Colter died in 1813, reportedly from jaundice. The legal notice of the final settlement of his estate placed its value at $229.41.
So ended, at an age of only 38 years, the career of one of America’s greatest frontiersmen, a forerunner of the famous “Mountain Men.” Nevertheless, what a lot of living and adventure Colter crammed into the short span of his 7 years beyond the Missouri.
Colter’s part in the early exploration of one of the most rugged sections of America will forever stand as an heroic achievement. He was the West’s first great pathfinder, a fitting figure to set the pace for those who followed his lonely paths into the wildest areas of the Far Western frontier.
PHOTO BY HERB POWNALL
The Colter Memorial, dedicated in June, 1957, stands on the shore of Colter Bay, Jackson Lake, Grand Teton National Park.
THIS BAY IS NAMED FOR
JOHN COLTER
DISCOVERER OF THE TETON MOUNTAINS AND SCENIC WONDERS OF THE UPPER YELLOWSTONE. EXPERIENCED AS A HUNTER FOR THE 1804-1806 LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION, HE EXPLORED THIS REGION IN WINTER OF 1807-1808 IN THE EMPLOY OF FUR TRADER MANUEL LISA
DEDICATED ON THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF COLTER’S HISTORIC PASSAGE.
1957