On this #TBT, we return to our series on the adventures of Wilson P. Hunt and the Astorians in the Powder River Basin and Big Horn Mountains.
Wilson Price Hunt (1783 – 1842) was one the earliest pioneers and adventurers in what would eventually become Oregon. Representing John Jacob Astor’s interests in the fur trade, Hunt led an expedition of roughly 60 men aiming to secure a fur trading post at the Columbia River’s mouth. These explorers, dubbed the Astorians, were the first large group of fur traders to strike a trail through the Powder River Basin and the Bighorn Mountains.
Originally Hunt had planned to travel along the Missouri River, starting in late July of 1811 near present-day Pierre, South Dakota. Reports of conflict with Blackfoot Indians upriver, however, caused him to chart a new path, due west. Our last post left the Astorians at the base of the Bighorn Mountains, near present-day Buffalo, having just made contact with a group of Crow Indians…
August 31 – September 1, 1811
On the evening of the 30th, two Crow Indians came to our camp and the next morning [August 31] many more appeared. They were all on horseback. Not even the children were on foot. These Indians are such excellent horsemen that they ride up and down the mountains and craggy heights as if they were galloping in a riding school. We followed them to their settlement that was beside a clear brook [Possibly the confluence of North and South Rock Creek] on the slope of a mountain…
The chief came to meet us. He received us amicably, led us to his tent, and pointed to a spot convenient for our camp. I gave him presents of tobacco, knives, and some trifles to distribute among his people. To him personally I gave a piece of scarlet cloth, some powder, bullets, and other items…
We spent the first day of September buying some robes and pelts and trading our tired, maimed horses for fresh ones. A few of our company bought some, thereby augmenting the number of our horses to about 121, most of which were well-trained and able to cross the mountains. – Hunt
Check back next week to follow the continuing adventures of the 1811 adventures of Wilson P. Hunt and the Astorians.
Sources:
Hunt, Wilson P., and V.A. Malte-Brun. Nouvelles annales des voyages. v. 10. http://www.mtmen.org/mtman/html/wphunt/index.html.
Irving, Washington. Astoria, Or Anecdotes of an Enterprise Beyond the Rocky Mountains. Vol. 1. https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/oKk-AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0.
