Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana

Missouri Headwaters Summer Speaker Series: Jedediah Smith and the Fur Trade Era

Missouri Headwaters State Park will host a free presentation featuring guest speaker Jim Smith on Saturday, June 26, at 7 p.m. in the park’s campground. Bring your own lawn chair. A marshmallow roast follows each program, weather permitting.

As Europeans left their homelands to seek a new life across the Atlantic Ocean, they faced many hardships in the unexplored lands of America. Those who traveled into these areas became heroes in their own time and earned a place in history. These included people such as Daniel Boone, Lewis and Clark, Jim Bridger, and Kit Carson.

An overlooked but very important early explorer was Jedediah Strong Smith, who, at the early age of 32, was killed before he was able to publish his journals and maps. Therefore, his story remains in the shadows of history.

The park will host a different speaker every Saturday until Aug. 14, with various topics connected to this year’s main theme of the significance of public lands.

Missouri Headwaters State Park is about 5 miles north of Three Forks on Trident Road. For more information about the park, please visit fwp.mt.gov/stateparks/missouri-headwaters or call 406-285-3610.

About the Speaker: Jim Smith is Vice President of the Jedediah Smith Society, which promotes public awareness and understanding of the career and accomplishments of Jedediah S. Smith and other early fur traders and explorers.

 

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