This definitive biography of Lucien Maxwell tells of his early days growing up along the Mississippi River frontier, of his adventures as a mountain man during the fur trade years, and his later life as he became one of the richest land owners in northeastern New Mexico Territory. His life spanned the active years of the Santa Fe Trail, which includes some of the most fascinating years in the history of the American West. Anyone interested in the life and times of the Santa Fe Trail period will enjoy this thorough and readable biography of one of the key characters in the history of the American southwest.