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Along the Ramparts of the Tetons: The Saga of Jackson Hole, Wyoming
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.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
249 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1978
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 7, 2021
Along the Ramparts of the Tetons
This is an older book by written by the Betts, a Jackson Hole couple. It is primarily a historical and to some extent a wilderness read. There are some photographs as well highlighting the the unique characters of the region's lore.
It goes without saying that the Teton area is one of the most scenic in the World.
Here are some of my notes from the book.
1. John Colter, in 1807, is believed to be the first European to enter Jackson Hole. Although it is not known with any degree of certainty who was the first since there were trappers who had reached the Rockies by 1807.
2. The mountain men lived most often alone for many months at a time in the wilderness. Even those who were literate had little time for journaling so there is a lot of history that is lost. Since there were so many mountain men historians have been able to piece together some of the history.
3. Jackson Hole is actually a valley, roughly sixty miles by ten miles surrounded by the Teton and Gros Ventre mountain ranges on either side. The term "hole" was often used by trappers for valley. The valley was quite remote but its centralized location became a junction of trapper trails and a logical meeting place and hosted many annual jamborees.
4. Back to Colter who was part of the famous Lewis and Clark expedition. On the expedition's 1806 return trip to St Louis, Colter received a formal discharge from the expedition leaders so that he could make some money at beaver trapping in the Rockies.
5. The first large expedition to reach Jackson Hole was in 1811 when the Astorian group arrived - they were headed overland to the coast of Oregon. They were led on the trip through Jackson Hole and to the coast by a group of trappers who were both familiar with the Tetons and how to avoid the Blackfeet.
6. The next twelve years were quiet in the Tetons. The War of 1812 and an economic recession led to a (temporary) decline in the demand for beaver pelts and furs.
7. ln 1832, following a jamboree in Teton basin on the west side of the range next to Teton Creek, a skirmish started between the Gros Ventres tribe and a large group of trappers. At the end of the day forty were dead - including thirty Gros Ventre - in what became known as the Battle of Pierre's Hole.
8. Two years later, America's richest man Jacob Astor who owned the American Fur Company saw the writing on the wall for the trapping industry its over trapping of beaver. He sold his stake and around this time absorbed a struggling Rocky Mountain Fur Company who were the most active in the Teton area.
9. The first of the Oregon settlers did pass through in 1835. In the next year the Oregon Trail was established hundreds of miles further south avoiding the high altitude passes in the Teton area and the Blackfeet.
10. In the run up to the 1840's the names of the legendary mountain men connected to Jackson Hole including Jim Bridger and Jedediah Smith.
11. Then by 1840s the Teton valley was abandoned by most trappers. In the 1850's there was no record of any party of any size entering the valley.
12. In 1860 the Reynold's military expedition of the Rockies came through the area and used an old Jim Bridger as a guide thru.
13. In 1863 the first prospectors arrived, some five years earlier gold was discovered near Denver. They did not find any gold.
14. Many of the old mountain men had adopted Indian wilderness techniques including construction of teepees and bull boats.
15. In 1872 the Hayden Geological Survey came to Jackson Hole and it included the soon to be famous photographer William Henry Jackson who took many photos of the Teton Range.
16. In 1883, President Arthur's health was suffering so he took a trip out west and his overland cavalcade from Green River stopped in Jackson Hole. The photos from the expedition show the immense size involved more than a hundred travelers.
17. In the 1880's the pioneers came and settled into farming and ranching. Hunting tourism began to flourish around this time. The town of Jackson was founded in 1894 and the first dude ranches came a decade later.
18. Many conflicts between the sheep industry and cattle ranchers flared up. Poaching of elk also became a problem in part because of grazing conflicts and due to "tuskers" who slaughtered the elk to get their ivory teeth. The elk were protected in Yellowstone but seasonally moved out of Yellowstone to Jackson Hole where their was little protection or enforcement. In some years thousands of elk starved due to lack of grazing so in 1912 congress set up the National Elk Refuge providing more bountiful grazing.
19. Jenny Lake and Leigh Lake are two jewels in Jackson Hole. In 1920 only the efforts and lobbying of the National Park Service were able to block two proposed dams there. At the time there was no Grand Teton National Park.
It would take the wealth and philanthropy of John D Rockefeller, Jr. over a decade of private land acquisitions to realize the Grand Teton National Park dream. Rockefeller cleverly donated millions of dollars of land to the park service and to the surprise and consternation of many locals and the Wyoming state government was outraged.
3.5 stars. A well written book for its kind.
This is an older book by written by the Betts, a Jackson Hole couple. It is primarily a historical and to some extent a wilderness read. There are some photographs as well highlighting the the unique characters of the region's lore.
It goes without saying that the Teton area is one of the most scenic in the World.
Here are some of my notes from the book.
1. John Colter, in 1807, is believed to be the first European to enter Jackson Hole. Although it is not known with any degree of certainty who was the first since there were trappers who had reached the Rockies by 1807.
2. The mountain men lived most often alone for many months at a time in the wilderness. Even those who were literate had little time for journaling so there is a lot of history that is lost. Since there were so many mountain men historians have been able to piece together some of the history.
3. Jackson Hole is actually a valley, roughly sixty miles by ten miles surrounded by the Teton and Gros Ventre mountain ranges on either side. The term "hole" was often used by trappers for valley. The valley was quite remote but its centralized location became a junction of trapper trails and a logical meeting place and hosted many annual jamborees.
4. Back to Colter who was part of the famous Lewis and Clark expedition. On the expedition's 1806 return trip to St Louis, Colter received a formal discharge from the expedition leaders so that he could make some money at beaver trapping in the Rockies.
5. The first large expedition to reach Jackson Hole was in 1811 when the Astorian group arrived - they were headed overland to the coast of Oregon. They were led on the trip through Jackson Hole and to the coast by a group of trappers who were both familiar with the Tetons and how to avoid the Blackfeet.
6. The next twelve years were quiet in the Tetons. The War of 1812 and an economic recession led to a (temporary) decline in the demand for beaver pelts and furs.
7. ln 1832, following a jamboree in Teton basin on the west side of the range next to Teton Creek, a skirmish started between the Gros Ventres tribe and a large group of trappers. At the end of the day forty were dead - including thirty Gros Ventre - in what became known as the Battle of Pierre's Hole.
8. Two years later, America's richest man Jacob Astor who owned the American Fur Company saw the writing on the wall for the trapping industry its over trapping of beaver. He sold his stake and around this time absorbed a struggling Rocky Mountain Fur Company who were the most active in the Teton area.
9. The first of the Oregon settlers did pass through in 1835. In the next year the Oregon Trail was established hundreds of miles further south avoiding the high altitude passes in the Teton area and the Blackfeet.
10. In the run up to the 1840's the names of the legendary mountain men connected to Jackson Hole including Jim Bridger and Jedediah Smith.
11. Then by 1840s the Teton valley was abandoned by most trappers. In the 1850's there was no record of any party of any size entering the valley.
12. In 1860 the Reynold's military expedition of the Rockies came through the area and used an old Jim Bridger as a guide thru.
13. In 1863 the first prospectors arrived, some five years earlier gold was discovered near Denver. They did not find any gold.
14. Many of the old mountain men had adopted Indian wilderness techniques including construction of teepees and bull boats.
15. In 1872 the Hayden Geological Survey came to Jackson Hole and it included the soon to be famous photographer William Henry Jackson who took many photos of the Teton Range.
16. In 1883, President Arthur's health was suffering so he took a trip out west and his overland cavalcade from Green River stopped in Jackson Hole. The photos from the expedition show the immense size involved more than a hundred travelers.
17. In the 1880's the pioneers came and settled into farming and ranching. Hunting tourism began to flourish around this time. The town of Jackson was founded in 1894 and the first dude ranches came a decade later.
18. Many conflicts between the sheep industry and cattle ranchers flared up. Poaching of elk also became a problem in part because of grazing conflicts and due to "tuskers" who slaughtered the elk to get their ivory teeth. The elk were protected in Yellowstone but seasonally moved out of Yellowstone to Jackson Hole where their was little protection or enforcement. In some years thousands of elk starved due to lack of grazing so in 1912 congress set up the National Elk Refuge providing more bountiful grazing.
19. Jenny Lake and Leigh Lake are two jewels in Jackson Hole. In 1920 only the efforts and lobbying of the National Park Service were able to block two proposed dams there. At the time there was no Grand Teton National Park.
It would take the wealth and philanthropy of John D Rockefeller, Jr. over a decade of private land acquisitions to realize the Grand Teton National Park dream. Rockefeller cleverly donated millions of dollars of land to the park service and to the surprise and consternation of many locals and the Wyoming state government was outraged.
3.5 stars. A well written book for its kind.
March 24, 2025
A remarkable history of The Teton Mountain Range and Jackson Hole, Wyoming that takes us from the Precambrian Era, before the Tetons were formed, until present day (published in 1978). This was a fun, informative book with loads to absorb and appreciate about this area that is less 90 miles from my own home.
First we learn about the geologic events that formed of the region, the glaciers that scoured the rock and left beautiful glacier lakes behind. We learn that the earliest human visitors to the area began arriving nearly 10,000 years ago. When white men arrived in the early nineteenth century, the region was encircled by several native American tribes, some allies and some adversaries, and that the valley itself was generally avoided and was merely a path to somewhere else. Then begins the explorations and mapping of the region, John Colter, beaver trappers, cavalrymen, pioneers, and the magnificent elk (wapiti) and bison herds. We learn about the historic figures for whom the lakes, mountains, and towns were named.
In the 20th century, the author describes The Angry Years - the decades long battles over should govern this beautiful expanse of land - the residents, the cattlemen, the National Park Service (conservation & recreational management), or the Forest Service (commercial and conservational management). I remember hearing some of this when I was a kid, but until this reading, I didn't understand the various aspects to be considered. A surprising and impressive fact about Jackson in 1920 is that they were the first U.S. community to elect an all female board of officials. These ladies did such a good job that they retained their positions in the next election.
Several colorful characters are highlighted in the history that illustrate what draws folks to this region. Not only the beauty and wonder of the natural environment, but "an environment which fosters those who, like the mountain men generations earlier, have the courage to live their lives as they wish and the forbearance to let others do the same."
First we learn about the geologic events that formed of the region, the glaciers that scoured the rock and left beautiful glacier lakes behind. We learn that the earliest human visitors to the area began arriving nearly 10,000 years ago. When white men arrived in the early nineteenth century, the region was encircled by several native American tribes, some allies and some adversaries, and that the valley itself was generally avoided and was merely a path to somewhere else. Then begins the explorations and mapping of the region, John Colter, beaver trappers, cavalrymen, pioneers, and the magnificent elk (wapiti) and bison herds. We learn about the historic figures for whom the lakes, mountains, and towns were named.
In the 20th century, the author describes The Angry Years - the decades long battles over should govern this beautiful expanse of land - the residents, the cattlemen, the National Park Service (conservation & recreational management), or the Forest Service (commercial and conservational management). I remember hearing some of this when I was a kid, but until this reading, I didn't understand the various aspects to be considered. A surprising and impressive fact about Jackson in 1920 is that they were the first U.S. community to elect an all female board of officials. These ladies did such a good job that they retained their positions in the next election.
Several colorful characters are highlighted in the history that illustrate what draws folks to this region. Not only the beauty and wonder of the natural environment, but "an environment which fosters those who, like the mountain men generations earlier, have the courage to live their lives as they wish and the forbearance to let others do the same."
August 25, 2023
This is a excellent book for a newcomer to the valley learning about this history that is all over the Tetons. It is a great mixture of history and folklore and everything in between. Highly recommend.
March 7, 2021
The Tetons are my favorite vacation spot. The area touches my heart. This book tells the delightful history of the area and includes many fascinating stories about the people who settled the area and helped preserve it over the years.
May 31, 2021
Reading this and learning more about how the Grand Teatons almost didn't become a National Park and the essenteric characters that built the community made me greater appreciate their forward thinking and perseverance when we visited the park. The names of lakes, cabins, roads etc...have a story behind them and it brought even more meaning to our trip. While this is a historical account of events leading up to the development of GTNP, it is very easy to read.
I felt like my grandparents, getting excited to see the historical sites of the Cunningham cabin, the Chapel of Transfiguration, Menors ferry and general store and Maude Nobel's cabin while dragging my kids along expecting the same level of enthusiasm.
It makes me curious to learn more about the development of other National Parks as well as John D. Rockefeller Jr. Next up on my reading list is Journal of a Trapper, Nine Years in the Rocky Mountains 1834-1843.
I felt like my grandparents, getting excited to see the historical sites of the Cunningham cabin, the Chapel of Transfiguration, Menors ferry and general store and Maude Nobel's cabin while dragging my kids along expecting the same level of enthusiasm.
It makes me curious to learn more about the development of other National Parks as well as John D. Rockefeller Jr. Next up on my reading list is Journal of a Trapper, Nine Years in the Rocky Mountains 1834-1843.
August 4, 2026
I read the book in prep for my Road Scholar vacation trip to the Grand Tetons. It was an engaging book. It is old, copyright 1978 - so sort of fun. They bring up things like encyclopedias and compare things to popular movies like The King and I. It was good to learn about the nature, the settling of the valley by the whites and the place that is big enough to hold all the eclectic personalities.
the author was amusing and it told a very balanced story for being written in 1978. I would only recommend this book if you are going to the Grand Tetons and want to learn about the area. The cover the National Park founding, the Elk herds, the Native Americans that passed through in the summers.
the author was amusing and it told a very balanced story for being written in 1978. I would only recommend this book if you are going to the Grand Tetons and want to learn about the area. The cover the National Park founding, the Elk herds, the Native Americans that passed through in the summers.
January 8, 2025
Enjoyed this. I did kinda skim over the rock/dinosaur chapters. Loved the stories of natives, mountain men, and early frontiers folk . Great history of the struggle to make it a park too.
Enjoyable- ready for our trip north now!
Enjoyable- ready for our trip north now!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews