Richard "Beaver Dick" Leigh (9 January 1831, Manchester – 29 March 1899, Wilford, Idaho) was an English-American trapper, scout, and guide at the end of the 19th century, primarily in the area now known as Jackson Hole, Wyoming, United States.[1] He has been called "possibly the West's last mountain man."[2] He was the guide for F. V. Hayden's survey of the Teton Range in 1872.[1] Leigh Lake was named for Richard Leigh, and nearby Jenny Lake for his first wife, by Hayden's expedition.[3] He corresponded frequently with his longtime friend, Charles B. Penrose, leaving behind diaries and letters that provide a personal, historical, and geographical documentation of the area.[4] He was mentioned by Theodore Roosevelt in 1892, as a local hunter around Two Ocean Pass.[1] His moniker "Beaver Dick" was reportedly given to him by Brigham Young as a tribute to his trapping skills.[2] In 1964, Beaver Dick Park was established near Rexburg, Idaho. Despite what the New York Times reported, it has never been an Idaho State Park.[2]
- ^ a b c "Beaver Dick Leigh, Mountain Man of the Tetons - WyoHistory.org". Wyohistory.org.
- ^ a b c "A NEW STATE PARK IN IDAHO; Beaver Dick Preserve Stands as a Memorial To English Pioneer". The New York Times. 17 May 1964.
- ^ "Explorers and Trappers - Grand Teton National Park (U.S. National Park Service)". Nps.gov. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
- ^ "Richard Leigh papers 1875-1937 (bulk 1875-1899)". Rmoa.unm.edu. Archived from the original on 2018-06-09. Retrieved 2018-09-01.