Born March 17, 1804

Richmond, Virginia

Died July 17, 1881

Missouri

Mountain man, trapper, guide

James Bridger. (Reproduced from the Collections of the Library of Congress.)

"Only a man with extraordinary and relentless powers of observation, only a man with an utterly reliable memory could possibly gain and retain exact knowledge of the mighty welter of mountains, the endless tangle of streams and valleys which formed Bridger's vast hunting grounds."

Stanley Vestal in Jim Bridger: Mountain Man

One of the American West's most infamous mountain men and scouts, Jim Bridger also operated a key trading post on the trail to California and served as a guide for mapping expeditions and military crusades against the Indians. He is credited with discovering the Great Salt Lake in present-day Utah, as well as the pass that was later used by the Overland Mail and the Pony Express.

Difficult Early Life

Bridger was born...