had other things in mind and Bridger was relegated to smithy work. He was tasked to look after Hugh Glass and bury Glass’s body after Glass wound up in second place in an encounter with a grizzly bear in present day Nebraska. John Fitzgerald, also left to care for Glass, persuaded Bridger to leave before Glass actually died. They took all his remaining equipment, as they would have if he had already died, and left him to die. Glass survived in an epic adventure of his own. He managed to confront and supposedly forgive Bridger. Bridger spent the rest of his life trying to live down that one blemish on his character committed at 17.

Trapping with William Sublette, Jedediah Smith, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Bridger was involved in the discovery of South Pass, the primary immigrant wagon pass over the Rockies. He took a dare in camp, rode a bull boat down the Bear River and discovered Great Salt Lake. He was instrumental in pioneering the Oregon Trail, the route used by the transcontinental railroad, a better alternative to the Bozeman trail.

After working for the Ashley-Henry Company and Smith, Jackson, & Sublette, working up from trapper to Brigade leader, Bridger bought into the Rocky Mountain Fur Company just in time to see the fur trade collapse and to see Vanderbilt’s American Fur Company become the sole major fur trading company in the US.

When Bridger quit the fur trade and founded Fort Bridger on the Oregon/California trail, the days of the mountain men were over. Bridger was later forced to leave his fort by the Mormons during their war with the U.s. The fort was re-captured by the U.S. Army but never returned to its original owner. Nor was he compensated for it.

Rather than offer an array of opinions and facts, I suggest anyone curious to learn more about Bridger begin here: http://wyoshpo.state.wy.us/btrail/jimbridger.html

My midterm exam for History of the Holocaust found its way back to me this morning. I racked up 93/100 points for completing three essays. Someone pulled down a 95/100. I don’t know who they are or which combination of questions they answered. There were three sets of two questions. We were to select one from each set. I’d like to have set the bar but for the first exam involving this type of output on my part since 1972, I’m not displeased. Still, that I should rank 2nd out of 40 students is somewhat disturbing. I didn’t feel the exam was terribly difficult. It just took time to lay out the answers carefully. I don’t believe that grades are posted by name on bulletin boards anymore as they once were. I’m sure that political correctness must have halted that practice. I can still recall one of my clinical rotation classmates scratching my name from an exam grade list after I outranked her.

Gloria and I managed to meet for lunch today. It was a very nice break in the day. I always enjoy sitting across the table from her and watching her smile.