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Jackson Hole was named for trapper David Jackson, who spent a lot of time trapping the area. A “hole” is a general term that was used by mountain men to describe a valley surrounded by mountains, and so the area where the town of Jackson, Wyoming sits today, was referred to as Jackson’s Hole in the days of the trappers.
Competition between fur companies was fierce, and larger companies used ruthless tactics to break the backs of some of the smaller companies. The Rocky Mountain Fur Company and the American Fur Company were two of the largest outfits.
The annual trapper rendezvous was first held in 1826, when William Ashley led a pack train of supplies from St. Louis into the Rockies to outfit his men. This became an annual event, with trappers and Indians coming to trade goods, swap stories, buy supplies, sell their furs, and generally have a good time.
Fascinating tales of the mountain men abound. Whenever I come across a story that piques my interest, I try and find a way to incorporate some of it into my books. For instance, I used the story of John Colter and his escape from the Blackfoot Indians in one of my other novels, Yellowstone Redemption.
Another story I came across that was too good not to incorporate into Teton Sunrise, was an incident that happened to mountain man Joe Meeks. While traveling with fellow trappers and his Indian wife, a group of hostile Indians kidnapped his wife when she fell behind in their travels. Joe Meeks charged after the kidnappers, and lost control of his horse. The Indians were so impressed by Joe’s show of “bravery” at riding headlong into their midst, that they gave the wife back to him. It didn’t happen quite like that to Alex in Teton Sunrise, but I thought it was a great little tidbit.
The Teton mountain range is one of the youngest in North America. It was formed some 9 million years ago due largely to the uplift of several faults in the region. Earthquakes in the area are due largely to the nearby Yellowstone caldera.
The Grand Tetons were named Les Trois Tetons by early French trappers, and the range of mountains was called the Teewinots (many pinnacles) by the Shoshone Indians.
