Richens Lacy Wootton (May 6, 1816 – 1893), commonly known as "Uncle Dick" Wootton, was an American frontiersman, mountain man, trader, scout, and entrepreneur active during the westward expansion of the United States. Wootton is best remembered for constructing a toll road over

Raton Pass Ratón Pass is a 7,834 ft (2,388 m) elevation mountain pass on the Colorado–New Mexico border in the western United States. It is located on the eastern side of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains between Trinidad, Colorado and Raton, N ...

, which helped improve travel on the

Santa Fe Trail The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century route through central North America that connected Franklin, Missouri, with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1821 by William Becknell, who departed from the Boonslick region along the Missouri River, the ...

and contributed to the development of

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

and

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

Early life and frontier career

Wootton was born in

Mecklenburg County, Virginia Mecklenburg County is a county (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 30,319. Its county seat is Boydton, Virginia, Boydton. His ...

to a family of Scottish descent. At age 17, he left home and traveled to Mississippi before heading west to

Independence, Missouri Independence is a city in and one of two county seats of Jackson County, Missouri, United States. It is a satellite city of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the largest suburb on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metropolitan area. In 2020 Unite ...

. In 1836, he joined Bent and St. Vrain's wagon train to

Bent's Fort Bent's Old Fort is a fort located in Otero County in southeastern Colorado, United States. A company owned by Charles Bent and William Bent and Ceran St. Vrain built the fort in 1833 to trade with Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Plains Indians ...

on the

Arkansas River The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in Colorado, specifically ...

, where he began a lifelong career as a frontiersman. He quickly made a name for himself trading with the

Sioux The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin ( ; Dakota/ Lakota: ) are groups of Native American tribes and First Nations people from the Great Plains of North America. The Sioux have two major linguistic divisions: the Dakota and Lakota peoples (translati ...

and other tribes, trapping beaver, hunting buffalo, and freighting goods across the western frontier. In 1837, Wootton led a 17-man trapping expedition through what is now

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

, and

. A year later, he embarked on a two-year, 5,000-mile trek through the American West, trading furs as far west as

Fort Vancouver Fort Vancouver was a 19th-century fur trading post built in the winter of 1824–1825. It was the headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company's Columbia Department, located in the Pacific Northwest. Named for Captain George Vancouver, the fort was ...

in present-day

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

. Wootton also supplied buffalo meat to Bent's Fort and later raised buffalo for sale to zoos and exhibitions in the East. His reputation grew, and he became a well-known figure among both Native Americans and settlers.

Marriages and family

Wootton married multiple times throughout his life. His first marriage was to Maria Dolores LeFevre of Taos, New Mexico, in 1848. Maria Dolores, daughter of a French trader and a local Taos woman, died in childbirth in 1855 after bearing four children. Around 1857, Wootton married Mary Ann Manning and moved to the nascent settlement of

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

, where he operated a saloon, hotel, and general trading and loan business. After Mary Ann's death in 1861, Wootton returned to southeastern Colorado and took up farming near

Pueblo, Colorado Pueblo ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality that is the county seat of and the List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous municipality in Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The ...

. In 1863, he married Fanny Brown, who died shortly after giving birth to a daughter. On June 17, 1871, Wootton married sixteen-year-old Maria Paulina Lujan of Mora, New Mexico. The couple had ten children together, six of whom survived to adulthood. Maria Paulina outlived Wootton by more than four decades, passing away in 1935.

Military service and conflicts

Wootton served as a scout for Colonel Doniphan during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

and later participated in campaigns following the

Taos Revolt The Taos Revolt was a popular insurrection in January 1847 by Hispano and Pueblo allies against the United States' occupation of present-day northern New Mexico during the Mexican–American War. Provisional governor Charles Bent and severa ...

. He was involved in various conflicts on the frontier, often alongside prominent figures like

Kit Carson Christopher Houston Carson (December 24, 1809 – May 23, 1868) was an American frontiersman, fur trapper, wilderness guide, Indian agent and United States Army, U.S. Army officer. He became an American frontier legend in his own lifetime ...

, Tom Tobin, and Antoine Leroux, though he maintained that he only engaged in violence when necessary.

The nickname "Uncle Dick"

In 1858, while traveling east to visit family, Wootton stopped in the area that would become

Denver, Colorado Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

. There, he became a local favorite after sharing barrels of rare bourbon whiskey with the community. His generosity and storytelling earned him the nickname "Uncle Dick." He remained in Denver for several years, running successful businesses.

The Raton Pass Toll Road

In the mid-1860s, Wootton relocated to

Trinidad, Colorado Trinidad is the List of cities and towns in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality that is the county seat of and the List of cities and towns in Colorado, most populous municipality in Las Animas County, Colorado, United Stat ...

, where he obtained approval from both the Colorado and New Mexico territorial legislatures to construct a toll road over

, long considered one of the most difficult segments of the

. With the help of

Ute Ute or UTE may refer to: * Ute people, a Native American people of the Great Basin * Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, Utah * Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah * Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern ...

laborers under Chief Conniache, Wootton blasted rock, built bridges, and constructed a 27-mile road, which opened in 1866. The toll road significantly improved the safety and speed of travel for military convoys, stagecoaches, merchants, and gold seekers. Native Americans were often allowed to pass without charge. By the early 1870s, Wootton also operated a stage station and residence at the pass, supporting a steady business that earned approximately $600 per month.

Sale to the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad

In 1878, the

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the largest Class 1 railroads in the United States between 1859 and 1996. The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight transport; at vario ...

sought to build a rail line through Raton Pass. Wootton negotiated a modest deal, accepting a $50 monthly stipend and free transportation and groceries for Maria Paulina for life, in lieu of a lump sum.McKinnan, Bess. "The Toll Road Over Raton Pass", ''New Mexico Historical Review'', 1926. While some considered the agreement to be a poor bargain, Maria Paulina benefited from the arrangement until her death in 1935—57 years later.

Later years and death

Wootton spent his final years at Simpson's Rest near Trinidad, Colorado, where he continued to welcome travelers, including prominent figures and outlaws. He passed away in 1893 at the age of 77. His son, R. L. Wootton Jr., later served in the

Colorado legislature The Colorado General Assembly is the state legislature of the State of Colorado. It is a bicameral legislature consisting of the Senate and House of Representatives that was created by the 1876 state constitution. Its statutes are codified i ...

Legacy

Richens Lacy Wootton is remembered as one of the last prominent

mountain men A mountain man is an explorer who lives in the wilderness and makes his living from hunting, fishing and trapping. Mountain men were most common in the North American Rocky Mountains from about 1810 through to the 1880s (with a peak population in ...

and as a symbol of the rugged, entrepreneurial spirit of the American West. The

Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the largest Railroad classes, Class 1 railroads in the United States between 1859 and 1996. The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight tra ...

named a locomotive in his honor.West, Elliott. ''The Essential West'', University of Oklahoma Press, 2012, p. 217
/ref> He appears as a character in George MacDonald Fraser’s novel ''Flashman and the Redskins'' and is mentioned in James A. Michener’s ''Centennial''.

Bibliography

* Conrad, Howard L. ''Uncle Dick Wootton''. W.E. Dibble & Co., 1890. * Hafen, LeRoy R. ''Fur Trappers and Traders in the Far Southwest''. Utah State University Press, 1997. * Inman, Colonel Henry. ''The Old Santa Fe Trail''. Crane & Co., 1898. * McKinnan, Bess. "The Toll Road Over Raton Pass", ''New Mexico Historical Review'', 1926. * Taylor, Morris F. ''First Mail West: Stagecoach Lines on the Santa Fe Trail''. University of New Mexico Press, 1971. * Michener, James A. ''Centennial''. Random House, 1974.

References

External links

''The Toll Road Over Raton Pass'' – Full article (1926), University of New Mexico

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wootton, Richens Lacy 1816 births 1893 deaths American pioneers People from Colorado Territory American fur traders American explorers People from Mecklenburg County, Virginia Santa Fe Trail Mountain men