While on vacation this year we found a book that, out of hundreds of books at the Museum of the Fur Trade, caught our attention. It just so happens that I got to read it first! The book, titled in full is called Journal of a Trapper: Nine Years in the Rocky Mountains, 1834 - 1843.
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| There are many editions of this book. This was just an image of one of them I was able to find |
I have become increasingly drawn to memoirs, and my newfound interest in the early history of the West made this book a good fit. Osborne Russell was born in Maine, planned to go to sea until he actually tried it, then went west to spend nine years in the Yellowstone region. What made this book all the more interesting to me is that he described places that my family and I got to see last year on our own wanderings to Yellowstone and its vicinity. I addition, my next reading selection, "Empire of Shadows: The Epic Story of Yellowstone" by George Black references Russell a great deal. (I am pretty sure that I will do a review of this one later).
Let me first say that "Nine Years" is not an action-packed work. It is, for all intents and purposes, a travel journal. Most of the text reads like an itinerary: moved 25 miles to camp by "x" creek or "y" valley, for example. But in the movements and tales, he gives great insight into the fur trade, trading companies, American Indian tribes and degrees of relations between them, and the very nature of the region.
For a detailed analysis of the book, click here.
One thing that struck me was just how many trappers there seem to be, and how many of the trappers and hunters had very positive relations with many (but not all) of the tribes.
If you are interested in the American West prior to the War Between the States, this is one to check out!
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