Ashley

 

Mandan bull boats similar to the ones Ashley made and used.

Ashley this. Ashley that. Here an Ashley, there an Ashley, Ashley EVERYWHERE...!


It's common among Anglo settlers to name stuff for the first of their ilk to set foot into an area. And so it is that William Ashley's last name is plastered on and across just about anything you can shake a stick at around these parts.

If I tried to sort and compile those place names, I'd soon have a fat Book Of Ashley.  Such a book would be only marginally interesting and of no use whatsoever to anyone.  So, we'll skip that dubious idea.

The reason we're doing this post on Ashley is that he's due for his very own Bi-Centennal.  Supposedly, Ashley first left his footprints here in either 1823 or 1824.  Most folks go with the 1824 idea.  However, there's a devoted contingent who firmly believes in the 1823 thing.

In any case, it's abundantly obvious a bi-centennial of some sort is due for the namesake of so many places and things here.

So far, we've seen no hint of any such event(s). Maybe the Chamber People haven't yet thought of it.  Or maybe they have and plans are already underway.

Ashley is known for a lot of stuff--mostly mountain man kinda stuff. We are especially fond of Ashley's "bull boat" gig.  He and his pards apparently got real creative and bent willow branches into a bowl form.  Then they somehow stretched animal hides over the bowl and made themselfs a mighty right nice boat!

The local history books suggest the "bull boat" could carry a surprisingly large amount of men and their stuff.

Ashley supposedly boated a rather long and challenging stretch of The Green River.  His motley crew is said to have even passed by our campsite in this "bull boats".  I look out at the river and try to visualize a bunch of guys in "bull boats". Mostly what I visualize is a bunch of bearded dirtbag river runners swilling alcohol and yelling insults at each other.

We think Vernal would be well-advised to stage a "bull boat" re-enactment as part of any bi-centennial they might stage.  We're absolutely certain there are plenty of bearded dirtbag river runners willing to launch forward in bull boats and swill alcohol in honor of the first Trip Leader to run The Green.

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