Trappers Winter Camp

1976 Exhibit Brochure
From the 1820s until Mormon settlement the Weber River provided favorite winter campsites for the Indians and Mountain Men. This campsite is depicted on the Weber River near the original Goodyear fort site.

2023 Exhibit Guide
Trapper Winter Camp showcases a settlement strategy that was commonly utilized by Rocky Mountain fur trappers in the in the 1820s to 1840s. Trappers often spent the winters with Native Americans around the Great Salt Lake and in the Cache Valley for access, vegetation, and protection.
It was common for white mountain men to marry or live with Native American women and share trapping, hunting, and other domestic responsibilities. Fur companies also utilized Indian transportation and communication networks and employed Native men as hunting guides. The relationship between trappers and indigenous peoples, built in winter encampments, was partially responsible for the expanded fur trade.

Artist
B. Y. Andelin (1894-1986)

Bertran Youth Andelin from Richfield and Ogden, Utah, was a painter, educator, and arts activist. Andelin graduated from the University of Utah in 1916. He made periodic visits to Los Angeles, California to study at the Chouinard and Otis art schools and the University of Southern California, and eventually made a career as an art educator (1925 to 1960).
Andelin’s teaching posts included several public junior high and high schools, but he spent most of his time at Ogden High School before becoming a part-time faculty member at Weber State College. Andelin was a skilled interpreter of landscapes in oil and watercolor. He also painted and designed countless sets for nearly all of his city’s dramatic productions and civic celebrations.

Sources

  • “Bicentennial Historical Art Collection.” 1976 Exhibition Brochure, Special Collections, Weber State University. Spelling and grammar corrected.
  • Eyes Toward the Past. DVD.
  • Karras, Marilyn. “Indians, Trapper Mark Christmas.” The Ogden Standard Examiner, 29 Feb 1976, Sun, page 15.

Notes
Copyright owned by Weber State University Storytelling Festival. All rights reserved. Painting shown by Kaysville – Fruit Heights Museum with permission. Painting number 27 in the 2023 exhibit guide.