Alexis Godey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexis Godey
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Alexis Godey in 1870
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| Born |
Alexander Godey
1818 |
| Died | January 19, 1889 Los Angeles, California, US
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| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Alec Godey and Alejandro Godey |
| Occupation | Scout, frontiersman, explorer, rancher, miner, guide and an Indian agent |
| Known for | Battle of San Pasqual, California Battalion and Expeditions with Frémont |
| Spouse(s) | Altagracia, Apolonia Calzadia, 3rd Soledad Cota (m.1849), 4th Maria Antonia Coronel (m.1863), 5th Maria Jimenez |
| Children | 3 |
| Alexis Godey Home | |
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| Location | 1414 19th Street Union Ave, Bakersfield, California |
| Official name: Alexis Godey Home | |
| Designated | July 31, 1959 |
| Reference no. | 690 |
Alexis Godey, also known as Alec Godey or Alejandro Godey, was born Alexander Godey in 1818. He was a brave trapper, scout, and mountain man. He was a close friend of Jim Bridger and became the main scout for the famous explorer John C. Frémont.
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Who Was Alexis Godey?
Alexis Godey was born in 1818 in St. Louis, Missouri. We don't know much about his early life, but it's thought his family came from Canada. His home in Bakersfield, California, at 414 19th Street West, is now a special place called California Historical Landmark number 690. He was a lifelong friend of Jim Bridger, who was also a scout and mountain man.
Alexis Godey's Adventures and Career
Godey was known for being a great scout. Because of his skills, John C. Frémont, an explorer and military officer, hired him. Godey was the lead scout for Frémont's second (1843–1844), third (1845), and fourth (1848–1849) trips to California.
Frémont often said that Godey was very important for his expeditions to succeed. Godey was especially helpful in finding paths through the Kings River area and the San Joaquin Valley. This was very important during the Conquest of California and the Bear Flag Rebellion.
Godey's Bravery and Skills
In 1843, during Frémont's fourth trip, Godey showed how skilled and brave he was. On the Mojave Desert part of the Spanish Trail, Godey and Kit Carson bravely fought off a group of Native Americans. They stopped an attack on the expedition and got back stolen horses.
Godey also worked with Old Bill Williams on Frémont's fourth expedition. He even became a Lieutenant in the California Battalion while working with Frémont. For a short time, Frémont put him in charge of Mission San Luis Rey. Godey was very good with languages. He could speak French, English, Spanish, and some Native American languages.
During the Battle of San Pasqual on December 6, 1846, the US Army was surrounded and outnumbered. Godey led a small group of soldiers safely out of the battle, past enemy lines. This was a very brave act.
Alexis Godey's Life in California
In 1848, Godey built a home in Bakersfield. He became a miner, rancher, local guide, and an Indian agent. When Native Americans first found gold in the Kern River, they gave some to Godey as a gift.
In 1852, Robert S. Williamson hired Godey. Godey helped survey the land for the future Southern Pacific Railroad line. This route would go from Texas to California. He also ran a ferry in Firebaugh, California.
In 1854, Godey was the scout for Kit Carson during Carson's last visit to Kern County. Godey also worked with Edward Fitzgerald Beale for a short time in 1855. They raised sheep on Beale's Tejon Ranch. Godey was in charge of the ranch for a few years.
As an Indian agent, he was in charge of the Sebastian Indian Reservation in 1864. In 1868, Godey also managed Rancho San Emidio for Frémont.
When the US Land Grant Commission decided that the Lataillade family didn't own Cuyama Rancho, Godey started a cattle ranch there. But in 1872, the US Congress gave the land back to the Lataillade family. So, Godey moved off the land and went back to Kern.
How Alexis Godey Died
Alexis Godey died on January 19, 1889. He was about 70 or 71 years old. He passed away at the Sister's Hospital Of Los Angeles. Sadly, he had been scratched by a circus lion he tried to pet, and the scratch became infected. He was buried in the Union Cemetery in Bakersfield.
The California State Historical Landmark about him reads:
- NO. 690 SITE OF THE LAST HOME OF ALEXIS GODEY - Near this site stood the home of Alexis Godey, frontiersman, and scout, who lived here from 1883 until his death on January 19, 1889. Born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1818, he acted as a guide for John C. Frémont's expedition through the Kern area in 1843-44 and was honored for his services at the Battle of San Pasqual in 1846.
