Leigh, Richard, -1899

Leigh was born in England in 1831 and emigrated to the United States while in his teens. After briefly participating in the Mexican-American war in 1848, he moved to the Teton Valley of Idaho and Wyoming. Leigh worked as a scout for several Wyoming territorial surveying parties in the 1870s and as a trapper, gaining the nickname "Beaver Dick." His first wife, Jenny, was an Eastern Shoshone Indian, who died with the rest of Leigh's family in a smallpox epidemic in 1876. Leigh later married Susan Tadpole, a Bannock Indian.

From the description of Richard Leigh papers, 1875-1937 (bulk 1875-1899). (University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center). WorldCat record id: 39058882

Richard ("Beaver Dick") Leigh was a trapper and scout in the Jackson Hole area of Wyoming from the 1850s to the 1890s. Born in Manchester, England, in 1831, Leigh was the son of a British Navy officer. Leigh came to the United States while he was in his teens. He participated briefly in the Mexican war of 1848 and then went to the Teton Basin where he stayed for the rest of his life. Richard Leigh guided several expeditions of territorial survey parties in the 1870s. He was twice married to Indian women: his first wife, Jenny, was Eastern Shoshone, his second wife, Susan Tadpole, was Bannock. In 1876 Leigh survived the loss of his entire first family due to smallpox. Richard Leigh died in 1899 in Wilford, Idaho.

Jenny and Leigh Lakes in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, were named after Richard Leigh and his first wife. In addition, Beaver Dick State Park near Rexburg, Idaho, was dedicated in 1963.

The story of Richard Leigh's life was described in a book by his granddaughter-in-law, Edith M. Schultz Thompson, written in collaboration with his great-grandson, William Leigh Thompson. The book was published as Beaver Dick: The Honor and the Heartbreak (1981).

From the guide to the Richard Leigh papers, 1875-1937 (bulk 1875-1899), (University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.)