born с 1778, Powhatan, Va., U.S.
died March 26, 1838, Cooper county, Mo.
U.S. fur trader.
Arriving in Missouri about 1802, he prospered in mining and land speculation. In 1820 he became the state's first lieutenant governor. With Andrew Henry (1771–1833), he organized the Rocky Mountain Fur Co. in 1822 and established a trading post at the mouth of the Yellowstone River. Forced to abandon the post by Indians, he instituted the annual rendezvous (1825), where trappers would trade their furs to him for supplies for the next year. By 1827 he had made a fortune and retired. Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives (1831–37), he championed Western interests.