Caleb Greenwood
Caleb Greenwood | |
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Born | 1763 fur trapper and trail guide. |
Caleb Greenwood (c. 1763 – c. 1850) was a
Early years
Born in Virginia, Greenwood took part in trapping expeditions organized by associates of John Jacob Astor in 1810 and by Manuel Lisa in 1812–1813. In 1815 he trapped independently on the Arkansas River, and later traveled up the Missouri River in the company of other trappers.
In 1824 trappers led by
Family life
In the 1820s, Greenwood married Batchicka Youngcau, who was half French and half
Greenwood employed his sons on the trail, guiding Americans westward to California, often under the employ of Charles Sutter of Sutter's Mill.[1] While shepherding dissenters of the Barlow Train in 1845, Greenwood ordered the execution of his eldest son John for the murder of a Native man. However, no execution was ever undertaken, as John fled the train and arrived in California independently of the other Greenwoods.[1]
Sublette-Greenwood cutoff
In 1844 Greenwood, along with Isaac Hitchcock, guided the influential
Returning east the following year with his two sons, Greenwood pioneered a new route bypassing the
Historians now refer to the route as the Sublette-Greenwood Cutoff in honor of Greenwood.[3]
Other eponyms
- Caleb Greenwood K–8 School in the Sacramento City Unified School District is named after Greenwood; it opened in 1950.[1]
- Elk, Mendocino County, California, was formerly called Greenwood after two of Caleb Greenwood's sons who settled there.
- Greenwood, California is on State 193 Highway in northern El Dorado County near the towns of Cool and Georgetown. The Greenwood in Mendocino County had to be changed to Elk because the one in El Dorado was already in existence. The Mendocino County town was named after Caleb's son Britton who ranched there for a time. The El Dorado County town was named after Caleb and family who lived there. A pamphlet published by local genealogist Leonard M. Davis relates that son John Greenwood opened a trading post in Long Valley in 1848–49. The pamphlet reports that by the time the Greenwoods left in 1850, the town had replaced the name Long Valley with the Greenwood name.
References
- Kelly, Charles, Old Greenwood, the Story of Caleb Greenwood, Trapper, Pathfinder and Early Pioneer of the West. Western Printing, Salt Lake City, 1936
- Hittell, Theodore Henry. "History of California." Vols. 1-2: Pacific Press publishing house and Occidental Publishing Co., 1885/1898 - California.
- ^ JSTOR 20610231– via JSTOR.
- ^ JSTOR 3634423– via JSTOR.
- ^ "Sublette Greenwood Cutoff". Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office. Archived from the original on 2012-04-14. Retrieved 2008-05-20.