J. James Wheeling

Let’s dig into Jim Bridger. A fascinating man, illiterate in English but fluent in all the things that made him one of the most famous mountain men. To start, I need to acknowledge two sources in my research about Jim Bridger. 

In the last historical blog about crossing unincorporated territories, I mentioned the mountain men. I will admit, I have a soft spot for these fellows. Theirs was always the ultimate in an adventurous life fraught with danger but independent and free of societal restrictions.

As a child of the west, I heard adults occasionally say, “That kid got an extra helping of ‘Try.’” I understood it as a compliment, even...