Skip to main content

MS 523 - Richard "Beaver Dick" Leigh Diaries

 Collection — Box: MS523.01
Identifier: MS 523

Abstract

Transcription of the Richard "Beaver Dick" Leigh Diaries from the original held at The University of Wyoming in Laramie.

Dates

  • Created: 1876-1956
  • Other: Majority of material found in 1956

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

McCracken Library staff may determine use restrictions dependent on the physical condition of manuscript materials. Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation or publication. Contact McCracken Research Library for more information.

Biographical / Historical

Richard "Beaver Dick" Leigh (9 January 1831, Manchester England – 29 March 1899, Wilford Idaho) was an English-American trapper, scout and guide at the end of the 19th Century, primarily in the area now known as Jackson Hole Wyoming. He has been called "possibly the West's last mountain man." He was the guide for F. V. Hayden's survey of the Teton Range in 1872. Leigh Lake was named for Richard Leigh, and nearby Jenny Lake for his first wife, by Hayden's expedition. He corresponded frequently with his longtime friend, Charles B. Penrose, leaving behind diaries and letters that provide a personal, historical, and geographical documentation of the area. He was mentioned by Theodore Roosevelt in 1892, as a local hunter around Two Ocean Pass. His moniker "Beaver Dick" was reportedly given to him by Brigham Young as a tribute to his trapping skills. In 1964, Beaver Dick State Park was opened near Rexburg Idaho.

Extent

1.00 boxes

Language of Materials

English

Source of Acquisition

unknown

Method of Acquisition

unknown

Author
KK
Date
2019
Description rules
Other Unmapped
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the McCracken Research Library Repository

Contact:
720 Sheridan Ave.
Cody WY 82414-3428 US
307-578-4059