George Nidever facts for kids

George Nidever (born December 20, 1802 – died March 24, 1883) was an American adventurer. He was an explorer, fur trapper, and sailor. He also wrote a book about his life.

In the 1830s, George Nidever was among the first American settlers to move to Mexican California. There, he earned a living by fur trapping. In 1853, he led an important trip that rescued Juana Maria. She was the last person from the Nicoleño tribe. She had been living alone on San Nicolas Island for eighteen years. Later in his life, Nidever wrote a book called Life and Adventures of George Nidever. It was very popular in the late 1800s.

Early Life and Journeys

George Nidever was born in Tennessee. When he was 28, in 1830, he joined a group of hunters and trappers. They started their journey from Fort Smith, Arkansas.

After traveling through states like Missouri and Texas, the group reached Taos in 1831. Nidever then joined Joseph Reddford Walker and traveled with him to California in 1833.

Life in California

Once in California, George Nidever stayed there. He joined George C. Yount in hunting sea otters, which was quite successful. He continued sea otter hunting from Santa Barbara.

Besides hunting, he also farmed and worked as a pilot for ships in the Pacific Ocean. In 1841, he married María Sinforosa Ramona Sanchez. Her family owned a large ranch called Rancho Santa Clara del Norte.

At the end of the Mexican–American War, Nidever joined John C. Frémont in Santa Barbara in 1846. He helped as an interpreter at Campo de Cahuenga. This is where the Treaty of Cahuenga was signed, ending the war. Nidever also tried looking for gold for a short time, but he did not find much. He also ranched on San Miguel Island for a while.

The Rescue of Juana Maria

In 1850, a priest from Mission Santa Barbara offered money to find Juana Maria. She was the last person from the Nicoleño people. She had been accidentally left behind on San Nicolas Island in 1835.

A man named Thomas Jeffries tried to find her but failed. However, the stories he told about her made Nidever curious. George Nidever then started his own trips to find her.

Finding Juana Maria

In 1853, after two tries, one of Nidever's men, Carl Dittman, found clues. He saw human footprints on the beach and pieces of seal fat left out to dry. Following these clues, they found Juana Maria.

She was living in a simple hut made partly from whale bones. She wore a dress made from green cormorant bird feathers.

After the Rescue

After being found, Juana Maria was taken to the Mission Santa Barbara. However, she could not talk to anyone there, not even the local Chumash Indians. She stayed with the Nidever family.

Sadly, she became sick and died only a few weeks later. Her amazing story was later told in the famous children's book Island of the Blue Dolphins.

Later Years

Toward the end of his life, in 1878, George Nidever told his life story to Edward F. Murray. This became his book, The Life and Adventures of George Nidever. His adventures were very popular.

One story about him killing a grizzly bear with one shot became a famous song. This song even impressed the famous writer Ralph Waldo Emerson. George Nidever passed away in 1883 and was buried in Santa Barbara.