Jacques La Ramee
Throughout Wyoming many landmarks are named after an early French—Canadian trapper. These landmarks include the Laramie River, the Laramie Peak , the Laramie Plains, Laramie County , Fort Laramie , the town of Fort Laramie , and the city of Laramie . Jacques LaRamee (Laramée, Laramé, Laramie , De la Ramie, de la Rame, or La Ramee it is spelled different by almost all the listed sources) was a mysterious man with obvious influence (Chittenden, 1935; Coutant, 1899; Fetter, 1982; McDermott, 1968; Pitcher, 2000). However, there is little known about him. LaRamee’s significance is seemingly lost along with his complete history, but when researched further one can begin to understand his historical impact.
Not only are there various spellings of his surname, but some historians also question whether or not Jacques was his first name. Some go so far as to say it was Baptiste. There are others who state his given name was Joseph; this may be more accurate (pitcher, 2000). J. Edmond LaRamee, a supposed descendent of LaRamee the trapper, traces the trapper’s lineage from Jacques Fissiau (who would have been the great grandfather of Jacque LaRamee). The parents of Jacques are thought to have been “Joseph and Jeanne Mondou LaRamee of Yamaska , Quebec .” Other records show that Joseph fathered five sons, “none of whom was named Jacques or Baptiste. However, the third son, who was born on June 8, 1784, bore the name Joseph.” The name Jacques was first used by Dr. C.G. Coutant and that is probably the reason many historians use it today (McDermott, 1968).
Among the remains of LaRamee’s fractured biography, a man of upright character and independent quality begins to emerge. According to Dr. C.G. Coutant’s History of Wyoming he entered the United States around 1815 with the North West Company – a major player in the fur industry that was involved in a continuous feud with a rival company, The Hudson Bay Company. These conflicting fur companies often created competition between their employees which resulted in violence. LaRamee strung together a group of “free trappers,” and they began trapping at the headwaters of the North Platte (Fetter, 1982).
LaRamee’s success was due to his renowned attitude and peaceful reputation. His fellow free trappers shared his “theory that the world was wide and there was room enough for all.” LaRamee led his band of hard working peaceful trappers to undisputed territory where they could trap an abundance of fur without quarrel.
McMurtry, Larry. 2005. Oh What a Slaughter: Massacres in the American West: 1846-1890. 10th Ed. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.
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Smith, Susan. Rethinking the fur trade: cultures of exchange in an Atlantic world. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2009.