This is a unique axe attributed to fur trader and blacksmith James Bordeaux of Chadron, Nebraska from the 19th Century. Originally founded in 1837 by Frederick Laboue of the American Fur Company to be a satellite post to maximize trade in Buffalo robes after the purchase of Fort Laramie from William Sublette by the American Fur Company, the Bordeaux Trading Post’s first post manager was Jim Bordeaux, a Missouri Frenchman called “The Bear” by Indians who was married to two Brule Sioux sisters whose brother, Swift Bear, was the chief of the Corn Band; he later in 1845-47 went into business for himself. Historically the post is referred to as the Bordeaux Trading Post and is included in the National Register of Historic Places. Bordeaux sold and traded with local Sioux and Cheyenne tribes and later once the Army had bought back Ft. Laramie operated a store and ranch near by and a stock ranch on Chugwater Creek in Wyoming. He was known to trade / forge in trade axes, pipe tomahawks, frontier-style knives and even horseshoes. He served as interpreter for the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 and his son Louis often ran the Bordeaux Creek post. Later he abandoned his western interest and moved to Ft. Randal on the Missouri in 1872 where he eventually died in 1878. In 1872 Francis Boucher, son-in-law of Spotted Tail, head chief of the Brule Sioux, occupied the post on Bordeaux Creek. The documented touchmark stamped onto blades and the sort was a large “JB”. His name is often misspelled in weapons books with the “x” on the end being correct. Another Bordeaux piece from a Wisconsin private collection is shown for comparison in the photo gallery. This example is a large, heavy trade axe with later war weapon accouterments. It has a heavy blacksmith hand-forged iron head measuring 7 ¼ inches by 4 inches wide across the bottom of the blade, with a heavy “JB” hallmark. The hallmark is nearly identical to the Wisconsin example as shown. The head is secured to the haft with wood wedges and old wetted and hardened leather gaskets and features a large, round wood hardwood handle adorned with hot file brandings and solid brass trade tacks in double bands overall having a nice, shiny deep patina. The piece sightly curves upward and tapers in size to the gripping area which has a carved slightly proud rounded pommel end which has a pierced hole holding a wrist throng of tanned hide buckskin. The Bordeaux touch mark is stamped on both sides of the heavy axe head. The piece was obviously not created as a weapon, but rather a tool and appears to have been altered as a working weapon later in its life, possibly during the Indian Wars era. The wood has a nice shiny patina and the head has honest dark coloring from true age and use. One of the better, historic American forged examples. Measures overall 23 ½ inches in length without the wrist throng drop.