JIM BRIDGER

Jim Bridger was probably the most respected army scout and interpreter of the pre-civil war period. Born in Richmond, Virginia in 1804, he made his reputation as a trapper and guide for the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. In 1824 he was the first white man to set eyes on the Great Salt Lake and the following year no one would believe him when he described the geysers he and Joe Meek had found at Yellowstone.

In 1850 Bridger led Captain Howard Stanbury of the US Topographical Corps, through what would become Bridger’s Pass, which shortened the Oregon Trail from Fort Bridger by 61 miles. By 1857, Bridger was scouting for Colonel Albert Sidney Johnston during the Mormon rebellion in Utah Territory. Two years later he led Captain Raynold’s surveying expedition to the Yellowstone area.

During the civil war despite being a Virginian, he was to support the Union, and was chief of scouts with the 7th Iowa Cavalry which was operating against the Sioux in Nebraska Territory.

According to Captain Eugene Ware, Bridger could do “anything that an Indian could do. He knew how Indians felt, and what to expect from them.” Jim Bridger ended his days living on his farm south of Kansas City, where he died in 1881.

Scale: 1/30
Material: Pewter alloy and synthetic fibers
Released Date: December 2025