William Sublette facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Sublette
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Drawing depicts Sublette interviewing the young Joseph Meek. Image from Eleven Years in the Rocky Mountains... by Frances Fuller Victor.
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William Lewis Sublette
September 21, 1798 |
| Died | July 23, 1845 (aged 46) |
| Resting place | Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | William Sublett, Bill Sublette, Cutface |
| Occupation | frontiersman, trapper, fur trader, explorer |
| Employer | Rocky Mountain Fur Company |
| Known for | Being a co-owner of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, with Andrew Henry, after buying out the company shares, of William Henry Ashley |
| Relatives | Milton Sublette (brother), Andrew Sublette (brother), Pinkney Sublette (brother), Solomon Sublette (brother) Laurel Seberg (grandchild) |
William Lewis Sublette (born September 21, 1798 – died July 23, 1845) was an American frontiersman, trapper, and fur trader. He was also an explorer and a mountain man. A frontiersman is someone who lives and works in wild, unsettled areas. A trapper catches animals for their fur, and a fur trader buys and sells these furs. Mountain men were explorers who traveled through the American West.
After 1823, William Sublette and his four brothers became important agents for the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. He later became one of the company's owners. Sublette also helped improve the best travel paths for people moving west along the famous Oregon Trail.
Early Life and Family
William Sublette was born near Stanford, in Lincoln County, Kentucky. He was one of five brothers, all of whom became well-known in the fur trade business in the western United States. His brothers were Milton, Andrew, Pinkney, and Solomon.
Their family had strong connections to traders in St. Louis. This city became wealthy early on because of the fur trade. St. Louis was a hub for trade routes. These routes connected to Native American tribes along the Missouri River and reached into the Rocky Mountains. They also extended to Spanish towns in the Southwest along the Santa Fe Trail.
Adventures in Fur Trading
William Sublette was one of many mountain men who explored the Rocky Mountains. These areas were often controlled by large British-Canadian fur companies. These companies, like the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company, competed with American companies. One major American company was the American Fur Company, started by John Jacob Astor. This company became very powerful in the American West before 1830.
In 1823, William Henry Ashley hired William Sublette in St. Louis. Sublette joined a group of fur trappers known as "Ashley's Hundred." This marked the start of a new way to do fur trading. A new U.S. law in 1822 made it illegal to trade alcohol with Native Americans. So, a new system was created. It involved a "trapper's rendezvous" – a big meeting place. Here, supplies were brought in, and furs were taken out. Trappers would work together throughout the year, setting traps and collecting furs.
By 1826, Sublette, along with Jedediah Smith and David Edward Jackson, bought Ashley's fur business. Later, in the mid-1830s, William and his partners sold the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. His brother Milton was one of five men who bought it.
Sublette stopped trapping after he was hurt in 1832. This happened during a conflict called the Battle of Pierre's Hole. After recovering in St. Louis for over a year, Sublette returned to the mountains. He built a place called Fort William. This fort was located near the South Pass. The South Pass was the only easy route for wagons to cross the Continental Divide.
He later sold Fort William to the American Fur Company, which renamed it Fort John. When the U.S. Army took it over, it became known as Fort Laramie. Sublette then retired to St. Louis, where he passed away in 1845. He was buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis.
Legacy and Namesakes
Many places were named after William Sublette to honor his contributions:
- Sublette County, Wyoming
- Sublette Street in Pocatello, Idaho
- Sublette, Kansas
- The Sublett Range in southeastern Idaho
- Sublette Park and Sublette Avenue in St. Louis
See also
In Spanish: William Sublette para niños
