Louis Boucher was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

-born

prospector Prospector may refer to: Space exploration * Prospector (spacecraft), a planned lunar probe, canceled in 1962 * ''Lunar Prospector'', a NASA spacecraft Trains * Prospector (train), a passenger train operated by the Denver & Rio Grande Western ra ...

miner A miner is a person who extracts ore, coal, chalk, clay, or other minerals from the earth through mining. There are two senses in which the term is used. In its narrowest sense, a miner is someone who works at the rock face; cutting, blasting, ...

explorer Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians. Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...

, and guide in the

Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a m ...

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in the late 19th to early 20th century.

Life

Louis Boucher was an American prospector who sought fortune in the Western US during the mid-1800s. Along with many others, Boucher left Canada during the gold rush. During his journey from the West to the Cariboo and

Fraser Fraser may refer to: Places Antarctica * Fraser Point, South Orkney Islands Australia * Fraser, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb in the Canberra district of Belconnen * Division of Fraser (Australian Capital Territory), a former federal ele ...

areas of Canada, Boucher became familiar with the use of mules for transportation and gear-hauling. After a failed stint of gold prospecting in Cariboo, Boucher turned his attention to the southwest, seeking silver. Boucher eventually worked his way to the area now known as

around 1889, and found work as a

guide for Hance Ranch, where he provided mule rides for canyon visitors. In 1891, Boucher decided to stake his own claim in the Grand Canyon, settling near Dripping Springs Basin, which provided a natural spring of fresh water to the canyon. Boucher built a camp for himself and a corral for his mules and sheep. Living in such an isolated area earned Boucher the nickname, "The Hermit." At one point during his occupation near Dripping Springs, Boucher assisted in the search and attempted rescue of two lost men in the canyon. He used the tools he knew best as a miner – explosives. Boucher reasoned that setting off dynamite explosions would attract the men toward the search party. However, this was not to be – the lost men had drowned in the Colorado River and their bodies were eventually found. There was a small, yet sustainable copper mine beside Boucher's camp (now known as Hermit's Rest,) which enabled Boucher to support himself. Boucher later carved the Silver Bell Trail (in homage to Calamity Jane's signature silver bell), which stretched from Dripping Springs to Columbus Point and Boucher Canyon. Boucher later developed his camp in other ways. He planted an orchard with 75 pomegranate, fig, and orange trees, supported by an irrigation system he created himself. He also built a number of cabins along his property for tourists to stay in. In 1912, Louis Boucher left his home to seek work in a coal mine in Moreland,

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

, and never returned to his camp by Dripping Springs. (Moreland was abandoned due to unprofitable coal production in 1938.)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boucher, Louis American miners Year of death missing Year of birth missing