Buckskin Entrepreneur: Antoine Robidoux Fur Trade 1824-1844 in Uinta Basin Utah
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Buckskin Entrepreneur Antoine Robidoux and the Fur Trade of the Uinta Basin 1824-11844
by John D. Barton
Published by Oakfield Publishing, Vernal, Utah (1996)
Condition:
Excellent Softcover Book! The covers look excellent, as can be seen in my photos. The binding is tight and all 120 pages within are bright white with NO WRITING, UNDERLINING, HIGH-LIGHTING, RIPS, TEARS, BENDS OR FOLDS with the exception of a small name on the inside front cover. You will be happy with this one! Always handled and packaged with care! Buy with confidence from a seller who takes the time to show you the details and not use just stock photos. Please check out all my pictures and email with any questions! Thanks for looking!
Antoine Robidoux's Thrilling Engraving at Westwater Canyon, Utah-Colorado Border
Ancient Mark Left by the Daring Antoine Robidoux in Utah's Legacy
--taken from Becky Bartholomew's article in History Blazer, August 1996
Located approximately five miles west of the Utah-Colorado border in close proximity to I-70, Westwater Creek converges with the Colorado River. Traversing the northern hills, a dirt road mirrors the meandering creek. However, a century and a half ago, discerning travelers selected this lesser-known canyon as the path of least topographical resistance to access the Book Cliffs. In contrast, alternative waterways like Sweetwater and Two Water creeks guided pioneers through the Roan Cliffs to the eastern Tavaputs Plateau, eventually leading to the fertile trapping grounds of the Uinta Basin via the Green River.
Upon advancing along the Westwater Creek road, an imposing sandstone wall, standing at approximately 9 feet in height and 4.5 feet in width, commands a view over the stream's west bank. Adorning this ancient wall is a prehistoric pictograph portraying a vivid red shield. Positioned above the shield, an inscription commemorates the passage of Antoine Robidoux on November 13, 1837, as he endeavored to establish a trading post along the Green River, known as Rv. vert or wiyte.
Translated from French, the inscription reads: "Antoine Robidoux passed here on 13 November 1831 to establish a trading post at the Green River or White." The uncertainties surrounding the interpretation of "Winte" or "Uinta" and the potential misdating to 1837 rather than 1831 have sparked prolonged debates among Utah historians. The accuracy of this interpretation is crucial as it determines the location and timing of Robidoux's first trading post in the area. If "White" is meant, it could be near present-day Ouray at the confluence of the White River and the Green. If "Uinta" is intended, it might be ten miles north, near Bottle Hollow Resort and the Green and Uinta rivers' confluence.
Antoine Robidoux, born in 1794, hailed from a prolific family deeply involved in the fur trade. By the early 1830s, he established his trade route along the Spanish intermountain corridor, becoming a Mexican citizen to facilitate his ventures. The Westwater inscription, likely from 1837, reveals a deviation in Robidoux's route, possibly utilizing Carson's abandoned adobe fort before moving north to build Fort Uintah or Fort Robidoux near Whiterocks, establishing an exclusive trade with the Utes.
In the early 1840s, as the trapping business declined, Antoine shifted his focus to guiding immigrants and serving as an army interpreter. His significant contributions continued, influencing John Bidwell's expedition to the Pacific and potentially aiding in founding St. Joseph in 1844. Fort Uncompahgre's destruction in 1844 marked a turning point, and by 1846, Antoine, wounded in the Mexican War, sought a government pension.
From 1849-50 onwards, the Robidoux family amassed another fortune outfitting immigrants at St. Joseph and later in western Nebraska. Despite an 1851 account describing an "old man nearly blind" at the post, believed to be Antoine, he persisted in his endeavors until his passing in 1860 in St. Louis. While his inscription has endured, Westwater Creek's increased traffic due to oil development and acts of vandalism have unfortunately marred the stone with bullet holes.
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