Antoine Robidoux

Inscription near Westwater, Utah, made in 1837

Utah Historical Quarterly Volume 6, October 1933, Number 4

SUSPENSION NOTICE

In order to keep its expenditures within a greatly reduced appropriation the Utah State Historical Society is obliged to curtail many of its activities, and to suspend the publication of this periodical.

It is expected, however, that from the sale of publications and memberships, sufficient funds will be available to issue an Annual Contribution.

ANTOINE ROBIDOUX

By Charles Kelly

An article on "The Mysterious D. Julien" in the last issue of this Quarterly quoted (p. 86) a reported inscription on the rocks near Fruita, Colorado, made by Antoine Robidoux in 1837, and stated that the date was probably incorrectly copied, having been intended for 1831.

Since the publication of that article the writer has located and photographed the original inscription, which was incorrectly quoted in the volume to which reference was made. Its correct transcription, as shown by the accompanying photograph is as follows:

ANTOINE ROBIDOUX PASSE ICI LE 13 NOVEMBRE 1837 POUR ETABLIRE WAISON TRAITTE A LA Rv. VERT OU WIYTE

Translated into English it reads: "Antoine Robidoux passed here November 13, 1837, to establish a trading house on the river Green or White."

This inscription, the finest yet found in the state of Utah, is cut on the smooth face of a sandstone cliff near the mouth of what is locally known as Westwater canyon in the Book Cliffs, twelve miles west of the Colorado line, on the upper or old Larsen ranch, in section 5, township 18 south, range 24 east, Grand County, Utah, 15 miles due northwest of Westwater, Utah, a station on the D. & R. G. W. railroad. The nearest town is Mack, Colorado. Robidoux was camped in a cave or rock shelter near the mouth of the canyon on that date, and cut the inscription just south of the cave opening.

The date is unmistakably 1837, and for that reason it is a little difficult to understand Robidoux's message. Fort Uintah had been established by him in the Uintah Basin as early as 1831. Apparently, on his journey of 1837, he intended to locate a new post somewhere on the Green or White river and abandon the old Fort Uintah. This intention was never carried out, since Gen. Fremont and others visited Fort Uintah in the old location as late as 1844. In the fall of that year it was burned and the defenders massacred while Robidoux himself was on a trading expedition in the neighborhood of Fort Bridger.

Robidoux's intention to locate on the Green or White River, as indicated by this inscription, may have been prompted by the explorations of Denis Julien along the Green in the previous year, as evidenced by his five inscriptions on that stream, all dated in 1836.

The location of this Robidoux inscription gives a clue as to the route of the Old Spanish Trail from the Grand river crossing to the Uintah Basin. From Robidoux's camp of Nov. 13, 1837, the route would be up the canyon of Westwater Creek, across the mesa and down a tributary, to White river.

Although there is no letter "W" in the French alphabet, Robidoux inscribed the name "WIYTE," indicating as near as he could the pronunciation of the English "White." The word is not "Winte," the old spelling of "Uintah," which would have been illogical, since he already had a post there.

Robidoux's headquarters were in Santa Fe from which place he branched out to establish a post on the Umcompahgre and later on the Uintah. He arrived in Santa Fe in 1822. Fort Uintah was established in 1831. Fort Uncompahgre was built somewhat earlier, but the exact date is unknown. Both were destroyed in 1844.

Antoine Robidoux was born in St. Louis on Sept. 24, 1794. Married Carmel Benavides in Santa Fe. He died in St. Louis Aug. 29, 1860.