Beaver Dick, -1899 (January 9, 1831-March 29, 1899) | McCracken Research Library

Name: Beaver Dick, -1899 (January 9, 1831-March 29, 1899)

Historical Note: Richard "Beaver Dick" Leigh (9 January 1831, Manchester England – 29 March 1899, Wilford Idaho) was an English-American trapper, scout and guide at the end of the 19th Century, primarily in the area now known as Jackson Hole Wyoming. He has been called "possibly the West's last mountain man." He was the guide for F. V. Hayden's survey of the Teton Range in 1872. Leigh Lake was named for Richard Leigh, and nearby Jenny Lake for his first wife, by Hayden's expedition. He corresponded frequently with his longtime friend, Charles B. Penrose, leaving behind diaries and letters that provide a personal, historical, and geographical documentation of the area. He was mentioned by Theodore Roosevelt in 1892, as a local hunter around Two Ocean Pass. His moniker "Beaver Dick" was reportedly given to him by Brigham Young as a tribute to his trapping skills. In 1964, Beaver Dick State Park was opened near Rexburg Idaho.

Records or Manuscript Collections Created by Beaver Dick, -1899