Jim Bridger Was Even More of a Legend Than American Primeval Shows

THEY CALL IT the Wild West for a good reason. Netflix’s newest limited series is that of American Primeval, a bloody and violent look into the Mormons’ attempts to settle and develop a home in Utah. Along with the Mormons are those of the Shoshone tribe, and a woman (Betty Gilpin) and her son looking to head west alongside a guide (Taylor Kitsch). Caught in the middle of it all is none other than mountain man Jim Bridger.

Portrayed by legendary character actor Shea Whigham, Bridger is a connective tissue between many of the supporting characters in Primeval. As such, he’s like a good point guard, setting up characters in the Peter Berg-directed and Mark L. Smith-penned series to meet and interact with one another. He’s a slightly less menacing version of Deadwood‘s Al Swearengen—but just as funny and charming.

However, Jim Bridger has quite a legacy in the American West. If you’re settling into American Primeval this week and want to know more about one of America’s original mountain men, we’ve got covered with this handy guide.

Stream American Primeval Here

What is Jim Bridger’s History Before American Primeval?

Ole’ Jimmy was born in Richmond, Virginia, in March of 1804 before moving to St. Louis. Orphaned at 13, he later apprenticed to a blacksmith but gave that up to join William Henry Ashley’s fur trapping expedition up the Missouri River—a process that he did for roughly 20 years.

Bridger played a notable role in the incident of Hugh Glass, as portrayed in The Revenant—which, it just so happens, is also written by Primeval scribe Mark L. Smith. The story goes that he was part of Ashley’s crew when the famed bear attacked Glass. Bridger, who was identified as Bridges in the story (played in The Revenant by Will Poulter), stuck around with John Fitzgerald, waiting for Glass to die before taking his rifle, knife, and equipment and fleeing the scene. After Glass had survived, he took off after Fitzgerald and Bridger found the latter at a camp at the mouth of the Bighorn River. It’s said, due to Briger’s youth, that Glass forgave him.

From there, Bridger was one of the first non-indigenous people to explore Yellowstone, going further into the Great Salt Lake area before settling and developing the area known as Fort Bridger around 1843. Bridger also interacted with the Donner Party, who passed through the fort before heading through the infamous Hastings Cutoff and getting trapped in the Sierra Nevada winter.

Jim Bridger During American Primeval

The events of American Primeval square up pretty well with real life. Throughout the course of the show, Bridger is, indeed, in charge of the fort. In 1853, the Mormons did show up with a warrant for his arrest. It’s said that he escaped capture, returning to the East. It’s reported that the Mormons bought the fort for $8,000 in gold coins, selling it to fellow mountain man and trader Luis Vázquez. A deed from the Salt Lake City records book verifies that the Fort was indeed sold to the LDS Church.

Jim Bridger After American Primeval

After departing Fort Bridger, the mountain man served as a guide during the Utah War before becoming the head guide for the Raynold Expedition, which explored and mapped between the Dakota Territory and the Yellowstone River. Bad weather stopped the expedition from reaching Yellowstone, but they did explore the area around Jackson Hole.

Additionally, Bridger explored and cultivated an area that would later be known as the Bridger Pass. The alternate route helped to shorten up the Oregon Trail. The Pass would later go on to become the chosen route for a variety of different routes, including the Pony Express, the Union Pacific Railground Overland Route, and eventually, Interstate 80.

From there, Bridger served as a scout for Colonel Henry B. Carrington during a few different battles before being discharged in 1868. He ended up becoming blind by the mid-1870s and returned to Missouri. Here, his daughter, Virginia, took care of him until his death on July 17, 1881, at the age of 77.

Hundreds of years later, Bridger will get another turn in the spotlight (although our favorite still remains his reference in Inglourious Bastards, where Brad Pitt’s Lt. Aldo Raine states he’s a direct descendent of Bridger’s) thanks to American Primeval, where his legacy as one of America’s greatest pathfinders will once again be immortalized.