Jedediah Smith

Jedediah Smith was born in Jericho, New York which is now called Bainbridge. Many people recognized him by deep scars on his face from when he was attacked by a grizzly bear along the Cheyenne River. The Bear ripped open the side of his head then ran off and the people with him ran to help. They found his skin and ear nearly ripped off, but he convinced a friend to sew it loosely back on.
    Jedediah Smith was also a Christian.  His Bible and his rifle were his closest companions some said. He traveled more on unknown territory than any other mountain man. His exploration was the main source of maps in the pacific northwest area.
    In search of new beaver hunting grounds, a Jedediah Smith Party followed the Colorado River and ended up in harsh Indian territory. To gather supplies for the return trip, the group chose to travel to California. After an dangerous pass through the mountains into the Mojave Desert, the party was attacked by a group of Mohaves, some of them died. Finding shelter with a friendly Mojave village, the men rested and waited. Finally some people offered to guide them to the San Gabriel Mission. The guides led them through the desert along a path that avoided Death Valley and pretty much follows the route of modern I-15. They made it to the mission and rested there for a while. On December 8, Echeandía told Jedediah Smith to go too San Diego, apparently under arrest. The rest of the party remained at the mission. Badly needing supplies. In San Diego he was interviewed a bunch of times by Echeandía, who never believed him when he said he was only looking for food and shelter. Echeandía let him go back to his party on condition that they left California the way they came and never came back, he agreed. Jedediah Smith and his party didn't leave the way they came, and later in they did go back to California.
    Another time he was angry because he said The Umpqua Indian Tribe stole an axe from him. He threatened to kill the thief and the Indians attacked his party. He lost 19 men and had to go for aid. The company he was working for at the time became angry at him and only paid him half price for the beaver skins he had come back with.
    Jedediah Smith was leading a trading party on the in May, 1831 when he left the group to scout for water. He never returned to the group. The remainder of the party moved on to Santa Fe hoping he would meet them there, but he never arrived. A person at the market there was selling his things. They asked him were he got them and the trader told them from a band of Indians. Jedediah Smith's body was never found.