William Sublette - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

William Sublette was a fur trader and merchant who was born in Kentucky but grew up in St. Charles, Missouri. He left Missouri in 1822 to become a trapper and later became a partner of Robert Campbell in the Rocky Mountain Fur Trading Co. He trapped and traveled with such noted Mountain Men as Jim Beckwourth, Tom Fitzpatrick, David Jackson, Hugh Glass, James Bridger and Jedediah Smith. He helped open the Oregon Trail by using wagons in the Rocky Mountains and by finding a short cut that is known as “Sublette’s Cutoff.” Financially secure Sublette returned to St. Louis where he farmed and was involved in several local businesses. William Sublette died on July 23, 1845 and is buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis.

Source/Credit: "A Journey Through History - Touring Bellefontaine Cemetery."

Description: William Sublette was born in Stanford, Kentucky, on September 21, 1799. His family moved to Missouri in 1817 and lived in St. Charles. On February 13, 1822, William Ashley placed an advertisement in the Missouri Gazette where he called for 100 enterprising men to "ascend the river Missouri" to take part in the fur collecting business. Among those who answered the ad included Sublette, Jim Beckwourth, Tom Fitzpatrick, David Jackson, Hugh Glass, James Bridger and Jedediah Smith. Ashley's company was the first to depend primarily upon trapping the beaver rather than buying them from Native Americans. Ashley did not pay the trappers a fixed wage. Instead, in return for transporting them to the Rocky Mountains, he took a share in the furs they obtained. On May 30, 1823, Ashley and his party of 70 men were attacked by 600 Arikaras. Twelve of Ashley's men were killed and the rest were forced to retreat. Jedediah Smith volunteered to contact Andrew Henry and bring back reinforcements. A message was sent back to St Louis and Colonel Henry Leavenworth of the U.S. Sixth Infantry and later 200 soldiers and 700 Sioux allies attacked the Arikara villages. Sublette remained a mountain man for several years. In 1824 Sublette went with Jedediah Smith to the far northwest. Two years later he went into partnership with Smith and David Jackson when they purchased the fur business of William Ashley. Sublette became briefly involved in the Santa Fe trade but abandoned the idea after the death of Jedediah Smith. He returned to the Rocky Mountains and was wounded during the battle at Pierre's Hole in July 1832. Sublette established a new company with Robert Campbell but later sold it to the American Fur Company. Sublette then moved to St Louis where he became involved in business and politics. William Sublette died July 23, 1845 and is buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri. Date of birth: 09/21/1799 Date of death: 07/23/1845 Area of notoriety: Historical Figure Marker Type: Monument Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Daily - 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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