Archaeological Investigations of Fraebs Post Preliminary Results Henry

Archaeological Investigations of Fraeb’s Post: Preliminary Results

Henry Fraeb Timeline 1835 -1836: Fraeb returned to winter in Missouri 1829 -1834: Fraeb trapped throughout the West and in the Rockies 1839 -1840: Fraeb 1841: Fraeb returned to St. killed near Louis Battle Mountain 1837 -1838: Fraeb operated Fort Jackson in central Colorado 1840: Fraeb partnered with Bridger and returned to the West

“Fraeb had about 40 men ; but they instantly forted in the corral attached to the trading post, and stood their defense……. ” Jim Bridger to Howard Stansbury, 1850 “To Little Snake Creek. We had a fight with the Sioux and Cheyenne’s there…. All that we had to protect us was dead horses, we made a fort of them. ” Basil Clement, member of the Fraeb party in 1841 “It was not on the mountain, but down in the valley at the mouth of Battle Creek at its junction with the Snake……were fortified at that point. ” Jim Baker, Member of the Fraeb party in 1841

Common locational attributes: • In the Little Snake River Drainage • At the foot of Squaw Mountain

Limited Survey Area 2011 Reconnaissance Survey Flat top Mountain Squaw Mountain

2011 Dendrochronological Study

Dendrochronology Survey Area

Future Investigations

Conclusions: • Unlikely that a functioning trading post was located here • The possibility of a 19 th century structure associated with Henry Fraeb exists • Portions of modern river terraces in the Little Snake River Valley are likely old enough to contain archaeological deposits associated with the Fraeb Fight