Antoine Robidoux Research Paper

Antoine Robidoux was a mountain man, trader, son, husband, brother, and friend. He died on August 29th, 1860 in St. Joseph, Missouri.
Antoine was born September 24th, in Forissant, Missouri. He was born a member of a large and influential French-Canadian trading family. He was the fifth surviving son of Joseph Robidoux the third. His father was a slave owner in a slave state. As a young man, Antoine married the Mexican governor’s adopted daughter, whose name was Carmel.
In 1844, he settled in St. Joseph, Missouri. Antoine founded St. Joseph in 1844 with his father. By the 1830’s, he was developing his own trade route along the Spanish inter-mountain corridor between Santa Fe and the Uinta Basin.
He was a Mexican citizen who spoke English, French, Spanish, and several Indian dialects. Antoine helped publicize the merits of California settling. He might have helped the trade within the Indian nations of Council Bluffs, including the Sioux and Osage.

He could have been one of those nameless individuals in the background of the historic events of this Expedition. He walked beside many trappers like Kit Carson.
On one of his many expeditions, Robidoux inscribed on a sandstone wall “Antoine Robidoux passed here 13 November 1837 to establish a trading post at the Green River or White.” He built Fort Uncompahgre on the Gunnison River. Fort Uinta was also one of his trading posts. As a trapper he trapped beavers in the Rocky