Smith, Jedediah Strong, 1799-1831

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Jedediah Strong Smith was born June 24, 1799 in Bainbridge, Chenango County, New York. He was the son of Jedediah Smith of New Hampshire and was the eldest of fourteen children. Jedediah's early childhood was spent in Ohio where he received and English and Latin education. At thirteen he became a clerk on a Lake Erie freighter where he learned business methods and met traders returning from the Far West. Jedediah became ambitious for an adventure to the wilderness and he went to St. Louis around 1816. He was with General William Henry Ashley in the Rocky Mountain trade in 1822. In 1823 he was on the upper Missouri River also with Ashley. He, along with David E. Jackson and William L. Sublette, bought the trade business from Ashley. They carried on this trade until 1830. Then they sold out to a group of mountain men that included James Bridger. It was during the period 1826 to 1830 that Smith made the journeys on which his fame as an explorer rests. He wanted to investigate the southwest and the practicability of penetrating Oregon from California. In August 1826 he and his party left the Great Salt Lake area and went through the nations of the Utes, Paiutes, and Mohaves to California via the Mohave Desert. They reached the Mission San Gabriel on November 27, 1826. They escaped imprisonment at the hands of the California governor and went back across the mountains, not north into Oregon as desired.

From the description of Jedediah S. Smith papers, 1826-1930. (Kansas State Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 53188376
Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Jedediah Smith Society Collection, 1943- University of the Pacific. Library. Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections
referencedIn Smith, Peter, 1810-1879. Peter Smith papers, 1829-1916. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Smith, E. D. (Ezra Delos), 1854-1926. Milly : a tale of the old South and of a West that was and is not / by E.D. Smith. University of Missouri -- Columbia, MU Libraries; University of Missouri; MU; Ellis Library; University of Missouri Columbia
creatorOf Smith, Jedediah Strong, 1799-1831. Journals, 1822-1828. [microfilm]. Utah Division of State History, Utah Historical Society
referencedIn Jedediah Smith family papers, 1814-1953. California Digital Library
creatorOf Smith, Jedediah Strong, 1799-1831. Jedediah Strong Smith papers, 1819-1833. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Smith, Jedediah, 1767-1849. Jedediah Smith papers, 1814-1849. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Jedediah Smith Society. Jedediah Smith Society collection, 1943- University of the Pacific, William Knox Holt Memorial Library
referencedIn Watson, Charles W. A new perspective on the Southwest fur trade. Utah Division of State History, Utah Historical Society
referencedIn Hope Ranch: essay, after 1939. Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens
referencedIn Smith, Nelson Jones, 1814-1887,. Nelson Jones Smith letter : Oskaloosa, Iowa, to Libbie (Smith) Killpatrick, 1886 Dec. 19. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Merriam, C. Hart (Clinton Hart), 1855-1942. Route of Jedediah S. Smith : from Great Salt Lake to the Colorado River in the fall of 1826 / by C. Hart Merriam. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Smith family. Smith-Bacon family papers, 1831-1954. University of the Pacific, William Knox Holt Memorial Library
referencedIn Morgan, Dale Lowell,. Papers, 1945-1975. Landmarks of Science Microform Service
referencedIn Tod, William. William Tod letter to Edward Ermatinger [manuscripts], 1829 July 15. Oregon Historical Society Research Library
referencedIn Connelley, William Elsey, 1855-1930. William Elsey Connelley papers, 1878-1931. Kansas State Historical Society
referencedIn Dale, Harrison Clifford, b. 1885. Dale papers, 1919, 1926-1927. Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division
referencedIn Smith, E. D. (Ezra Delos), 1854-1926. [Letter] 1915 May 17, Meade, Kansas [to] J.L. Gillis, Sacramento, Calif. / Ezra Delos Smith. The Claremont Colleges, Claremont University Consortium
referencedIn Jones, Sally Smith Shiffer, 1791-1871,. Smith-Jones family papers, 1832-1953. UC Berkeley Libraries
creatorOf Smith, Jedediah Strong, 1799-1831. Jedediah Strong Smith journal : and related material excerpts, 1828 Jan. 26-July 3. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Clyman, James, 1792-1881. James Clyman narrative of experiences, 1823-1824 : Napa, Calif. : ms. S, [1871 & 1879]. UC Berkeley Libraries
creatorOf Smith, Jedediah Strong, 1799-1831. Letter, 1827. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
creatorOf Smith, E. D. (Ezra Delos), 1854-1926. Ezra Delos Smith papers : Meade, Kansas, 1906-1934. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Riley, Bennett, 1787-1853. Archives of the fur trade and Santa Fe trail. [microfilm]. Utah Division of State History, Utah Historical Society
referencedIn Sullivan, Maurice S., 1893-1935. Maurice Sullivan papers, 1919-1937, 1930-1934. University of the Pacific, William Knox Holt Memorial Library
referencedIn Wendell family. Business records, 1722-1865 (inclusive) [microform]. Harvard Business School, Knowledge and Library Services/Baker Library
referencedIn Harrison Clifford Dale research papers, 1827-1957. Houghton Library
referencedIn Printed materials, 1958. University of Oklahoma, Bizzell Memorial Library
referencedIn Smith, E. L. D. Letters : Meade, Kansas, to J[ames] M[iller] Guinn, Los Angeles, Calif., 1910 August. Natural History Museum Los Angeles County Foundation, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
referencedIn Merriam, C. Hart (Clinton Hart), 1855-1942. Route of Jedediah S. Smith : from Great Salt Lake to the Colorado River in the fall of 1826 / by C. Hart Merriam. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Monterey Public Library. California History Room. Biography clippings : "S" [surname] folder 1896-2008. Monterey Public Library
creatorOf Cremer, John, d. 1822. Journal ... on board the U.S. Ship Franklin of 74 guns : ms. S., 1821 Oct. 1-1822 Feb. 4. UC Berkeley Libraries
creatorOf Smith, Jedediah Strong, 1799-1831. Jedediah S. Smith papers, 1826-1930. Kansas State Historical Society
creatorOf Missouri. Probate Court (Saint Louis County). Selected estate files for men prominent in the fur trade and exploration of the early West, 1810. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Davis, Betsy Smith, 1796-1861. Betsy Smith Davis family record, circa 1848. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn O'Neil, Hugh F. Papers of Hugh F. O'Neil, 1828-1938, bulk (1850-1938). Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens
referencedIn Dale, Harrison Clifford, b. 1885. Harrison Clifford Dale research papers, 1827-1957. Houghton Library
referencedIn Drury, Clifford Merrill, 1897-. Papers on early church-sponsored California colleges, 1865-1960. University of the Pacific, William Knox Holt Memorial Library
referencedIn Smith, Ralph, 1794-1867. Ralph Smith papers, 1831-1882. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Smith, Ira Gilbert, 1811-1889. Ira Gilbert Smith papers, 1830-1920. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Beattie, R. Kent (Rolla Kent), 1875-1960. Papers, 1899-1956 Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
referencedIn Warner, J. J. (Juan José), 1807-1895. Early trapping parties in California, 1888, March 14. Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens
creatorOf Smith, Jedediah Strong, 1799-1831. Papers, 1826-1831. Utah Division of State History, Utah Historical Society
referencedIn Wheeler, Sessions S. Papers, 1849-1992, bulk 1928-1992. University of Nevada, Reno, Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center
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Relation Name
associatedWith Beattie, R. Kent (Rolla Kent), b. 1875 person
associatedWith Clark, William, 1770-1838. person
associatedWith Clyman, James, 1792-1881. person
associatedWith Connelley, William Elsey, 1855-1930. person
associatedWith Cremer, John, d. 1822. person
associatedWith Dale, Harrison Clifford, b. 1885. person
associatedWith Davis, Betsy Smith, 1796-1861. person
associatedWith Doniphan, Alexander William, person
associatedWith Drury, Clifford Merrill, 1897- person
associatedWith Historical Records Survey (U.S.) corporateBody
associatedWith Howe, Maurice L. (Maurice Langdon) person
associatedWith Jedediah Smith Society person
associatedWith Jedediah Smith Society. corporateBody
associatedWith Merriam, C. Hart (Clinton Hart), 1855-1942. person
associatedWith Missouri. Probate Court (Saint Louis County) corporateBody
associatedWith Monterey Public Library. California History Room. corporateBody
associatedWith Morgan, Dale L. (Dale Lowell), 1914-1971. person
associatedWith Morgan, Dale Lowell, person
associatedWith O'Neil, Hugh F. person
associatedWith Parkman, Samuel. person
associatedWith Rogers, Harrison G., d. 1828 person
associatedWith Smith, Austin, b. 1808. person
associatedWith Smith, E. D. (Ezra Delos), 1854-1926. person
associatedWith Smith, E. L. D. person
associatedWith Smith family. family
associatedWith Smith, Ira Gilbert, 1811-1889. person
associatedWith Smith, Jedediah, 1767-1849. person
associatedWith Smith, John M. person
associatedWith Smith, Nelson Jones, 1814-1887, person
associatedWith Smith, Peter, 1810-1879. person
associatedWith Smith, Ralph, 1794-1867. person
associatedWith Sullivan, Maurice S., 1893-1935. person
associatedWith Tod, William. person
associatedWith Utah Federal Writers' Project. corporateBody
associatedWith Warner, J. J. (Juan José), 1807-1895. person
associatedWith Watson, Charles W. person
associatedWith Wendell family. family
associatedWith Wheeler, Sessions S. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
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United States
Utah
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West (U.S.)
West (U.S.)
Utah
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American letters
Explorers
Fur trade
Fur trade
Indians of North America
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Birth 1799-01-06

Death 1831-05-27

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