Wandering Lizard

An online magazine with information related to attractions, lodging, dining,
and travel resources in selected areas of the Western United States

The Personalities

A diverse group of personalities have played a role in the long history of the American West.
Here are a few biographic notes along with a few additional reading suggestions.

"There is properly no History, only Biography."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

These notes are meant to be helpful in putting people, events, and places into historic context. Visitors
are encouraged to refer to more complete works for additional information on these individuals,
events and localities. The readings offered are suggested starting points for a more
complete understanding of the American West's rich historic past.

Hernan Cortes, 1484 - 1547
Conquistador - Conquered Tenochtitlan

Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, 1495* -1565*
Explorer

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, 1498*-1543
Claimed California for Spain

Francisco Vazquez de Coronado, 1510 - 1554
Explorer - Claimed Southwest for Spain

Sir Francis Drake, 1540* - 1596
Privateer Claimed California for England

Sebastian Rodriguez Cermenon, 1560*-1615*
Claimed California for Spain

Sebastian Vizcaino, 1548 -1627
Spanish Navigator

Eusebio Francisco Kino, 1645-1711
Jesuit Missionary

Father Juniperro Serra, 1713 - 1794
Founder of Alta California Missions

James Cook, 1728 - 1779
Early Explorer of the Pacific Ocean

Daniel Boone, 1734 - 1820
Explorer

Nathanael Greene, 1742 - 1786
Revolutionary General

John Paul Jones, 1747 - 1792
Revolutionary Naval Hero

George Rogers Clark, 1752 - 1818
Revolutionary General

Alexandr Baranov, 1747 - 1819
Manager Russian-American Fur Company

Henry Lee, 1756 - 1818
Revolutionary General

John Jacob Astor, 1763 - 1848
Fur Trader, Merchant, Real Estate Tycoon

Caleb Greenwood 1763* - 1850
Mountian Man, Guide

Andrew Jackson, 1767 - 1845
Seventh Preident of the United States

William Clark, 1770 - 1838
Explorer, Superintendent of Indian Affairs

Manuel Lisa, 1772 - 1820
President, Missouri Fur Company

Meriwether Lewis 1774 - 1809
Explorer

Thomas Hart Benton, 1782 - 1858
Early Missouri Senator

Hugh Glass, 1783* - 1833
Mountain Man, Fur Trapper

David "Davy" Crockett, 1786 - 1836
Frontiersman, Alamo Defender

Jedediah Smith, 1794 - 1831
Mountain Man, Fur Trapper, Explorer

Stephen Watts Kearny 1794-1848
Military Governor of California

Peter Skeene Ogden, 1794 - 1854
Chief Factor Hudson Bay Company

Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, 1794 - 1876
President of Mexico

William A. Richardson, 1795-1856
Founder of Sausalito

James Knox Polk, 1795-1840
Eleventh President of the United States

William Brown Ide, 1796-1852
President of California

Saint Innocent of Alaska, 1797 - 1879
Russian Orthodox Missionary in Alaska

Robert Thomas Livermore 1799-1858
Early California Settler

Thomas Oliver Larkin, 1802 - 1858
American Consul in Mexican California

John August Sutter, 1803-1880
Founder of Sutter's Fort & Sacramento

William McKendree Gwin, 1805-1885
Supervised Writing of California Constitution

Robert E. Lee, 1807 - 1870
Commander, Army of Northern Virginia

Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, 1807-1890
Founder of Sonoma

Christopher "Kit" Carson, 1809 - 1868
Fur Trapper - Explorer - Guide

Juan Bautista Alvarado, 1809 - 1882
Early Governor of California

James Wilson Marshall 1810-1885
Discovered Gold at Sutter's Mill

Count Agoston Haraszthy, 1812 - 1869
"Father of California Wine Making"

John Charles Fremont, 1813-1889
"The Pathfinder"

Allan Pinkerton, 1819 - 1884
"Private Eye"

Samuel Brannan, 1819 - 1889
Early San Francisco Settler

John Bidwell 1819-1900
Founder of Chico

David Colbreth Broderick, 1820-1859
Early Senator

William Tecumseh Sherman 1820-1891
Civil War General

George Hearst 1821 - 1891
Mining Magnate

Collis P. Huntington, 1821-1900
Railroad Mogul

Ulysses S. Grant, 1822-1885
Eighteenth President of the United States

Charles Crocker 1822-1888
Built the Central Pacific Railroad

Leland Stanford 1824-1893
Founder of Stanford University

Philip Crosthwaite, 1825-1903
Early San Diego Chief of Police

Joaquin Murietta, 1825* - 1853
Legendary Mother Lode Bandit

Theodore Dehone Judah, 1826-1863
Railroad Pioneer

Lucky Baldwin, 1828 - 1909
Mining Speculator

Charles Boles (Black Bart), 1829 -1888
Famous Highwayman

William Ralston, 1832 - 1875
Founder of the Bank of California

Philip Sheridan, 1833 - 1888
Civil War General

Tiburcio Vasquez, 1835-1875
Notorius California Bandit

George Armstrong Custer, 1839-1876
Indian Fighter

Nelson A. Miles, 1839 - 1925
Indian Fighter

William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, 1846 - 1917
Military Scout & Showman

Wyatt Earp, 1848 - 1929
Lawman, Vigilante, Gambler

Bat Masterson, 1853 - 1921
Frontier Gambler & Lawman

William Mulholland, 1855 - 1935
Constructed Owens Valley Aqueduct

Michael Maurice O'Shaughnessy, 1864-1934
Constructed Hetch Hetchy Dam

Robert LeRoy Parker, 1866 - 1908*
The outlaw known as Butch Cassidy

Ng Poon Chew, 1866-1931
Founder & Publisher of Chung Sai Yat Pao

Walter Edward Scott - 1872-1954
"Death Valley Scotty"

* Dates marked with an asterisk are estimated.

Biographical Index
Juan Alvarado | John Jacob Astor | Lucky Baldwin | Alexandr Baranov | Black Bart | Thomas Hart Benton | John Bidwell
Daniel Boone | Samuel Brannan | Buffalo Bill | Cabeza de Vaca | David Broderick | Death Valley Scotty | Juan Cabrillo
Kit Carson | Butch Cassidy | Sebastian Cermeno | George Rogers Clark | William Clark | James Cook
Francisco Vazquez de Coronado | Hernan Cortes | Charles Crocker | Davy Crockett | Philip Crosthwaite
George Armstrong Custer | Francis Drake | Wyatt Earp | John Fremont | Hugh Glass | Caleb Greenwood | William Gwin
Ulysses S. Grant | Nathanael Greene | Auguston Haraszthy | George Hearst | Collis Huntington | William Ide | Andrew Jackson
John Paul Jones | Theodore Judah | Stephen Kearny | Eusebio Kino | Thomas Larkin | Henry Lee | Robert E. Lee
Meriwether Lewis | Manuel Lisa | Robert Livermore | James Marshall | Bat Masterson | Nelson A. Miles | William Mulholland
Joaquin Murrieta | Ng Poon Chew | Michael O'Shaughnessy | James Polk | Peter Ogden | Allan Pinkerton | William Ralston
William Richardson | Santa Anna | Juniperro Serra | Philip Sheridan | Saint Innocent | William T. Sherman | Jedediah Smith
Leland Stanford | John Sutter | Mariano Vallejo | Tiburcio Vasquez | Sebastian Vizcaino | History Index

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