A day at the zoo.

Spring time

This is why I love Colorado.

May 27, 1831 - Jedediah Smith is killed by Commanche Indians on the Santa Fe Trail.

Source

Jedediah Smith's was a trapper/explorer of the U.S. Far West, born on January 6, 1799. As with many mountain men of the time, Smith headed west as a businessman working for east coast fur companies. His goal was to find new territories to trap beaver and hunt buffalo, as well as to make trading contacts with Native Americans.  He made his first expedition in 1822 with the fur trader William Ashley, exploring the Missouri River then striking out west to the Rocky Mountains. Smith's travels provided information on western geography and potential trails that were invaluable to later pioneers. Smith's most important accomplishment may have been his rediscovery in 1824 of the South Pass, a natural crossing point through the Rockies. The first Anglo-Americans to cross the pass were fur traders heading east from an Astoria, Oregon trading post in 1812, yet despite their detailed journal being delivered to President Madison and being published in France, the route was not widely known. Smith’s passage helped establish the South Pass among fur trappers as an effective route. It wouldn’t be until the 1880’s that settlers would use the pass on their journey west, becoming an integral part of the Oregon Trail.

With a party of 83 men, Smith left St. Louis in early 1831 and headed south along the Cimarron River, a region known to be nearly devoid of potable water. Despite his years of wilderness experience, Smith was apparently overconfident in his ability to find water and did not take adequate supplies from St. Louis. By mid-May, the party's water supplies were almost exhausted, and the men started separating each day to search for waterholes. Smith was riding alone when he encountered a hunting party of Commanche Indians, who attacked him after a brief standoff. Dazed and weakened by lack of water, Smith still managed to shoot the Commanche chief before he was overwhelmed and killed.