- John Bozeman
John M. Bozeman (1835–April 20, 1867) was born in
Pickens County, Georgia . In 1860, he headed west to join in thePike's Peak Gold Rush , leaving behind his wife and children. Bozeman came to Deer Lodge in westernMontana in 1862 after his mining claims inColorado failed. Doing little better in Montana, he saw that it would be more profitable to "mine the miners" than to mine for gold. In 1863, he and John Jacobs blazed theBozeman Trail , a cutoff route from theOregon Trail inWyoming toBannack, Montana , and guided miners to Virginia City through theGallatin Valley .Bozeman settled in the Gallatin Valley at a site "standing right in the gate of the mountains, ready to swallow up all tenderfeet that would reach the territory from the east, with their golden fleeces to be taken care of". In 1864, he laid out the town of
Bozeman, Montana . Its proximity to the trail helped it to grow in succeeding years.Bozeman was murdered while traveling along the
Yellowstone River in April 1867. His partner, Tom Cover, reported they had been attacked by a band of Blackfoot Indians. Inconsistencies in his story have led historians to suspect that Bozeman was killed by Cover himself.External links
*http://www.bozeman.net/visitors/john_bozeman.aspx
*http://www.bozemantrail.org/bt-corridor.htmlNotes
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