Blog Post Title One
John Colter
John was born on the frontier of Augusta County, Virginia in 1775 to Joseph and Ellen Shields Colter. By 1779, the family moved west to Limestone (present day Maysville). While little is known about John’s early years, contemporary sources would suggest a somewhat rugged upbringing hunting the woodlands above the Ohio River.
By age 29, the “somewhat shy, blue-eyed” Colter would meet Meriwether Lewis and enlist in Lewis & Clark’s Corps of Discovery expedition in October of 1803. He was one of the “Nine Young Men from Kentucky” and was one of the most skilled hunters on the journey west.
As the expedition reached the Mandan villages just weeks from St. Louis on the return from the Pacific Coast, Colter’s fascination in the American West prompted him to leave the expedition (with permission). He joined the trapping party of Forrest Hancock and Joseph Dixon. Clark noted in his personal journal “Colter, one of our men expressed a desire to join some trappers… the offer was a very advantageous one to him.” (August 15, 1806)
Colter and his fellow trappers worked along the Yellowstone until the spring of 1807. The expedition proved unprofitable, and tensions arose amongst the partners, especially in light of Native American hostilities. On his return to St. Louis, he met the trapping party of the newly formed Missouri Fur Company, led by Manual Lisa. Colter was hired to guide them back to Yellowstone at the mouth of the Bighorn River, arriving in October 1807 and built a trading post and small fort.
Lisa sent Colter on a 500 mile trek to make contact with the Crow Indians in their winter camps to encourage fur trade. It was during this solo journey, armed with his rifle and pack, that Colter would cross the Teton Range and be the first white man to see Jackson Hole and the thermal activity at today’s Yellowstone National Park.
His exploits at the conclusion of the expedition exceeded anything he experienced with the Corps of Discovery.
He is widely considered the first white man to witness the thermal wonders of today’s Yellowstone National Park.
Kentucky Historical Marker #2121, “Lewis and Clark in Kentucky,” is located in downtown Maysville.