Stories about him abounded in popular contemporary literature, but most was pure fiction. May 23, 1868, better known as kit carson, was an american frontiersman. His children would then jump on top of him and take the candy from his pockets. John colter, one of the members of that expedition, would soon become famous for his exploits as a new type of frontiersmanthe mountain man. Samuel parker, was the first to introduce kit carson and his exploits in a book. I include a few less distinguished books, too, when they are the only thing about a topic. It is badly written, and to the average business man, or housewife, it is pretty dull.
Kit carson getting married to singing grass at the age of 25, in the summer of 1835, carson attended an annual mountain man rendezvous, which was held. That came later, in the 1840s, when many of the greats, including jim bridger and kit carson did, in fact, order up a hawken rifle. Kit carson 18091868 was a frontiersman, western guide, and trapper. Yet the most famous of all the mountain men would be born on christmas eve in 1809 in madison county, kentuckychristopher kit carson. Joaquin antoine leroux, also known as watkins leroux, was a celebrated 19thcentury mountain man, scout, and trail guide based in new mexico antoine was the youngest of four children born to frenchcanadians, william and helena josepac le roux in st. Sides shows us how this illiterate mountain man understood and respected the western tribes better than any other american, yet willingly followed orders that would ultimately devastate the navajo nation. He is the author of the life of chief joseph available in a bison books. Kit carson, the quintessential frontiersman, is remembered as a largerthanlife mountain man, explorer, trapper, guide, soldier, indian agent, officer, hunter, and rancher. Mountain men such as carson trapped and hunted wild animals. Readers will delight in the highinterest educational topics addressed in this book, which is.
That aside, he came out west at the age of sixteen to become a mountain man. Kit carson was an american frontiersman, trapper, soldier and indian agent who made important contributions to the westward expansion of the united states. He became known as the greatest mountain man of all time. Central to this story is the famous mountain man kit carson, a man of many contradictions. Kit carson was a mountain man, explorer, trapper and government indian agent, responsible for organizing the tragic long walk of the navajo. Mountain men of the early american west a guide to books. He was a mountain man, an explorer, a scout, a soldier, a transcontinental courier. Though the mountain men were responsible for blazing nearly every trail to the pacific coast, discovering the natural wonders of the transmississippi west, and providing the muscle that fueled the fur tradea major component of the american economyfew gained national recognition.
This is a guide to the best books about the mountain men of the american west which i know about. What may have taken a few months to happen, kit says it all in a paragraph. Kit carson adored children and was an indulgent and doting parent. Kit carson was a fast man with the beaver traps and the apaches but miss bells book does not amuse the adult. Kit carson was a famous hunter, trapper, mountain man, guide an american icon. The bantam roosterlike mountain man warns the frenchman to stop such talk or he will rip his guts. Carson, kit, 18091868, pioneers, scouts and scouting publisher new york. Carleton garrisoned the abandoned forts and built new ones. When you live in or near nevadas capital city, its hard to miss kit carsons influence here. Kit carson and the mountain men true west magazine. His exploits on the american frontier inspired dozens of dime novels, but the stories told in these wildly popular books belie the complexities of the real kit carson, whose life embodies the contradictions of the american west. Kit carson and the mountain men tv movie 1977 imdb. Challenger point is the long flat peak on the left, kit carson peak is the pointed peak to the right of challenger.
A panoramic shot taken from san luis lake 22 miles to the south. This work is the authorized biography, much of it in his own words. One of the reasons that i typically enjoy autobiographies is that i want to get to know the writer, their innermost feelings and their relationships. Joaquin antoine leroux noted mountain man legends of. They hunted beaver, fox, mountain lion, and black bear in the wilderness. Chouinard turns on his heels and hurries to his lodge to retrieve his rifle and his horse.
The kit carson mountain men are a small southeast colorado. Theyre american mountain menreenactors of the fur trade that flourished in north america from roughly 1800 to 1840. Kit carson, now colonel of the 1st new mexico cavalry, was the mailed fist with which the general struck at the hostiles. He was a mountain man fur trapper, wilderness guide, indian agent, and u. Kit s interest to readers would continue, even after his death on may 23, 1868, as demonstrated by works that included the fighting trapper, or, kit carson to. After thoroughly exploring much of the pacific northwest, he went southward into mexicancontrolled territory. Mountain man exploring the west biographies by boraas, tracey and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. This new series of biographies chronicles the lives of the most significant people of the westward expansion movement of american history. Because kit carson lived every phase of that westward expansion.
Kit carson and the mountain men was kit carson truly the king of the. Another 10 great mountain man fur trapping books 5 great montana history books montanas indian tribes in the 1850s and 1860s the marias massacre a montana disgrace. They relate the subjects top the political activity of the time and provide a sense of the era in which they lived, including contemporary lifestyles, beliefs, and customs. By the time he was twentysix, carson had traveled the entire american southwest with trappers, traders, and explorers.
His service with fremont, celebrated in fremonts widelyread reports of his expeditions, quickly made kit carson a national hero, presented in popular fiction as a rugged mountain man capable of. Kit carson guided many important expeditions into the territories of the american west. Kit carson was best known for his contributions to american history as a mountain man, trapper, scout, indian agent and fighter, and guide for the famous trailblazing western expeditions led by john c. Biography christopher houston carson was born in kentucky on christmas eve 1809. Life of kit carson by charles burdett, first edition. Thanks in part to fictional tales and exaggerated magazine stories, carsons reputation as a guide. Browns hole became the scene of fur company activity and between 1826 and 1840, nearly every mountain man or trapper of consequence visited browns hole including kit carson, joe meek, uncle jack robinson, and robert newell. It was named the kit carson trail after the famous mountain man who ran away from his home in new franklin.
It is simply a collection of books about what the old west was really like from the eyes of gun fighters, mountain men, indians and cowboys. Carson headed west to join trappers in the majestic rocky mountains. Legendary mountain man paperback by karissa rich rosen classroom, united states, 20. An illiterate mountain man, kit carson was fluent in spanish and five indian languages. In the winter of 186263 he sent kit carson to fort stanton, in southcentral new mexico, to war on the mescalero apaches. Here is a list of 10 of the best nonfiction old west books of all time, in no particular order. At the center of this sweeping tale is kit carson, the trapper, scout, and soldier whose adventures made him a legend. This trail is 8 miles long though rugged terrain and should take an entire day to complete. Kit carsons autobiography is simply a dry telling of events. Officially designated kit carson mountain, the 14,171foot 4,319 m fourteener is located 5. Tracey boraas traces the life of the wellknown figure from the old west, kit carson, from his childhood in kentucky and missouri, through his years as a trapper, explorer and soldier, to his death in colorado in.
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