We found a jewel of a museum tucked away in the very small town of Pinedale in Sublette County, Wyoming, dedicated to the local history of the fur trade in that area. It is filled with artifacts or representations from the era of the mountain men who explored the region in the early to middle part of the 19th century.

As the oldest Historical Seociety in Wyoming, the Sublette County Historical society was originally established in 1935 for the preservation of historic sites of the fur trade and rendezvous (annual market for trading furs for goods with local Native Americans, fur traders, and fur trading companies.) This museum was built in an unusual way: very slowly, and only with funds they had in hand. Much of the construction was contributed by local folk, and the entire community supports it. Once again, the schools have created some excellent exhibits for the museum, and the artwork they have collected for it captures well the spirit of the times.

While there were many men who made a name for themselves as trappers and guides during that era, Jim Bridger is one of most well known. He was part of the second genertion of American mountain men and pathfinders that followed the Lewis and Clark Expedition and became well known for his numerous expeditions into the western interor, and well as serving as a mediator between Native American tribes and the westward-migrating European-American settlers. It helped that he had conversational knowledge of French, Spanis and several indigenous languages. He was among the first to explore Yellowstone and the Great Salt Lake region.