Sylvan Ambrose Hart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sylvan Ambrose Hart
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|---|---|
| Born |
Sylvan Ambrose Hart
May 10, 1906 |
| Died | April 29, 1980 (aged 73) Five Mile Bar, Idaho
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| Resting place | Five Mile Bar, Idaho |
| Other names | Buckskin Bill |
| Alma mater | University of Oklahoma |
| Occupation | Mountain man |
Sylvan Ambrose "Buckskin Bill" Hart (born May 10, 1906 – died April 29, 1980) was one of the last true mountain men in the Western United States. He lived a unique life, choosing to live far away from cities and towns.
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Who Was Buckskin Bill?
Sylvan Hart was born in a place called Camargo in the Indian Territory. This was one year before it became the state of Oklahoma. He was the oldest of six children in his family.
During the Great Depression, a tough time when many people lost their jobs, Hart worked in oil fields in Texas. But he soon decided to live a different kind of life.
Living in the Wild
For almost 50 years, from 1932 until he passed away, Buckskin Bill lived in a very isolated part of central Idaho. His home was on the Five Mile Bar of the Salmon River. This area is now part of the huge Frank Church River Of No Return Wilderness.
He bought about 50 acres of land there for just one dollar. On this land, he built his own home, which was a two-story house. He also built a blacksmith shop, a stone tower, and even a bomb shelter.
Why He Built a Fort
Buckskin Bill felt that the government was always a threat to his way of life. This feeling became very strong in 1956. At that time, a law called the Wilderness Act was being discussed. This law might have made his home a "Primitive Area" where people were not allowed to live. He worried he would be forced to leave his home.
His Life and Work
Even though he loved his quiet life, Hart wanted to help during World War II. He tried to join the army, but he had an enlarged heart. So, he was sent to work at a Boeing factory in Kansas. There, he helped build parts for the Norden bombsight, which was used in airplanes.
After the war, he went back to his home in Idaho. He worked for the National Forest Service. He also grew his own food, hunted animals, and fished for survival. He was very skilled and made his own guns, tools, clothes, and other items he needed.
Later Life and Legacy
Sylvan Hart never married. He died at his home in 1980 when he was 73 years old. His funeral was held in Grangeville. He was buried at his home at Five Mile Bar, the place he loved so much.
Today, his home and the buildings he created have been saved. They are now The Buckskin Bill Museum. It helps people learn about his unique life as one of the last American mountain men.
