Andrew Henry gave his name to a lake and
river in Idaho,
left the fur trappers' equivalent of "Kilroy was here"
carved in rocks
found in a southeastern Idaho meadow, and...
...disappeared.
Although he was an important part of the American fur trade and the opening of the American west, the man
behind the name remains an enigma. No paintings or detailed physical
descriptions of him are known to exist. No one even knows where,
exactly, in Missouri this man who trained mountain men such as
Jedediah Smith and Jim Bridger is buried.
He apparently left no journals behind and most of the records
about him are from associates, like fur trade partner William
Ashley.
The first of the Henry
rocks to be found,
this one was discovered in 1917 by Hazen Hawkes,
near the small town of Drummond, Idaho.
It is on loan from the Hawkes family
to the Bonneville Historical Society and can be seen at the
Museum of Idaho
200 North Eastern Avenue
Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Four rocks would be discovered
by Hazen Hawkes and his wife over the course of the next 36 years.
Two of the rocks remain in their original locations in the meadow
where they were found, the fourth is on loan to a museum in Jackson,
Wyoming.
How were the rocks found? Are there more rocks waiting to be found along this small creek?
The discovery of the rocks is a fascinating story in itself. Find out what part a canal, coyote puppies and a horse named Bob played in their discovery.
Why were the rocks left, especially in this particular location? Who were the men whose names appear on the rock? What is the significance of the face and cross on the rocks? What is known about Andrew Henry's life and work, especially his role in the American Fur Trade?
Idaho author Margaret
Hawkes Lindsley, daughter of the man who discovered the rocks,
has spent almost 50 years researching these questions and other
questions. What she has found out is documented in a book,
Andrew
Henry: Mine and Mountain Major
and a booklet,
Major Andrew
Henry in Idaho.
2007, H&J Specialties, All Rights Reserved.