Pierre's Hole!
Cover of the new book, "Pierre’s Hole! The Fur Trade History of Teton Valley, Idaho" by Jim Hardee.
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Book signing Sept. 2: ‘Pierre’s Hole! The Fur Trade History of Teton Valley, Idaho’
New fur trade history book by Jim Hardee
September 1, 2010
The Museum of the Mountain Man and Sublette County Historical Society are proud to announce the debut of the new book, "Pierre’s Hole! The Fur Trade History of Teton Valley, Idaho" by Jim Hardee.
The book is the latest publication of the Sublette County Historical Society - Museum of the Mountain Man in Pinedale.
Pierre’s Hole! studies forty years of contact between native peoples and Euro-Americans in the early Rocky Mountain West, using new information that has come to light since Benjamin W. Driggs first published the valley’s history in 1926.
In the early 1800s, a thriving trade in furs destined for the international hat market brought trappers and increasing numbers of Indians into Idaho’s Teton Basin, just across the Teton Range from Jackson’s Hole. This commerce created a favorite rendezvous location and a thoroughfare for both populations. One of the most active centers of the Rocky Mountain fur trade, the Teton Basin provided the stage for many dynamic personalities and dramatic events of the era.
A close look at Pierre’s Hole connects the reader to the entire sweep of fur trade history in the American West, from Fort Astoria on the Pacific Coast to the trading houses of St. Louis, Missouri. Told through eyewitness accounts of men like Jim Bridger, Joe Meek, Nathaniel Wyeth and others, this Teton Valley history places the reader on the ground as the action unfolds. Drawing from trapper journals – the earliest records of the region – historian Jim Hardee fills in the pre-settlement gaps of the narrative: a period when Teton Valley was known as Pierre’s Hole, Snake River was Lewis Fork and the Tetons were the Pilot Knobs.
Jim Hardee is the editor of the Rocky Mountain Fur Trade Journal, published by the Sublette County Historical Society and the Museum of the Mountain Man in Pinedale. He is a frequent visitor to Pinedale and the Museum of the Mountain Man living history presentations as a member of the American Mountain Men Association. He is the director of the Fur Trade Research Center, and former president of the Jedediah Smith Society. He has been a presenter and guest speaker for many conferences and symposiums, and has published numerous articles on various fur trade topics. He currently lives in Pierre’s Hole, Idaho.
The evening will kick off with a reception in the Museum gallery at 6:00 PM, followed by a presentation and book signing. Books will be available for sale, $30 each (Sublette County Historical Society members get a 10% discount). If you miss the book signing, this book is available in the museum gift shop and also online at the Museum of the Mountain Man Trading Post, www.MuseumoftheMountainMan.com.
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