“[This] richly documented book is the definitive study of the decisive role mountain men played in the exploration and expansion of the Western frontier.” —Jay P. Dolan, The New York Times Book Review Early in the nineteenth century, the mountain men emerged as a small but distinctive group whose knowledge and experience of the trans-Mississippi West extended the national consciousness to continental dimensions. Though Lewis and Clark blazed a narrow corridor of geographical reality, the West remained largely terra incognita until trappers and traders—such as Jim Bridger, Kit Carson, Tom Fitzpatrick, and Jedediah Smith—opened paths through the snow-choked mountain wilderness. These and other Mountain Men opened the way west to Fremont and played a major role in the pivotal years of 1845–1848 when Texas was annexed, the Oregon question was decided, and the Mexican War ended with the Southwest and California in American hands—thus making the Pacific Ocean America’s western boundary.

Excerpt from Narrative of a Tour From the State of Indiana to the Oregon Territory: In the Years 1841-2 The book here published for the first time is the narrative of a traveler who accompanied the first emigrants from the United States to the Pacific Coast in 1841. It was printed for the author in 1843 and is practically unknown to scholars or the collectors of books relating to the history of western America. Its importance to any who are interested in this phase of the development of the United States will be evident, if for a moment we consider certain aspects of the times in which the writer lived. It is a truism to say that most Americans enjoy travel, and indulge themselves in this form of amusement to an extreme degree. The glamor of a journey, the thought of seeing new places, rather than the discomfort and not infrequent hardships, fill the minds of all would-be travelers; nor will the experience of others often deter those who have set their hearts upon visiting far places about which rumor has been weaving bright illusions. The desire for travel, mere travel for its own sake, without other aim than that of satisfying our curiosity, is general among all classes of the American people, as one may prove by glancing at the faces upon the sightseeing buses of any city street. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

In this gripping firsthand account, two pioneers James Carlton Bell and Joseph Williams chronicle their journey from Indiana to the Oregon Territory in the early 1840s. Along the way they faced numerous challenges, from treacherous terrain to hostile Native Americans. Their story provides a vivid picture of the hardships and triumphs of America's westward expansion. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.