Product Overview
Eastern Oregons largest un-dammed river is named after an early 1800s Beaver trapper named John Day. America knows very little about this historic character hero of the Old West. Today we have a town named after John Day and there is the local John Day Fossil Beds National Monument? Who was John Day? It took me forty years to figure out the confusing and conflicting old diary documentation covering early 1800s Beaver Trapper John Days real life story. Patiently and passionately returning to old John Days haunts in Idaho and Oregon clarified a lot about John Days 48 years of life. Of course, the discovery of the Last Will & Testament written in February 15th, 1820 helped too. However, it was filed almost a decade later in Mayville, New York State by a friend. This Beaver trapper was made famous by novelist Washington Irving in a fictional book titled Astoria. Fortunately, Irving used John Jacob Astors copy of the early American fur trapping business firms diaries to write his fictional story. John Day personally witnessed the American Revolution, The Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis & Clark Expedition and he was a very close friend of Daniel Boone. In fact, Daniel Boone said Good Bye to John in Missouri; as the Hunts Overland Trapper Party head up the Missouri River in 1810. Daniel was asked to join this early Trapper party; but he begged off as he was too old by then. When we finally find John Days grave in eastern Oregons Ochoco National Forest; a lot of confusion over John Days latter days and, humble life will end.
