Kit Carson – Legend of the Southwest
“We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.”
– T.S. Elliot
Christopher "Kit" Carson, a name synonymous with the American West, stands as a titan among frontiersmen. He was more than just a man; he was a symbol of a burgeoning nation pushing its boundaries westward. During the 19th century, Kit Carson embodied the spirit of exploration, adaptation, and resilience that characterized the era. His roles as a trapper, guide, soldier, and Indian agent etched his name into the annals of American history, making him a true legend of the Southwest.
Born Christopher Houston Carson on December 24, 1809, in Madison County, Kentucky, his lineage was steeped in the pioneering spirit. His father, Lindsey Carson, was a veteran of the American Revolution, and he was related to Daniel Boone through his mother, Rebecca Robinson Carson. When young Christopher was only two years old, the family relocated to Howard County, Missouri, settling in the area known as Boone’s Lick. This region was also home to William Becknell, a figure who would later become instrumental in opening the Santa Fe Trail in 1821. Becknell’s successful trading expedition to Santa Fe sparked widespread interest, transforming the nearby community of Franklin, Missouri, into the birthplace of the Santa Fe Trail.
Growing up in a large family on the frontier meant prioritizing survival above all else. As such, Kit Carson never received a formal education and remained illiterate throughout his life. Tragedy struck when he was just nine years old with the death of his father. His mother, despite being left with limited resources, single-handedly cared for her children for four years before remarrying. At the age of 14, Kit Carson began an apprenticeship at Workman’s Saddleshop in Franklin. The bustling trade route of the Santa Fe Trail brought a constant stream of trappers and traders through the shop, filling young Kit’s ears with tales of adventure and the allure of the frontier. Unhappy with his stepfather and disliking the saddle trade, Kit Carson, at the age of 16, secretly joined a large merchant caravan bound for Santa Fe, arriving at his destination in November 1826.
From Santa Fe, he journeyed north to Taos, a vibrant hub of trade and culture. There, he found employment as a cook, errand boy, and harness repairer. At this time, he was described as being of short stature, standing only five feet, five inches tall, and weighing around 140 pounds. Despite his small frame, he possessed a quiet demeanor and a natural modesty that belied his inner strength and determination.
At the age of 19, Kit Carson‘s life took a decisive turn when he was hired for a fur trapping expedition to California. Despite his youth and size, he quickly proved his courage and competence, marking the beginning of his legendary career as a mountain man.
Between 1828 and 1840, Taos served as Carson’s base of operations for numerous fur-trapping expeditions throughout the vast and untamed landscapes of the West. His travels took him from the rugged Sierra Nevada Mountains of California to the towering peaks of the Rocky Mountains. During this period, he encountered and formed relationships with other prominent frontiersmen, including Jim Bridger, Tom "Broken Hand" Fitzpatrick, and Dr. Marcus Whitman. One of his closest friends was Lucien Maxwell, who owned the largest land grant in New Mexico and would eventually become his brother-in-law.
Like many white trappers of the era, Kit Carson became deeply immersed in the world of the Native Americans, traveling and living among various tribes. He married an Arapaho woman named Singing Grass, and together they had a daughter named Adaline in 1837. Sadly, Singing Grass passed away while giving birth to their second child. To ensure Adaline had a mother figure, Carson later married a Cheyenne woman named Making-Out-Road, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1840, according to Cheyenne custom.
Carson distinguished himself from other trappers through his remarkable self-discipline and temperate lifestyle. He was known for his sobriety and honesty, earning him the reputation of being "clean as a hound’s tooth" and a man whose "word was as sure as the sun comin’ up." His unassuming manner and unwavering courage further solidified his status as a respected figure on the frontier.
Around 1840, Carson found employment as a hunter for Bent’s Fort, a prominent trading post in present-day Colorado. His skills and expertise quickly led to his appointment as the fort’s chief hunter.
In 1842, while traveling back from Missouri, where he had taken his daughter Adaline to be educated in a convent, Carson encountered John C. Fremont on a Missouri Riverboat. Fremont, recognizing Carson’s unparalleled knowledge of the West, hired him as a guide for his first expedition to map and document the trails leading to the Pacific Ocean. Over the next several years, Carson played a crucial role in guiding Fremont through the treacherous terrain of the Central Rocky Mountains and the Great Basin, leading him to Oregon and California. Fremont’s widely-read reports of these expeditions, which prominently featured Carson’s contributions, transformed him into a national hero, portraying him as a rugged and fearless mountain man capable of extraordinary feats.
During the early 1840s, Carson established his permanent residence in Taos, New Mexico. After returning from California, he married Maria Josefa Jaramillo, the daughter of a prominent Taos family, in February 1843. Josefa was described as a woman of captivating beauty, possessing a charm that could inspire men to risk their lives for her smile. Together, they would have eight children. Josefa’s sister, Maria Ignacia Jaramillo, was married to Charles Bent, a well-known fur trader who later became New Mexico’s first governor. In the same year, Carson purchased a home in Taos for his family. While the house was built in 1825, little is known about its history before Carson acquired it. Today, the Spanish-Colonial style residence stands as a National Historic Landmark, one of the few remaining physical reminders of Carson’s life.
Carson’s fame continued to grow as his name became associated with pivotal events in the United States’ westward expansion. He was still serving as Fremont’s guide when Fremont became involved in California’s short-lived Bear-Flag Rebellion, which occurred just before the outbreak of the Mexican-American War in 1846. Carson served in the war, playing a significant role in the conquest of California.
Carson also led the forces of U.S. General Stephen Kearny from Socorro, New Mexico, into California when a Californio band led by Andrés Pico challenged the American occupation of Los Angeles. On December 6, 1846, these forces were attacked by Mexicans at San Pasqual, approximately 30 miles north of San Diego. During the third night of the battle, Carson and two others bravely slipped through enemy lines and ran the entire distance to San Diego, where they secured reinforcements for Kearny’s beleaguered troops. Emerging as a hero of the Battle of San Pasqual, Carson’s reputation preceded him, often leading to surprised reactions upon meeting him in person.
Lieutenant William Tecumseh Sherman, upon being introduced to Carson at military headquarters in Monterey, California, in the fall of 1847, remarked, "His fame was then at its height, from the publication of Fremont’s book, and I was very anxious to see a man who had achieved such feats of daring among the wild animals of the Rocky Mountains and still wilder Indians of the Plains. I cannot express my surprise at beholding a small stoop-shouldered man with reddish hair, freckled face, soft blue eyes, and nothing to indicate extraordinary courage or daring."
In April 1847, Carson was away from home when the deadly Taos Revolt erupted. During the rebellion, his brother-in-law, Governor Charles Bent, was murdered while protecting Josefa and her sister from a rebellious mob. Deeply affected by the tragedy, Carson, who was devoted to his young wife, became more determined to settle down and create a stable home for his family.
He stated, "We had been leading a roving life long enough, and now was the time, if ever, to make a home for ourselves and children."
Seeking a more settled life, he invested $2,000 in a ranching and farming venture with his close friend Lucien Maxwell. Through marriage, Maxwell had inherited the largest land grant in U.S. history. Located along the Cimarron River, approximately 65 miles east of Taos, the two men purchased livestock and seeds and hired workers to construct buildings on Rayado Creek. Although the area was vulnerable to raids by Plains Indians, it was also strategically situated along the mountain branch of the Santa Fe Trail. While Maxwell moved his family there in 1849, Carson was hesitant because Josefa had recently given birth. Nevertheless, he built a small house there.
That same year, he was called upon to guide soldiers in pursuit of Jicarilla Apache and Ute Indians who had committed the White Massacre in northeastern New Mexico. Following the battle, Mrs. Ann White, her servant, and her baby daughter were kidnapped. Mrs. White was later found dead, but the servant and her daughter were never found.
By 1853, Carson and Maxwell were successful enough to drive a large flock of sheep to California, where they earned a substantial profit due to the high prices resulting from the gold rush. In 1854, Carson was appointed as the Indian agent for the Ute and Apache tribes in Taos, New Mexico, a position he held until the Civil War brought about new responsibilities in 1861. These years as an Indian agent provided him with the longest period of stability at home with his family. During the Civil War, he helped organize New Mexican infantry volunteers, who saw action at Valverde in 1862. However, much of his military efforts were directed against the Navajo Indians, many of whom resisted being confined to a distant reservation established by the government.
Beginning in 1863, under orders from his commanders in the U.S. Army, Carson waged a harsh economic war against the Navajo in an effort to force their relocation. He led troops through the heart of their territory, destroying their crops and seizing their livestock, some of which was later given to those who surrendered.
When the Ute, Pueblo, Hopi, and Zuni tribes, who had long been prey to Navajo raiders, seized the opportunity to exploit their traditional enemy’s weakness by joining the Americans on the warpath, the Navajo were unable to defend themselves. In 1864, most of them surrendered to Carson, who treated them with respect but was ordered to force nearly 8,000 Navajo men, women, and children to embark on what became known as the "Long Walk," a grueling journey of almost 300 miles from Arizona to Fort Sumner, New Mexico. The U.S. military was unprepared for the large number of Navajo, and within a few years, the poorly planned site became disease-ridden and the land was depleted. In 1868, the Navajo were finally permitted to return to their ancestral lands along the Arizona-New Mexico border.
In 1865, Carson received a commission as Brigadier General and was recognized for his gallantry and distinguished service. In the summer of 1866, he moved to Colorado to expand his ranching business and assumed command of Fort Garland. However, declining health forced him to resign the following year, and in late 1868, the family relocated to Boggsville, near present-day Las Animas, Colorado. Earlier that year, at the request of Washington and the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Carson traveled to Washington, D.C., where he escorted several Ute Chiefs to meet with the President of the United States to advocate for assistance for their tribe. Although his health suffered again after his travels, he awaited an appointment as an Indian Agent for the Cheyenne and Arapaho in Colorado. Shortly after his return, his wife Josefa passed away on April 23, 1868, due to complications following the birth of their eighth child.
Her death was a devastating blow to Carson, and he was soon taken to Fort Lyon, Colorado, where he died just one month later, on May 23, 1868. In the presence of Dr. Tilton and his friend Thomas Boggs, his last words were, "Goodbye, friends. Adios, compadres." Carson’s death was attributed to an abdominal aortic aneurysm. His body was transported to Boggsville and buried beside Josefa. A year later, both bodies were moved to Taos, New Mexico, for their final resting place. The local cemetery was subsequently renamed the Kit Carson Cemetery in honor of the celebrated frontiersman.
Kit Carson‘s legacy endures, remembered for his diverse roles as a trapper, explorer, Indian agent, and soldier. His extraordinary life experiences have solidified his place as an enduring symbol of the American West.
Following his death, the Kit Carson House changed ownership several times before Bent Lodge #42, a Masonic Order, purchased the home in 1910. Carson was the founder of the parent order in Taos, New Mexico, during his lifetime. When the Lodge acquired the property, the house was in disrepair with broken windows, a collapsed roof, and much of the space used as stables. The Lodge established the Kit Carson Memorial Foundation, Inc. in 1952 to raise awareness and money to restore and interpret the property.
Today, the house reflects the aesthetics of late 18th-century Spanish influence combined with traditional American Indian building traditions and materials. The one-story adobe building is U-shaped and surrounds an open patio in the rear. Outwardly, it is relatively simple: the home’s most prominent architectural feature is a long, low wooden porch along its front façade. The Carsons did not alter the house’s Spanish appearance during their time there. While Kit Carson was often away, he, Josefa, and six or seven of their children called this house their home for most of the next 25 years. Today, the Kit Carson Memorial Foundation carefully preserves the home open to the public as a historic house museum.
Visitors can take a guided tour of the house and explore exhibits on Carson’s life and accomplishments. The museum also has a bookstore and gift shop. Just around the corner in Kit Carson Memorial State Park is the local cemetery with the graves of Carson and his wife. Both of their tombstones are the originals: Kit Carson’s, installed in 1890, and Josefa’s, later, in 1908. An iron fence now rings the gravesite to protect the stones from souvenir hunters, who, around the turn of the century, had chipped away at Carson’s tombstone, causing severe damage to the marker.