Published by Museum of the Mountain Man - 2005
Editted by Fred R. Gowans & Brenda D. Francis

138 pages, 8 x 11 inches, softcover $15.95, hardcover $25.95 (select format below)

The Green River Valley has a story to tell....
In 1824, a group of fur trappers crossed South Pass, in what is now western Wyoming. They entered the beaver-rich valley of the Green River and kicked off the Rocky Mountain Fur Trade. Little did they know, they would also create America's first far western hero, the Mountain Man.

For 16 years, the Green River Valley served as the center of the mountain fur trade, supplying prime beaver pelts as well as hosting a majority of the renowned annual rendezvous. On this stage, some of the most colorful events in the early history of the American West took place.

This book introduces the history of the fur trade and the cast of characters who plied the unpredictable and sometimes fatal business in Wyoming's Green River Valley until 1840. Meet the spirited individuals from all walks of life who were willing to risk all they had, every day, for a chance to gain wealth, power and adventure through the harvest of skins.

Contents
Introduction - by Brenda D. Francis
The Rendezvous Era - by Kerry R. Oman
The "Fair of the Wilderness" - by Dale F. Topham
Attire, Arms & Accoutrements - by Stephen V. Banks
Key Men of the Rendezvous - by Dale F. Tphan
A Fur Trade Timeline
Indian Participation in the Rocky Mountain Fur Trade - by Jay H. Buckley
Books, Bibles, and Beaver Trappers - by Doug M. Erickson
Images of the Mountain Man - by S. Matthew Despain
Map and Historical Sites - by Kerry R. Oman
The Museum of the Mountain Man - by Laurie Hartwg

Other Contributing Authors
Jim Hardee
Kelly Sanderson
Lawrence L Francis
Jim Wirshborn

Artists
Alfed Jacob Miller
John Clymer
David Wright
Richard Luce
Carl Bodmer
Joseph Fama
Charles M. Russel
Tucker Smith
Nicholas Coleman
Jim Norton