Voting Station

Jim Bridger

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Adventurer

The Resume

    (March 14, 1804-July 17, 1881)
    Born in Richmond, Virginia
    Fur trapper and explorer of the American West
    Considered one of the greatest 'mountain men'
    Founded Fort Bridger, Wyoming as a trading post (1843)

Why he might be annoying:

    He was a known fabricator of tall tales, and it led many to disbelieve him about several of his legitimate discoveries.
    Along with another trapper, Bridger left Hugh Glass to die after he was attacked by a bear.
    He supplied Indians with alcohol and weapons at his trading post. In 1853, Mormon pioneers in the area attempted to arrest him for this.
    He served the US Army as a scout during the early stages of Red Cloud's War.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He is believed to have been the first white man and American to view the Great Salt Lake, which he thought to be an inlet of the Pacific Ocean.
    His 'tall tales' about steam and water shooting from holes in the ground were later proven to be fact after more white men entered the Yellowstone area.
    He did not rely on the use of maps to navigate the American West, instead only using his memory.
    A natural story teller, he was able to impress not only whites with his tales but also Indians who he communicated to with sign language.
    The US Government hired him to draw maps of the West for their use, due to his unsurpassed knowledge of the area.
    He discovered a pass, later known as Bridger's Pass, that shortened the length of the Oregon Trail by 61 miles.
    He was almost totally blind in his old age.

Credit: break-dancing robot


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 14 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 3 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 7 Votes: 71.43% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 14 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 11 Votes: 54.55% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 92 Votes: 51.09% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 19 Votes: 42.11% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 28 Votes: 53.57% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 23 Votes: 47.83% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 15 Votes: 33.33% Annoying