William Henry Ashley
| William Henry Ashley | |
|---|---|
| Born |
William Henry Ashley c. 1778 Powhatan County, Virginia |
| Died | March 26 1838 Cooper County, Missouri |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | William Ashley, William H. Ashley |
| Occupation | miner, land speculator, manufacturer, territorial militia officer, politician, congressman, frontiersman, trapper, fur trader, entrepreneur, hunter |
| Known for | Being the co-owner with Andrew Henry of the highly successful Rocky Mountain Fur Company, otherwise known as "Ashley's Hundred" for the famous mountain men working for their firm from 1822-1834 |
William Henry Ashley (c. 1778 – March 26, 1838) Ashley's actual birth date is unknown but, in his own words Ashley stated that his birthday may have been in 1782, and the month is unknown. He was an American who pioneered as a miner, land speculator, manufacturer, territorial militia officer, politician, frontiersman, trapper, fur trader, entrepreneur, and hunter. Ashley was best known for being the co-owner with Andrew Henry of the highly successful Rocky Mountain Fur Incorporated, otherwise known as "Ashley's Hundred" for the famous mountain men working for the firm from 1822-1834.
Although born a native of Powhatan County, Virginia, William Ashley had already moved to Ste. Genevieve, in what was then a part of the Louisiana Territory, when it was purchased by the United States from France in 1803. On a portion of this land, later known as Missouri, Ashley made his home for most of his adult life. Ashley moved to St. Louis, around 1808, and became a Brigadier General in the Missouri Militia, during the War of 1812. Before the war, he did some real estate speculation and earned a small fortune manufacturing gunpowder from a lode of saltpeter mined in a cave, near the headwaters of the Current river in Missouri. When Missouri was admitted to the Union, William Henry Ashley was elected its first Lieutenant Governor, serving, from 1820-1824, under Governor Alexander McNair. Ashley ran for governor of Missouri, in the August 1824 election, but was defeated.
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