William Henry Ashley (c.1778–1838) was an American politician, entrepreneur, and fur trader, known for revolutionizing the fur trade and advancing American West exploration.
Born in Powhatan County, Virginia, he moved to Missouri in the early 1800s, engaging in land speculation, mining, and gunpowder manufacturing. He became Missouri’s first lieutenant governor (1820–24) and later served as a U.S. Representative (1831–37.)
Ashley transformed the fur trade with the rendezvous system, replacing trading posts with annual gatherings where trappers exchanged furs for supplies. His Rocky Mountain Fur Company employed legendary frontiersmen, including Jim Bridger, Jedediah Smith, and Hugh Glass.
Though he did not author books, his letters and business records provide insight into early American commerce and frontier expansion. His contributions are documented in historical analyses such as Dale L. Morgan’s William Henry Ashley and the Rocky Mountain Fur Trade (1961.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by William Henry Ashley
The weather was fine, the valleys literally covered with buffaloe, and everything seemed to promise a safe and speedy movement to the first grove of timber on my route, supposed to be about ten days’ march.
—William Henry Ashley
Topics: Weather
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