A marker located west of the Pine Creek Bridge in Pinedale, on the North side of the highway reads:

“On Oct. 16, 1812, the Astorians Robert Stuart, Ramsay Crooks, Robert McClellan, Joseph Miller, Benjamin Jones, Francis LeClair and Andy Vallee, traveling from Astoria to St. Louis, all their horses having been stolen by Indians, passed this way on foot and forded Pine Creek near here, the first white men known to have seen it.

From Stuart’s Journal: ‘We forded another stream whose banks were adorned with many pines – near which we found an Indian encampment – deserted about a month ago, with immense numbers of buffalo bones strewed everywhere – in the center of camp a great lodge of pines and willows – at the west end three persons lay interred with feet to east and at head of each a large buffalo skull painted black – from lodge were suspended numerous ornaments and moccasins.’

Six days later, on Oct. 22, 1812, they made the memorable discovery of the South Pass.”

The marker was erected in August of 1962 at the expense of the Sublette County Historical Board. The script is by Jim Harrower.