Étienne Provost
Encyclopedia
Étienne Provost was a French Canadian
fur trader whose trapping and trading activities in the American southwest preceded Mexican independence. Leading a company headquartered in Taos
, in what is today New Mexico, he was active in the Green River drainage and the central portion of modern Utah
and is considered the first man of European descent to see the Great Salt Lake
, reaching its shores during the winter of 1824–25 (others claim that Jim Bridger
, an American, was the first man of European descent to see the lake).
, but little is known about his early life. He made his home in St. Louis, Missouri
for 35 years, traveling to the Arkansas River
as early as 1814 with Joseph Philibert. He returned in 1815 with Auguste Chouteau and Jules deMun
. He was imprisoned at Santa Fe, New Mexico
both times.
His party was attacked by Snake Indians
in October 1824 at the Jordan River near its mouth at the Great Salt Lake
. Eight men were lost, but Provost survived and established trading posts on the banks of both Utah Lake
and the Great Salt Lake.
Provost's company of trappers preceded the men of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company
in the central Rocky Mountains. In May 1825, he met Peter Skene Ogden
of the Hudson's Bay Company
in Weber Canyon
. After returning to St. Louis in 1826, he became an employee of John Jacob Astor
's American Fur Company
. He continued his own trapping ventures, as well as leading AFC men on ventures on the upper Missouri River
.
He married in 1829, but continued escorting AFC caravans to the annual rendezvous until 1838.
From 1839 until his death in 1850, he continued to recruit and escort the employees of the fur company and various private expeditions, including John Audubon's natural history expedition of 1843.
in central Utah are named for the fur trader as is the adjacent community of Provo
.
St. Louis, Missouri was home to Provost for many years prior to his death on July 3, 1850. His funeral services and burial occurred at the Old Cathedral in St. Louis.
Provost is memorialized on the This Is the Place Monument
in Salt Lake City .
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
fur trader whose trapping and trading activities in the American southwest preceded Mexican independence. Leading a company headquartered in Taos
Taos, New Mexico
Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico, incorporated in 1934. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,700. Other nearby communities include Ranchos de Taos, Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, and El Prado. The town is close to Taos Pueblo, the Native American...
, in what is today New Mexico, he was active in the Green River drainage and the central portion of modern Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
and is considered the first man of European descent to see the Great Salt Lake
Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest salt water lake in the western hemisphere, the fourth-largest terminal lake in the world. In an average year the lake covers an area of around , but the lake's size fluctuates substantially due to its...
, reaching its shores during the winter of 1824–25 (others claim that Jim Bridger
Jim Bridger
James Felix "Jim" Bridger was among the foremost mountain men, trappers, scouts and guides who explored and trapped the Western United States during the decades of 1820-1850, as well as mediating between native tribes and encroaching whites...
, an American, was the first man of European descent to see the lake).
Early life
Provost was born in Chambly, QuebecChambly, Quebec
Chambly is a city in southwestern Quebec, Canada, about to the south east of Montreal.- Geography :It sits on the Richelieu River in the Regional County Municipality of La-Vallée-du-Richelieu, at .-History:...
, but little is known about his early life. He made his home in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
for 35 years, traveling to the Arkansas River
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
as early as 1814 with Joseph Philibert. He returned in 1815 with Auguste Chouteau and Jules deMun
Jules DeMun
Jules DeMun was a 19th-century French American fur trader. A well educated and articulate French aristocrat, he was born in Port-au-Prince on the island of Saint-Domingue and was educated in France. As a young man, he was displaced from his social position by the French Revolution, and he and...
. He was imprisoned at Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
both times.
Santa Fe trade
About 1822, he returned to New Mexico as one of the early traders. He formed a partnership with a certain Leclerc to trap in the Uinta basin.His party was attacked by Snake Indians
Snake Indians
Snake Indians is the common name given by American immigrants on the Oregon Trail to the bands of Northern Paiute, Bannock and Shoshone Native Americans in the Snake River and Owyhee River valleys of southern Idaho and Eastern Oregon...
in October 1824 at the Jordan River near its mouth at the Great Salt Lake
Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest salt water lake in the western hemisphere, the fourth-largest terminal lake in the world. In an average year the lake covers an area of around , but the lake's size fluctuates substantially due to its...
. Eight men were lost, but Provost survived and established trading posts on the banks of both Utah Lake
Utah Lake
Utah Lake is a freshwater lake in the U.S. state of Utah. On the western side of Utah Valley, the lake is overlooked by Mount Timpanogos and Mount Nebo. The lake's only river outlet, the Jordan River, is a tributary of the Great Salt Lake and is highly regulated with pumps. Evaporation accounts...
and the Great Salt Lake.
Provost's company of trappers preceded the men of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company
Rocky Mountain Fur Company
The Rocky Mountain Fur Company, sometimes called Ashley's Hundred, was organized in St. Louis, Missouri in 1823 by General William H. Ashley and Major Andrew Henry . They posted advertisements in St. Louis newspapers seeking "One Hundred enterprising young men . ....
in the central Rocky Mountains. In May 1825, he met Peter Skene Ogden
Peter Skene Ogden
Peter Skene Ogden , was a fur trader and a Canadian explorer of what is now British Columbia and the American West...
of the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
in Weber Canyon
Weber Canyon
Weber Canyon is a canyon in the Wasatch Range near Ogden, Utah, through which the Weber River flows west toward the Great Salt Lake. It is fed by 13 tributary creeks and is 40 miles long.- History :...
. After returning to St. Louis in 1826, he became an employee of John Jacob Astor
John Jacob Astor
John Jacob Astor , born Johann Jakob Astor, was a German-American business magnate and investor who was the first prominent member of the Astor family and the first multi-millionaire in the United States...
's American Fur Company
American Fur Company
The American Fur Company was founded by John Jacob Astor in 1808. The company grew to monopolize the fur trade in the United States by 1830, and became one of the largest businesses in the country. The company was one the first great trusts in American business...
. He continued his own trapping ventures, as well as leading AFC men on ventures on the upper Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
.
He married in 1829, but continued escorting AFC caravans to the annual rendezvous until 1838.
From 1839 until his death in 1850, he continued to recruit and escort the employees of the fur company and various private expeditions, including John Audubon's natural history expedition of 1843.
Legacy
Provost's activities and explorations were well known among traders and settlers in the American Southwest. The Provo River and Provo CanyonProvo Canyon
Provo Canyon is a canyon located in unincorporated Utah County, Utah, USA and Wasatch County, Utah. Provo Canyon splits between Mount Timpanogos on the north and Mount Cascade on the south. The canyon extends from Orem on the west end to Heber City on the east. The canyon's main thoroughfare is...
in central Utah are named for the fur trader as is the adjacent community of Provo
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
.
St. Louis, Missouri was home to Provost for many years prior to his death on July 3, 1850. His funeral services and burial occurred at the Old Cathedral in St. Louis.
Provost is memorialized on the This Is the Place Monument
This Is The Place Monument
"This Is The Place" redirects here. For the song by Red Hot Chili Peppers, see By the WayThe This Is The Place Monument is a historical monument at the This Is The Place Heritage Park, located on the east side of Salt Lake City, Utah, at the mouth of Emigration Canyon...
in Salt Lake City .