When I first heard the term "trading post," I expected a place for travelers to buy needed supplies, but as you can see from the presence of a blacksmith, travelers needed more than simply food, clothing, or ammunition. They needed to have their wagons repaired, and for that they often needed a blacksmith.
Bridger wisely gave them what they needed.
A blacksmith, wow, I wouldn't have thought that , very interesting. Thank you for sharing this. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree. I hadn't thought about the importance of blacksmiths until I started doing research on the Oregon Trail. Those covered wagons needed repairs all too often.
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