1799-1831
It seemed like the West had a grizzly bear behind every lodgepole pine in the early days. One nearly killed Hugh Glass, and another almost ate Jedidiah Smith alive.
Smith and around a dozen men were meandering down the south fork of the Cheyenne River when a sizeable grizzly burst from the shadows. It broke ribs and slashed Smith’s belly and chest, eventually putting all of Smith’s head in his mouth. Things looked bleak when the smoke cleared, and the bear retreated thanks to Smith’s men. With scalp and one ear nearly ripped clean off, Smith had his men patch him up as best they could. After ten days and many stitches, Smith decided it was time to break camp and move on. He and his men continued through the Mojave Desert and California. Thanks to that bear, he continued to explore and keep his hair long to cover his mangled memento for seven more years. In the end, a group of Comanches likely killed him near present-day Kansas.
