William Craig (frontiersman) facts for kids

William Craig (born in 1807 in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, died in 1869 in Idaho) was an American frontiersman and trapper. He moved west from his home as a young man. Craig became well-known for his skills in the wilderness. He worked with famous trappers and later became an important guide. He also served as an agent for the Nez Perce people.

William Craig: Frontiersman and Friend

Early Adventures in the West

William Craig began his journey west as a young man. He joined other trappers like William and Milton Sublette, and Jedediah Smith. They trapped for furs in the lands of the Blackfoot people. In 1833, Craig joined Joe Walker's expedition to California. This trip lasted until 1834, exploring new territories.

Building a Trading Post

In 1836, William Craig, along with Pruett Sinclair and Philip Thompson, started a trading post. They called it Fort Davy Crockett. This fort was located in a place called Brown's Hole, which is now in Colorado. Trading posts were important places where trappers and Native Americans could trade goods.

A New Path: Guiding and Settling

By 1840, the fur trade was becoming less profitable. Craig decided to change his path. He and his friends, Robert Newell and Joe Meek, who were also former trappers, became guides. They led a group of missionaries to Fort Hall in Idaho. From there, they continued to the Whitman Mission in Washington. While his friends settled in Oregon, Craig chose to live with his Nimiipuu family. They lived along the Clearwater River and Lapwai Creek in what is now Idaho.

William Craig and the Nez Perce People

In 1838, William Craig married a Nez Perce woman named Pahtissah. He later called her Isabel. Isabel was the daughter of a Nez Perce leader known as Thunder Eyes. Craig became a good friend to the Nez Perce tribe. After some difficult events at the Whitman Mission, Joel Palmer, a government official, appointed William Craig as his agent to the Nez Perce in 1848.

Craig played a key role in important meetings. He served as an interpreter between Nez Perce leaders and Isaac Stevens. This happened at the Treaty of 1855 and again at the Treaty of 1856. These treaties were agreements about land and rights. The Treaty of 1855 gave William Craig and his wife, Isabel, 640 acres of land. This land was in the Lapwai Valley, which was part of the new Nez Perce reservation. In 1855, Governor Stevens also made William Craig the official Agent to the Nez Perce people. He held this important job until 1859.

Later Life and Legacy

William Craig was also the first postmaster of "Wailepta," which is now the city of Walla Walla. He passed away in 1869 due to a stroke. William Craig, his wife Isabel, and other family members are buried in a cemetery. It is located at Jaques' Spur in the Lapwai Valley, Idaho. This burial site is just north of Craig Mountain, on the land he had chosen for his home.