Show 64 men headed by William L Sublette trapped down the Bear eventually found themselves in the rich Cache or ® Willow valley where they spent the winter of 1824-2- 5 It was from Cache valley that lames Bridger youthful leader among his fellow trappers descended Bear river and discovered the Great Salt Lake at this time The chief authority in support of the Bridger claim is the testimony of Robert Campbell xvho was a member of the Company and who was with them in Salt Lake valley in 1826 arriving there just as an exploring party of four was returning from their trip around the lake It river Smith-Jackson-Subl- and ette his report that it was common knowledge among the trappers that Bridger was the discoverer of the lake having visited it in the fall of 1824 as set down above In 1857 G K Warren wrote to Campbell then in St Louis for seems from the facts concerning the discovery since some complications and questions concerning the actual discoverer had arisen Campbell replied from St Louis under the date of April 4 1857 14 at a very fortunate period to enable me to give youa satisfactory as to who was the first discoverer reply to your inquiry of the Great Salt Lake It happened that James Bridger and Samuel Tullock both met at my counting room after a Your favor of the 25th ultimo reached me vey 13 H C 14 G K Dale Ashley-Smi- th Explorations 95 Warren Memoir Report of Exploration and Sur- for a Pacific Railroad 35 |