We continue the history of Lorin Farr in writing of the fur trappers in the early settlement of Ogden and talking about the activities of Peter Skene Ogden and the military leader and explorer, John Fremont. This history is taken from the book I am working on:

All the employees of the American Fur Company were now assembled in one group in Logan Canyon in the spring of 1825. They then probably moved down the North Ogden Canyon from Cache to Weber. It was there on May 29 th that Hudson Bay employees who had been in Peter Skene Ogden's company arrived in camp. There they joined the Americans bringing all their furs with them. Peter Skene Ogden, associated with the Hudson Bay Company, was born in Quebec, Canada in 1794. He was the son of a prominent lawyer and received a good education in law which he later rejected and became a trapper. He had been raised a Christian and always lived a noble life. Peter Ogden became a true frontiersman and was prominent in Weber County history. In 1811 he became the clerk for the Northwest Fur Company, which was a British firm in competition with Hudson Bay. Later the Hudson Bay Company purchased the Northwest Fur Company. Ogden trapped in central Canada until 1818 and then came to the Pacific Coast. In the fall of 1824 Ogden was in charge of the Snake River Expedition and continued to be prominent in the Hudson Bay Company.

Fortunately Peter Ogden recorded some interesting experiences in his journal regarding his activities during the winter of 1824-25. On December 22 nd , 1824 he wrote:

"If we do not find some game, we shall surely starve. My Indian guides threaten to leave us. . . We do not see the trace of an animal. I feel very uneasy about food. . . . I held prayers. The cold increases. Prospects are gloomy; not twenty pounds of food in camp . . . (On New Year's Day, Ogden wrote again). . . We had more fasting than feasting. . . sent my men into the mountains for deer. . . Tom McKay arrived without seeing the track of an animal so this blasted my hope. The wolves follow our camp. Two horses killed for the kettle."

The trappers struggled on until spring when the aforementioned trappers deserted Ogden and came to the Americans in the Weber area. Ogden reached the northern border of Utah in 1825.

His next trip to the state was in 1828. On December 23rd of that year he wrote:

"Here we are at the end of Great Salt Lake, having this season explored one-half of the north side of it and can safely assert, as the Americans have of the south side, that it is a barren country, destitute of every thing."

Peter Skene Ogden didn't actually get to Ogden until 1830 when he visited Ogden River, Ogden Hole and other points in Weber County. As the Ogden name came into prominence in this area so did the Weber name. John H. Weber was a trapper and member of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. Weber went to the mountains in 1822 and remained five years. During this period he commanded a detachment of trappers and he discovered the Great Salt Lake, Weber River and Weber Canyon. While credence cannot be given to these claims of discovery, Weber was a member of Ashley's detachments and probably this is the source of thename of the river and canyon.

After the trappers provided a cache for their furs where they hid them up in the earth they held a rendevous for their winter quarters on the junction of the Weber and the Ogden Rivers. This region was chosen for its genial client. J. Cecil Alder recorded regarding this area:

"James Bridger found it the most attractive and homelike valley known to him in the West, a distinction which was never changed in his mind; though he visited it often, it was with an affectionate interest of increasing proportions according to his later declarations. Its streams were his pleasant pathways as a trapper, its berries and other products were satisfying additions to his food, its rich and abundant grasses recuperated his animals, and its rich soils and gentle climate led him to visualize in it a land of prosperous homes."

The winter gathering of trappers, their wives and children in Weber County was the greatest gathering of its kind known during the trapping period in Utah history. There were 700 trappers and their families in addition a tribe of Snake Indian numbering some 2500 who joined the trappers for the winter. So, there were 3200 people encamped on the predecessor ground of what would become Ogden City, Weber County. During that winter the trappers had the Indians hunt buffalo and other game for food. Trappers and Indians wiled away their time in the Indians' 'medicine lodge,' where they had the medicine man read their futures. During one winter night a group of Bannock Indians stole about 80 of the trappers' horses. Forty volunteers under Fitzpatrick and Bridger mounted a posse to go in pursuit of the renegades. They pursued them to their village. Fitzpatrick mounted a surprise attack on the village while Bridger with the remaining men drove off approximately 300 horses. The Indians pursued but the trappers arrived back to their camp with all their horses, plus 40 of the finest of the Indian horses and no loss of life. The trappers had killed six Indians, taking their scalps as trophies. The returning heroes were greeted with a lively celebration and demonstration.

In the spring of 1826, members of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company trapped the streams of Weber County. The trappers were informed by couriers from General Ashley that the summer rendevous would be at the Ogden camp site. The couriers then went on their way to find all the Indians and free trappers they could find. The trappers returned to their caches to bring the furs to the summer exchange. They had barely arrived when they were informed by some friendly Flathead Indians that 30 men under Robert Campbell were encamped some twelve or fourteen miles to the south without ammunition. Volunteers delivered the needed ammunition to them. While the combined group was returning, they were attacked by a large force of Blackfeet warriors. The fighting was fierce and the trappers were in a rather desperate situation. They sent their wives and children into the willows while the men fought towards a more advantageous position with shelter. The savages were so numerous that it looked as though all the trappers and their families would be slaughtered. With ammunition running low, Robert Campbell asked for volunteers to break out of the siege and go for help. Trappers Calhoun and Beckwourth, disguised as Indians, broke through and made their way toward the planned rendevous. They met trappers on the way and rushed toward the scene of battle to rescue their comrades. The Blackfeet fled at their approach. The Indians lost 100 men and the trappers only four. The Trappers scalped seventeen of the Indians with the rest of the dead taken by the retreating Indians.

On the second day of the planned summer rendevous the Blackfeet returned to attack. They killed five Snake Indians who were gathering roots some distance from camp. Immediately volunteers were called to pursue the Blackfeet. Three hundred trappers and a large party of Snake warriors responded. Engaging the Blackfeet, the battle raged for six hours. After the hostile foe had retreated they found 173 Blackfeet dead, 11 of the Snake Warriors killed, and no trappers.

For a while the American and British trappers were in competition for Utah furs. Trapping continued during the 1830's but began to wane. Most of the trappers had left the area by the early 1840's. The mountain men that remained settled down and built cabins on their old haunts and continued with their Indian wives to raise their children. Two of these men were James Bridger and Miles Goodyear. The sun was setting on the days of trapping and rising on a vanguard of government explorers to be followed by the pioneers.

One of the most prominent of the explorers was John C. Fremont who led several expeditions for the United States government into the western regions of the North American continent. During Fremont's activity (1842-1853) the United States and Britain owned the Oregon country together by a joint treaty. A division was made in 1846 leaving this territory to the United States. John C. Fremont was sometimes referred to as 'The Pathfinder' due to his many trips of exploration. Fremont served in both the army and the Navy. He rose to the office of general and was a presidential candidate for the Republicans in the 1856 election. He lost to James Buchanan. His work was very helpful in providing information on trails for the pioneers and tracks for future railways. His wife was the daughter of the Missouri Senator, Thomas Hart Benton. She would later help her husband write stirring accounts of their adventures. (Lorin Farr History, pgs 59-63 by David J. Farr)