March 17, 1804, famous American mountain man Jim Bridger was born near Richmond, Virginia. Bridger is one of the foremost names of the early American West. First journeying to the West when he was 18 years old, Bridger quickly set about exploring this deep and uncharted wilderness. He was among the first Americans to see the Yellowstone region, famous for its geyser “Old Faithful,” and he was also one of the first to see Utah’s Great Salt Lake, which he thought was an arm of the Pacific Ocean due to its salinity.
During these great explorations, Jim Bridger was famous for his strong constitution and toleration for the different environments, of which he encountered all that can be imagined. By the time he had finished exploring the Rocky Mountains of the West, he had walked from present day southern Colorado to the Canadian border. After finishing his time exploring the wilderness, Bridger became involved in the lucrative beaver pelt trade, establishing the Rocky Mountain Fur Company in 1830.
Eventually his business grew to the point that he built his own trading post, the aptly named Fort Bridger. This post was located conveniently on the Oregon Trail, where he garnered great business from the pioneers heading west. While he owned the post, he still found time to explore his beloved mountains, at one point finding an alternate pass for the Oregon Trail and shortening it by more than 60 miles. However, this rough lifestyle would finally take its toll on Jim Bridger, with all the ailments caused by numerous mountain journeys forcing Bridger to retire to Missouri, where he would die in 1881.
Deadwood and Delaware Smelter at Deadwood, South Dakota ca. 1880s
The Yellow Cab gasoline station shown here, at the corner of West Tenth and North Western, in Oklahoma City, sold gasoline to the public. The banner at the bottom of the sign advertises leaded gasoline (tetra ethyl) for eight gallons for a dollar (12 1/2 cents a gallon).
AH-6 Helicopter
THE SONG CATCHER, 1916. Musicologist Frances Densmore posed with (Frank) Mountain Chief, a Piegan Blackfeet Native of Montana. His bow and arrows were in view, tools Mountain Chief had decades earlier used to kill buffalo.
For 50 years, Frances Densmore recorded Native American music. The Edison recording machine/player, which used no electricity, recorded on wax cylinders. In 1925, sound greatly improved with recording systems that used electronic microphones.