Campfire Tales of Jackson Hole

Man's search for wealth has taken him to many out-of-the-way places. What is now Jackson's Hole was a way of life to the Native Americans who summered here and wintered in the lower and warmer regions to the east of Togwotee Pass. A summer in this secluded valley meant plenty of fish and other wildlife for food, skins for clothing and teepees, as well as a cool, well-watered environment.Snowmelt-fed streams bordered by vegetation supported many beaver and other fur-bearers that attracted men of European descent in their never-ending quest for commercial wealth. Mountain men and trappers considered the natural resources of the area as there to be taken for their own personal gain, By 1840 beaver became scarce and fell from fashion. The land that supported bison was thought good for domestic cattle, so ranchers settled in Jackson Hole from one end to the other. Dry years and the Great Depression forced many of them to sell out.Now millions of visitors come each year to recapture the thrill of wandering in a land still much as the Native Americans left it. This is a new wealth that depreciates little under protection as a National Park.An increasing number of people look for ways to identify themselves with those who led the way into this new land. "Campfire Tales of Jackson Hole" give you this opportunity in an easy to read text that takes you back to the people and evens that transpired in the valley.