The terms mountain man, army officer, trail blazer, trader, trapper, explorer, guide, merchant and interpreter all describe one man; James Felix "Jim" Bridger.
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| From the Noah H. Rose collection. |
Fort Bridger, the Bridger Mountains, Bridger National Forest and Bridger Pass are all named after Jim Bridger.
He stumbled upon Utah's Great Salt Lake while mapping a trail between Bear River and Cache Valley. He mistakenly thought it was the Pacific Ocean; and was perhaps the first white man ever to see this huge body of water.
He went on to establish Fort Bridger along the Green River in Wyoming. Fort Bridger was an important stop for Oregon Trail travelers.
In 1850, Bridger was hired for a surveying expedition, and while evading the Ogalala Indians (a sub-tribe of the Lakota people) he ended up shortening the Oregon Trail by 61 miles. This pass he found is now known at the Bridger Pass.
This route on the Continental Divide became the course for the Union Pacific Railroad and Interstate-80.
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