François Xavier Aubry
| François Xavier Aubry | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 3, 1824 near Maskinongé, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | August 18, 1854 (aged 29) Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Cause of death | Knife attack |
| Nationality | French Canadian |
| Occupation | Merchant and explorer of the American Southwest |
| Parent(s) |
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François Xavier Aubry (December 3, 1824 – August 18, 1854) was a French Canadian merchant and explorer of the American Southwest. His achievements include speed records riding the Santa Fe Trail and early exploration of the 35th parallel north west of the North American continental divide.
Aubry was born to Joseph and Magdeleine (Lupien) Aubry near Maskinongé, Quebec on December 3, 1824. There he grew up on a farm. When he was 18, he moved to St. Louis where he worked as a store clerk. After seeing the profits available for merchants transporting goods along the Santa Fe Trail, Aubry saved his money to purchase several wagons and draft animals. He then obtained a line of credit with which to purchase trade goods and left on his first trip down Santa Fe trail from Independence on May 9, 1846 as part of a trader's caravan. After selling his goods in Santa Fe, Aubry returned with enough profits to fully pay off his loans. In 1847 he moved to Independence, Missouri and began working full-time as a freighter along the trail.
While working the Santa Fe Trail, Aubry decided that speed was the key to maximizing his opportunities. Toward this end he began making two annual trips along the trail instead of the customary single trip per year. The increased money flow produced allowed him to purchase better draft animals and to haul goods in both directions and looking for ways to increase his speed. One effort to reduce the time spent on the 800 miles (1,300 km) return journey came when he left Santa Fe on December 22, 1847. Despite being harassed by Indians, highwaymen, and adverse winter weather, Aubry reached Independence in only 14 days, beating the previous record by 10½ days. In recognition of the accomplishment, newspapers dubbed him "Telegraph" Aubry and claimed the effort was "bordering on the supernatural".
Following this success, Aubry looked for ways to further increase his speed. In a desire to make three trips during 1848, Aubry left Missouri in mid-March, before enough grass had grown to provide fodder for his beasts of burden, and instead fed them by hauling a supply of feed corn. Aubry made the return trip from Santa Fe to Independence in 8 days and 10 hours. For his second return trip of the year, he positioned spare horses along the route. Leaving Santa Fe on the morning of September 12, 1848, Aubry carried a copy of the Santa Fe Republican with news of his departure. His journey was hampered by rain and mud but he managed to arrive in Independence on the evening of September 17 after 5 days and 16 hours on the trail. As a result of the ride, he won US$5,000 in wagers and the name "Skimmer of the Plains".
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