They never numbered more than a thousand, maybe two and their heyday lasted less than 20 years but the mountain men of the West made their mark on American and world history. Alone, or in small groups they ventured out across the wide Missouri and into the Rockies, And even down into New Mexico and Arizona.
The most interesting and enigmatic of these colorful mountain men was Bill Williams. They called him "Old Solitaire" because he preferred to ride alone. He was a stubborn, eccentric, indep

True West May/June 2025
In This Issue:
Features
- Historic Hotels of the American West
- A Journey Through Wyoming’s Outlaw History
- A Journey Through Washington’s Wild Frontier
- Blazing The Oregon Trail
- Journey Through Time
- Did Brigham Young Order a Massacre?
- Mountain Meadows Scapegoat John D. Lee VS. A Firing Squad
- Mormons in the Movies
- An Indigenous Consultant Ensures Accuracy
- The Battle Axe And A Raw Deal
- Showdown: Bridger VS. Brigham
- The Mountain Man and the Mormon Moses
- The Ghosts of Mountain Meadows
- The War Before the War
- Mountain Meadows