MOUNTAIN MEN

The men that searched the wild areas of the Rockies for beaver became known as the "mountain men." Many of these mountain men became known for helping to settle Oregon Country and the rest of the west. Two of the men who got their start out west as fur trappers, Jedediah Smith and Joe Meek, left an indelible mark on the Oregon Country.

Jedediah Smith explored many mountain areas during his fur trapping time. He was the first white man to cross the Sierra Nevada reaching California by land from the east. Trapping was dangerous. Jedediah met a bear one time and was badly clawed. One of his ears was ripped off during this encounter and was sewn back on by a fellow trapper. After ten days of recovery, Smith continued on his way. Smith was always on the lookout for new streams to trap and he probably saw or more new land then any other white man. Jedediah also helped out the settlers as they were coming to the Oregon Country. He guided many wagon trains over the Oregon Trail.

Joe Meek left his home when he was only 18 years old. He also made his "trapping" home in the Oregon Country as well as helped settlers find the Oregon Country. Not only was Meek a mountain man, but he helped make laws when the Oregon Territory was established. Later, after the Whitman Killings, during which his daughter, Helen Mar Meek died of measles, Joe Meek traveled back to Washington to convince the government to make the Oregon Country into a Territory. When this occurred, Joe Meek became the first US marshal of the newly founded Oregon Territory.

1. How did Jedediah Smith and Joe Meek help the growth of the country?
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2. Why was it dangerous to be a trapper?
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3. Why do you think these mountain men would have made good guides for the wagon trains coming west on the Oregon Trail?
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4. How did the Whitman Killings personally impact Joe Meek?
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5. What role did Joe Meek play after Oregon became a territory?
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Last modified on: February 1, 2004