Along the Ramparts of the Tetons: The Saga of Jackson Hole, Wyoming

by Robert B. Betts

Book Overview

The magnificent valley of Jackson Hole at the base of the soaring Teton Range has long been a stage on which a remarkable series of events has been acted out by an equally remarkable cast of characters. This is that story, told with a verve and excitement which brings the past alive.

In these pages, the reader will witness the dramatic creation of the Tetons; the arrival of the first humans, bands of fur-clad Early Hunters who ventured into the valley some 10,000 years ago; the coming and going of the later Indian tribes; and the nearly incredible journey of John Colter, who back in 1807 is said to have been the first white man to have found his way through the wilderness and into Jackson Hole.

Here, too, the reader will meet the boisterous mountain men, trappers such as Jim Bridger and the former slave, Jim Beckwourth, who roamed the Rockies when St. Louis was still a frontier village; a little Mormon boy who ran away from home and lived with the Indians before becoming a Pony Express rider; a most unusual Englishman who describes a terrible tragedy that befell his Indian wife and half-breed children; a glory-seeking lieutenant who led six cavalrymen on a foolhardy expedition that almost cost them their lives; and a nineteenth-century president of the United States who took a pack trip through Jackson Hole, allegedly leaving a trail of empty bottles behind.

And there is more, much more--the story of the pioneers, those hardy few who dared to settle in this high and inhospitable land; the story of outlaws, a shoot-out, vigilance committees and an Indian "massacre" that embarrassed the New York Times; the story of the deliverance of the world's largest elk herd from the many perils that threatened it with extinction; and, finally, the story of the long and angry controversy over the preservation of the Tetons and Jackson Hole as a national park, a struggle called "one of the most remarkable conservation fights of the twentieth century."

All these and still other episodes in the long and colorful cavalcade of Jackson Hole are woven together to form a work of Western Americana rich in anecdotes and portraits of delightfully eccentric characters.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0870811177
• ISBN13: 9780870811173
• Release Date: June 1991
• Publisher: University Press of Colorado
• Length: 268 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 8.0" x 10.0"

Customer Reviews

The Best HiStory of Jackson's Hole

This is the book for the best and most concise and interesting "guide" history of Jackson's Hole. I have been an interpretive guide in Jackson's Hole for 6 years and I use the stories in this book to help folks understand the story of the area.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

This is a well-written history of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, from its geography to the concerns its residents have today about unlimited growth. Robert Betts writes about the earliest explorers, the coming of the fur trappers, early settlers, homesteaders, the development of the dude ranch, and the bitter debates that eventually led to the formation of Teton National Park. More detailed chapters include fascinating accounts of John Colter, perhaps the first white man to view the Tetons; thumbnail sketches of some of the more famous mountainmen criss-crossing Jackson Hole before the Civil War; some local legends involving the likes of Nick Wilson and Beaver Dick; the disastrous and foolish Doane expedition along the Snake River in the winter of 1876; the summer (1883) President Chester A. Arthur visited the area with members of his cabinet to hunt and fish; the problems the sheepmen faced when they came to the valley; and the recent settlers who display the rugged individualism of their ancestors. Though relating the history of the Jackson Hole area, Betts is just as concerned with presenting a captivating and entertaining narrative, which he succeeds in doing marvelously. Many illustrations grace the text. Anyone with any interest in the Jackson Hole area will find this book worth reading.