DOUGLAS – The lobby of the Gadsden looks like it was transported from somewhere in Europe. It features an elegant white marble staircase, four soaring marble columns topped by capitals decorated in fourteen karat gold leaf, and a balcony that surrounds the entire second story.

By and large, the history of the fur trade in the Southwest regions has been left out of the mainstream of American history. Trappers like Walker, Bridger, Fitzpatrick and especially Carson have become American legends and folk heroes, their fame coming primarily from exploits in the northern Rockies...