Jim Hardee, Editor

Jim Hardee has served as the director of the Fur Trade Research Center since 1998, and has researched, written, and presented extensively on the Rocky Mountain fur trade. He edited The Rocky Mountain Fur Trade Journal from 2009 to 2018, and again in 2023 to 2025. Jim’s two-volume The Western Expeditions of Nathaniel J. Wyeth was completed with the publication of Hope Maintains Her Throne. He is also the author of Pierre’s Hole! The History of a Fur Trade Landmark.

Clint Gilchrist

Clint Gilchrist was born and raised on a family cattle ranch in Big Piney, Wyoming. Trained as an Electrical and Computer Engineer at the University of Wyoming, he worked for the Navy for 10 years before returning to Pinedale, Wyoming and establishing Office Outlet and PinedaleOnline.com with business partners. He is also a dedicated historian with a lifelong passion for preserving local history. For more than 30 years, he has served on the Sublette County Historic Preservation Board and has been actively involved with the Sublette County Historical Society and the Museum of the Mountain Man as a volunteer, board member, president, and, since 2017, Executive Director. Clint has played a key role in launching the Rocky Mountain Fur Trade Journal, establishing the Sommers Homestead Living History Museum, and creating the Lander Trail New Fork Crossing Historical Park, helping to preserve and share our rich heritage.

Nathan E. Bender

Nathan E. Bender, M.A. in Anthropology, M.L.S., works as a special collections librarian at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, in Cody, WY.  His primary research interests center on firearms of the fur trade, Native American printed language materials, western folklore and material culture, historical archaeology, and the bibliography of modern fur trapping and of Montana Native journalism. He is the author of Historic Bottle and Jar Closures, a reference for historical archaeologists, and The Art of the English Trade Gun in North America, an art history of trade gun ornamentation. Other works include articles on John “Liver Eating” Johnston, and the Apsalooke arrow throwing game. 

Tim Tanner

Tim Tanner is a national-recognized author, artist, educator, and historic preservationist. An avid historian for over fifty years, his writings have been included in Rocky Mountain Fur Trade Journals, Muzzeloader, Old House Journal, and Early Homes magazines. His historic-themed paintings can be found in galleries and collections from coast-to-coast. A member of the American Mountain Men and a founding member of the American Longrifle Association, Tim and his family live in a restored pioneer home – complete with an imported ca. 1820 log cabin – in Southeast Idaho, near the original Fort Henry fur trade site. Tanner teaches art and is an administrator at Brigham Young University – Idaho.

William R. Swagerty, PhD

William R. Swagerty has taught college-level American history since 1977 and has presented papers at many fur trade symposia over the past 30 years. His article, “Stereotypes of Rocky Mountain Trappers and Traders Revisited,” appeared in the 2020 Rocky Mountain Fur Trade Journal. Swagerty is especially interested in the labor and social histories of fur trade personnel, and the material culture of the fur trade, specifically blankets and trade cloth. He is director of the John Mui Center and professor of history at University of the Pacific, Stockton, California.

Dawn Ballou

Dawn Ballou has a B.S. in Soil Science from Oregon State University and worked as a soil scientist, hydrological technician, wildland firefighter and fire lookout for the Forest Service in Montana. After a career veer and moving to Wyoming with her family, she began volunteering for the Sublette County Historical Society (SCHS) in 2010 and served on their Board of Trustees from 2015-2022, after which she was hired as a part-time graphic artist at the Museum of the Mountain Man. She has done the layout and design for The Rocky Mountain Fur Trade Journal since 2023 (Volumes 17, 18, 19 and 20). She also did the layout and design for Mark Kelly’s book, Andrew Henry … The Myth, The Man, published by the SCHS. Dawn has managed and volunteered at the Sommers Homestead Living History Museum since 2012. She has helped with volunteering, maintenance, and sign design for the Lander Trail-New Fork River Crossing Historical Park and Trappers Point monument-SCHS properties. In other current work, she operates the Pinedale Online news website and works as a graphic artist at Office Outlet in Pinedale. She has two sons and one grandson.

Angie Thomas

Angie Thomas joined the Museum of the Mountain Man staff in 2009. A native of Daniel, Wyoming, Angie worked at the Museum in person until 2017, when her family relocated to Texas. Although she moved away from Wyoming, she remained involved with the Museum by assisting with The Rocky Mountain Fur Trade Journal.

In 2025, Angie expanded her role and now works on a variety of projects, including website updates, blog content, e-newsletters, and publications. She also continues her work with the Journal, researching and locating historic images and illustrations to accompany articles.

Angie and her husband are the proud parents of two children. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, staying connected to her Wyoming roots, and spoiling her dog, Zeke. Though she now calls Texas home, she remains connected to Pinedale and the Museum community.