Etienne Provost, Mountain Man and Utah Pioneer

Etienne Provost,Mountain Man and Utah Pioneer

BY LEROY R. HAFEN

When the first Mormons settled in Utah Valley in the spring of 1849, they built "Fort Utah" on the stream already called Provo River. Inasmuch as "Barney" Ward, an old mountain man, was with the pioneer settlers, it is likely that he told them the name of the stream. But whether he gave any information about the man so honored is doubtful. The early trapper and fur trader whose name the river bears was already a legendary character, even though it had been but twenty-five years since he suffered the tragedy that gave his name to the river. The General Assembly of the State of Deseret, on January 31, 1850, created Utah County and designated "Provo" as county seat — apparently the first use of this name for the town.

In the fur trade literature of the Rocky Mountains, much fugitive information has been found about the man. A summary of this may doubtless have interest for Utah and especially for the citizens of Provo.

Etienne Provost was so early and so persistently engaged in the fur trade of the Far West that in later years he was called "The Man of the Mountains." In literature referring to him, Provost's name is given many spellings, the most common being Provot, Proveau, and Provost. Since he did not write, we are unaware of his preference; but the early French spelling is Provost, and the pronunciation was Provo. According to his birth certificate in Notre Dame, Montreal, he was born in Chambly, Quebec, in 1785. His parents were Albert and Marianne (Menard) Provost.

Of his early life we have no account. Provost first appears in the records of the fur trade as a member of the Chouteau-DeMun trading venture to the Rocky Mountains in 1815-17. This was the initial large company that exploited the fur resources of the upper Arkansas and Platte rivers. After two years of trade and two efforts to get favorable cooperation from the Spaniards of New Mexico, the Americans were captured and taken to Santa Fe. They suffered confiscation of their furs and other property. After their release and return to Missouri, "Etienne Provott" and ten other men of the party made a sworn statement about their treatment in New Mexico, saying in part, "We remained in prison (some of us in irons) forty-eight days."

When Mexican independence from Spain was achieved in 1821, a number of Americans, including some previously imprisoned by the Spaniards, again turned their faces toward New Mexico. During the year 1822 four American parties of traders and trappers journeyed to Santa Fe, and during the winter of 1822-23 several men pushed westward and northwestward across the Continental Divide to trap western waters. Etienne Provost, who had formed a partnership with one Leclerc (Francois?) and was in New Mexico in 1823 and perhaps earlier, was probably among these.

By 1824 Provost was not only on Green River, but had pushed over the Wasatch Mountains into the Great Basin. There he suffered a tragedy that gave his name to the river near Utah Lake. Warren A. Ferris, a fur man in the mountains, gives some details of the affair in describing the Snake Indians and one of their chiefs.

There is one evil genius among them, called the "Bad Gocha," (mauvais gauche—bad left-handed one) who fell in with a party of trappers, led by a well-known mountaineer, Mr. E. Proveau, on a stream flowing into the Big Lake that now bears his name, several years since. He invited the whites to smoke the calumet of peace with him, but insisted that it was contrary to his medicine to have any metallic near while smoking. Proveau, knowing the superstitious whims of the Indians, did not hesitate to set aside his arms, and allow his men to follow his example; they then formed a circle by sitting indiscriminately in a ring, and commenced the ceremony; during which, at a preconcerted signal, the Indians fell upon them, and commenced the work of slaughter with their knives, which they had concealed under their robes and blankets. Proveau, a very athletic man, with difficulty extricated himself from them, and with three or four others, alike fortunate, succeeded in making his escape; the remainder of the party of fifteen were all massacred.

Ferris, on his map of the fur country, placed Provost's name on present Jordan River, which runs from Utah Lake to Great Salt Lake. So one would assume that he meant to report the misfortune as taking place on the Jordan River of today. Kit Carson told his biographer about the Provost tragedy and said that it occurred on the river named for Provost. But he did not indicate whether he meant the present Provo River that flows into Utah Lake or the Jordan, which runs from it. In any case the Utah Lake vicinity would be the locality of the massacre.

William Gordon, in his "Report to the Secretary of War relative to the Fur Trade," dated at St. Louis, October 3, 1831, said that in 1824 "8 men were killed at one time by the Snakes on the waters of the Colorado who were in the employ of Provost & Lubro [Leclerc]." In the tabulation at the end of the document, the party is given as "Provost & LeClerc's Company," and the place of the tragedy as "Reta [Euta or Utah] Lake."

What appears as a likely explanation of this tragedy is given by British traders. Peter Skene Ogden, in a letter of July 10, 1825, wrote:

. . . We were also informed by the Americans the cause of the Snakes not being so friendly towards us as formerly, and which I regret to state the Americans too justly attribute to us, last Summer Mr. Ross consented most probably with such villains he had to deal with, he could not prevent them to go and steal the Snakes horses in which they succeeded, 12 of Mr. Ross's party were then absent in quest of Beaver and were with a large Camp of Snakes who were treating them most kindly, but on hearing this they pillaged them of all their horses and Furs, and in the scuffle they killed a Snake chief, shortly after a party of 7 Americans and one of our deserters fall on the Snakes Camp, and the Snakes lost no time in killing them all this also has greatly irritated the Americans against us, and they would most willingly shoot us if they dared.

Etienne Provost has been credited with the discovery of Great Salt Lake. If the attack on his party by the Snakes occurred on the Jordan River, as Ferris indicates, then Provost must certainly have seen the lake at least in the fall of 1824, if not before. James Bridger has often been given the honor of the discovery of the lake, but there is no contemporary record of this; and it is of doubtful authenticity. It is very likely that the Hudson's Bay Company trappers under Donald McKenzie and Michel Bourdon saw the lake while trapping the upper Snake River, Bear River, and as far east as Green River in the years 1818 to 1822.

After the massacre of most of his men, Provost led the remnant back over the Wasatch Mountains. On Green River, near the mouth of White River is a very large grove of sweet (round-leaf) cottonwoods, the twigs and bark of which provide excellent winter horse feed. While Provost and some of his men wintered here, arrangements were made for his partner Leclerc to bring up supplies from New Mexico.

In the spring Provost led a trapping party northward, and on May 23 came upon Peter Skene Ogden's company on the Weber River, some distance east of present Ogden, Utah. The Britisher recorded in his diary that "early in the day a party of 15 men Canadians & Spaniards headed by one Provost & Francois one of our deserters, arrived." In the afternoon a party of Ashley's men led by Johnson Gardner, also appeared, and confronted Ogden with a demand that he leave this territory, which Gardner said belonged to the United States. Being south of the 42nd degree of north latitude, they were all interlopers upon Mexican domain, except perhaps Provost, who was trading from a New Mexico base and presumably had a Mexican license.

Provost returned to the Uinta country, probably to receive expected supplies. On his way there, with twelve men, he met W. H. Ashley on the Duchesne River, June 7. Ashley, who had boated down the Green River and had cached supplies near the mouth of the Uinta, now employed Provost to return to Green River and bring back the cached goods. This accomplished, the two co-leaders pushed on through the Wasatch Mountains and descended to the headwaters of Provo River. Ashley crossed Kamas Prairie and descended Weber River, while Provost made a trip to the lake to trade with the Utes, After rejoining Ashley on June 21, Provost appears to have continued with him to the gathering place on Henry's Fork of Green River.

Here was held the first rendezvous in the Rockies. Provost was present, and he and his men traded eighty-three beaver skins to Ashley for $207.50 and received in exchange coffee, tobacco, cloth, ribbons, etc. Whether or not Provost remained after the summer rendezvous of 1825 to continue trade in the mountains or returned to New Mexico is not definitely known. His partnership with Leclerc presumably was terminated at this time. Jim Beckwourth says that Provost was at the summer rendezvous of 1826, but we are not certain of this. In any event Provost was back in St. Louis in September 1826, and was doing business with B. Pratte & Company. The account books of this organization give details. "Etienne Provos" received cash payments, September 22 to 30, totaling $458.25, and for the same period sundries of shoes, cloth, etc., amounting to $286.38. The cash received October 2 through 14 totaled $283.55 (and the last item was entered as "paid in full").

The goods received in October indicated the stocking of a trading venture, for it included twelve barrels of whiskey, one of brandy, and one of rum; four dozen pipes and 186 pounds of tobacco; blankets, muslin, flannel, and sundries to total $1,770. Whether these goods were for an independent venture or one for the company is not clear.

B. Pratte & Company apparently was courting Provost. B. Berthold, a member of the company, wrote to J. P. Cabanne from Fort Lookout on the upper Missouri, December 9, 1826: "I dare not advise anything about the project with Ashley. However, it seems to me that it would be well for us to assure ourselves of Provost, who is the soul of the hunters of the Mountains,"

In 1827 there were debits against Provost on the books in February, July, and August. Provost may have been in the regular employ of the American Fur Company in 1828, when this company was endeavoring to break into the trade of the Rocky Mountains, where Smith, Jackson, and Sublette were dominant. Provost would be an effective agent. It was reported that in the fall of 1828, he was sent by Kenneth McKenzie to contact the trappers of the mountains and to try to bring them with their trade to Fort Floyd, later Fort Union, at the mouth of the Yellowstone.

Apparently, Provost remained in the mountains during the winter working for himself, for in early July he was at Fort Tecumseh on the

Missouri and was acting very independently. McKenzie wrote to Pierre Chouteau, Jr., from the post on July 7, 1829:

Provost is just arrived from his spring hunt, he is bound for St. Louis he will not give me five minutes to write you .... Provost goes down to St. Louis in order to get equipped & come up immediately to trade with the Crows & trap at the same time .... I forgot to say that Provost would not give me his spring hunt, but he owes me nothing.

After arriving in St. Louis in the summer of 1829, Provost formed a trading agreement with the American Fur Company. In the company's account book, an entry is entitled "Etienne Proveau's Advanture," and the sub-title is "For the Following Sead [said] E. Proveau's advanture by him self (E. Proveau) in half with the American Fur Company." Three pages follow listing items and their prices, including nine horses ($47.00 to $110.00 each), thirty beaver traps, gunpowder, lead, pack saddles, rifles, tobacco, alcohol, etc. Provost provided $1,450.17. Among the goods furnished by the American Fur Company were three dozen scalping knives, three dozen Wilson butcher knives, eighteen bunches of blue glass beads, and ten three-point blankets.

At the time of this business transaction, Provost married a French woman, Marie Rose Salle, clit Lajoie, on August 14, 1829. The accounts show expenditures on his wedding day for a razor, shaving box, brush, and a pair of three-point green blankets; and the next day the purchase of a "lot of ground, $100," and for "making plane and plotting for house, $5.00."

Etienne soon left on his trading venture, leaving a credit with the company to be drawn upon by his wife as needed. He reached the mouth of Kansas River in early October and was in the Crow country during the succeeding winter.

The "Proveau Advanture" appears not to have turned out well. Apparently, Provost was induced to give up the partnership and accept employment with the American Fur Company's Upper Missouri outfit, receiving $605.59 for his share of the joint project.

In January 1831 Provost carried dispatches from Kenneth McKenzie at Fort Union to Fort Tecumseh. The next month he set out with horses and goods to support Henry Vanderburgh on Powder River. His service was highly valued, for while the usual trader was given $200.00 per year, Provost's salary was $1,000 for the first and second years and $1,400 for the third and fourth years,

In the summer of 1832, Lucien Fontenelle and Provost led a "Mountain Expedition" of some 50 men and 150 horses from Fort Union to supply the company's trappers under Vanderburgh. The train got a late start (June 19) and did not reach Vanderburgh at Pierre's Hole, so he moved over to Green River and there met the Fontenelle and Provost pack train on August 8. After delivering the goods, Provost returned with the furs in September to the Missouri River and then continued with them down to St. Louis. Here, on June 5, 1833, he was advanced $465.46 from the Upper Missouri outfit. Then he went back up the river to Cabanne's post, north of Bellevue, where he was met and described by the famous steamboat captain, Joseph LaBarge. LaBarge

found that veteran mountaineer Etienne Provost, who at that time probably knew the western country better than any other living man. He had just come in for the purpose of guiding Fontenelle and Drips, partners in the American Fur Company mountain service, and owners of the trading post at Bellevue, to the Bayou Salade (South Park, Colorado), where they intended to spend the winter trapping beaver.

The party did not go to South Park, but to the mountains and the rendezvous on Green River. Fontenelle remained with the trappers, and Provost brought the furs to the Missouri River, arriving at Fort Pierre on August 29. He then continued on to St. Louis. For his year's service, ending in the fall of 1833, he was paid $1,400. Provost's accounts from October 10, 1833, to February 20, 1834, amounted to $1,176.34. 38 From the accounts it appears that he was converting his home into a lodging house.

On his next venture Provost took the route, new to the American Fur Company, by way of the Little Blue and Platte rivers. On the same trail and ahead of Provost, went the companies of William Sublette and Nathaniel Wyeth. W. H. Anderson, accompanying Sublette, mentioned in his diary on May 6 passing Provost and also Cerre (with supplies for Bonneville). A report that Provost was attacked on the way by Pawnees was denied; instead, he reached the rendezvous at Ham's Fork safely, and in mid-July set out on his return. From Bellevue, Lucien Fontenelle sent the furs (5,309 beaver and some other skins) down river to St. Louis and wrote on September 17, 1834, "I hardly think it necessary to have them [the furs] insured, although the river is very low, but the boat will be strong, and will have a crew formed of the very best kind of voyageurs under the eyes of Mr. Cabanne, and the superintendence of Etienne Provost."

The American Fur Company accounts show the amount due Etienne Provost on November 26, 1834, as $611.15. A subsequent entry lists $900.00 due him for services in 1835. In 1835 Provost traveled to Fort Lucien (Laramie) and returned to St. Louis in the winter. On January 31, 1836, W. L. Sublette wrote to Robert Campbell, "Since I came to St. Louis I have been informed that the two Prevoes has got in last evening and that they left Fontenell at St. Charles .... Report says Fontinell intends quiting the Company and Joining Prevo and Some Others and gouing Out that he has purchases Some goods in Liberty . . . ." On February 9, 1836, Sublette wrote again: "The two Prevoes left him [Fontenelle] at Liberty, sending whiskey up to the Black Snake hills,"

In the spring or summer of 1836, Provost, accompanied by Toussaint Racine, made a trip to "Fort Lucien." He was paid $225.00 for his service; Racine received $ 150.00. They may have been escorting Joshua Pilcher, who, acting for the American Fur Company, went to Fort Laramie and the summer rendezvous and purchased the fort from Fitzpatrick and Fontenelle. On July 20, 1836, Provost's account totaled $1,265.81, less $228.97 for land he purchased. During the winter of 1836-37, Provost made a fifty-one-day trip to Council Bluffs, for which he was paid $100.00 on March 21, 1837. During his absence his wife received $80.00 from the company.

With the caravan taking trade goods to the summer rendezvous of 1837, Provost traveled as assistant to Captain Thomas Fitzpatrick. Also in the company was the famous Scotsman William D. Stewart and his personal party, including the capable artist Alfred Jacob Miller. No diary of the trip has come to light, but the numerous Miller paintings and accompanying written explanations by the artist give an important record of the journey. There were about thirty wagons and carts in the train. Two of the paintings give pictures of Provost in his fifty-second year. One shows the trapper train greeting a delegation of Indians. In the front line on his white horse proudly rode Stewart, and beside him are three other men. One of the men was plump "Monsieur Proveau, a subleader, with a corpus round as a porpoise," sitting on his mule. In a second painting Provost is shown, fat and round, standing beside his tent with hands cupped to his mouth giving a loud call to gather in the horses. In his fictionalized book Edward Warren, Stewart described "Old Provost the burly Bacchus" as "a large heavy man, with a ruddy face, bearing more the appearance of a mate of a French merchantman than the scourer of the dusty plains."

Provost came back from the rendezvous in late summer and was paid $600.00 for his season's work. In December he left St. Louis for the posts in the Council Bluffs region. When he returned to St. Louis on February 24, 1838, he brought news of the terrible smallpox plague that had wrought such havoc among the tribes on the upper Missouri. Provost appears to have gone to the rendezvous of 1838, for which service he was paid $450.00; and in December of that year he was advanced $40.00 "for traveling expenses to Arkansas."

Jean N. Nicollet, with young John C. Fremont as second in command, explored and mapped the country between the upper Mississippi and Missouri rivers in 1839. In their party that set out from St. Louis on April 4 went Etienne Provost. He was highly esteemed by the French scientist, who wrote in his report:

I had brought up [to Fort Pierre, present South Dakota] with me from St. Louis only five men who for my purposes were certainly worth ten. Four of them had proved themselves by numerous journeys across the prairies, as well as voyages over the Rocky Mountains. One of them was Etienne Provost, known as "L'homme des montagnes," — man of the mountains. I may remark here that these western voyageurs are distinguished from the same set of men who do service in the northern lakes by their never singing; and although apparently sullen and discontented, are most faithful, cautious and courageous in the midst of all dangers.

Fremont's appraisal was almost identical. Provost was paid $750.00 for his service.

The business accounts show that Provost was in St. Louis, at least in February, August, and November of 1840. This year he formed a partnership with Clement Lambert. "Proveau and Lambert, Tavern Keeper" did business during the winter of 1840-41. During 1841 and 1842 his name appears in many of the fur company business accounts, and from April to September of 1842 he worked for the Upper Missouri outfit at $50.00 per month.

Provost gave important assistance to James J. Audubon when the great naturalist ascended the Missouri River and gathered specimens for his collections and his famous drawings. Provost was paid $50.00 per month from June 13 to October 19, 1843. Edward Harris, who accompanied Audubon and kept a good journal of the expedition, mentions Provost frequently. On June 24, he wrote,

Bell went out with Provost before breakfast to try and shoot a Doe in the point of the woods above the Fort by imitating the cry of a Fawn on an instrument made by Provost yesterday, he did not succeed. After breakfast ... I took Provost's call with me and tried it in a small island of timber ... at the first call a Doe came within 30 feet of me.

June 29. Went out with Provost and killed two does by using his call to bring the animals close ....

July 8th Squire killed a deer, using Provost's call.

The party left Fort Union August 16 and returned down the river. At St. Charles, on the bend of the river a little above St. Louis, Provost became "extremely drunk," left the party, and went by land to St. Louis.

Provost went up the Missouri River again in 1844 and was at Fort Union in October of that year. A year later his arrival at Fort Pierre on November 2, 1845, was noted. His last voyage up river appears to have occurred in 1848 on a steamboat commanded by Joseph LaBarge. Even though sixty-three years of age, Provost still commanded respect and exercised authority among both whites and Indians. Captain LaBarge states that on June 9 the Yankton Sioux were preventing the men from loading wood on the steamboat.

He [Provost] then went out himself onto the bank where the Indians were, and said, "Now, men, come out here and get this wood." They came and loaded up. "Now go on board," he said, and they went entirely unmolested. Provost went last, and before descending the bank, turned toward the Indians and asked them: "Why don't you stop them? Are you afraid of me?" The truth is they were afraid of him . . . and understood that he would stand no foolishness.

Chittenden tells of Provost's skill in managing recruits taken up the Missouri for service with the fur company.

It was a favorite pastime with that veteran mountaineer, Etienne Provost, who was often sent up in charge of recruits, to compel an early settlement which would determine all blustering and quarreling. He would form a ring on the forecastle and compel every braggart to' make good his claims before the assembled passengers and crew. One after another would succumb, until one man would emerge from the contest victorious over all the others. He would then be awarded the championship, and receive a red belt in token thereof.

Provost died in St. Louis on July 3, 1850. His funeral service was held in the St. Louis Cathedral standing west of the new, impressive, 630- foot Gateway Arch in the Jefferson Memorial to Westward Expansion.

Provost's wife and a grown daughter survived him. His estate papers are preserved in the Probate Court Records at St. Louis, where the author examined them in July of 1967. A purported will of April 1, 1839, was denied by the widow and was not accepted by Probate Judge Peter Ferguson. "Mary Provot," the widow and her daughter Mary were the only heirs. An inventory of the estate and the final expenses are itemized. The real estate and personal property included the home at Second and Lombard streets, St. Louis; some pieces of land in Lee County, Iowa; and lots in Keokuk, Iowa, and Nashville, Tennessee. Cash on hand was $102.70 and household furniture was appraised at $78.95.

Etienne Provost was indeed a legendary character in his own lifetime. When the Mormons founded a town beside Provo River in 1849 and named it Provo, they were probably unaware that the fabled character they honored was still alive in St. Louis.

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