A few men moved westward long
before the settlers and gold hunters began their
trek. They were solitary men who lived mostly off
the land. They traded with the Indians and spent a
great deal of time hunting and fur trapping. They
discovered the many trails that were later used by
the settlers that soon followed.
64% of the mountain men that were married had
married Native American women.Source:
Mountain Men Myths and Facts "Mountain men
were trappers
and explorers
who roamed the North American Rocky Mountains
— from about 1810 through the 1880s (with a peak population in
the early 1840s) where they were instrumental in opening up
the various Emigrant Trails
(widened into wagon roads) allowing Americans in the east to
settle the new territories of the far west by organized wagon trains
traveling over roads explored and in many cases, physically
improved by the mountain men and the big fur companies
originally to serve the mule train
based inland fur trade. Source:Wikipedia
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A few men moved westward long
before the settlers and gold hunters began their
trek. They were solitary men who lived mostly off
the land. They traded with the Indians and spent a
great deal of time hunting and fur trapping. They
discovered the many trails that were later used by
the settlers