Beaver Trade ~ Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member brwhiz
N 40° 25.218 W 105° 48.684
13T E 431165 N 4474724
This Historical Marker is mounted on a steel post at a turnout on the southeast side of US Highway 34 (Trail Ridge Road) at the summit of Milner Pass and the Continental Divide in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.
Waymark Code: WMGAYG
Location: Colorado, United States
Date Posted: 02/07/2013
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Outspoken1
Views: 3

Beaver Trade

The beaver trade brought a new figure to the American West, the "Mountain Man." Brigades of these rugged, industrious trappers worked rivers and streams in search of beavers. Between 1820-1840, millions of animals were trapped and killed, their fur used for top hats, their oils used for perfumes.

The heyday of the beaver trade was short-lived, yet within just a few decades, a few thousand trappers changed the physical and cultural landscape of the west.

[Large painting of mountain men setting traps]
Alfred Jacob Miller, of Baltimore, Maryland, painted trappers at work in 1837. Miller was one of a very few artists who actually saw trappers in person and traveled to their annual summer trade fair, called "Rendezvous."

[Small painting of mountain men and local natives]
Trappers traded and lived with Indians and often married Indian women. Their presence brought alcohol, firearms, and disease to the tribes, which transformed Indian societies.

Group or Groups Responsible for Placement:
National park Service


County or City: Larimer County

Date Dedicated: Not listed

Check here for Web link(s) for additional information: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
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