Three Hundred SeventyFifth in the Famous People (FP) Series - Kit Carson
Christopher Houston "Kit" Carson (December 24, 1809 – May 23, 1868) was an American frontiersman. Carson left home at an early age and became a trapper. He gained notoriety for his role as John C. Fremont's guide in the American West. Carson also played a minor role in California during the 1846-48 Mexican-American War, and later became a rancher in New Mexico. During the American Civil War, he helped organize the New Mexico volunteer infantry, and fought against Navajo Indians, against his will, but by order of the U.S. Army. By 1864, about 8000 Navajo had surrendered to the U.S. Army, while another 8000 hid in the back country. Kit Carson finally went home to his family. After the Civil War, Carson moved to Colorado, where he died.
The legend of Kit Carson began before he died, and has continued to grow through the years through dime novels, poems, music, movies, television, and comic books. These fictional tales tend to portray Carson as a heroic figure slaughtering two bears and a dozen Indians before breakfast, and when mixed with a few real historic events, the result is that Kit Carson becomes larger than life.
There are at least 25 titles that have been recorded, from Kit Carson, Prince of the Gold Hunters (1849) through Kit Carson, King of Scouts (1923). There were four silent films made with Kit Carson as the "star" from 1903 to 1928 and Hollywood produced movies about him from Fighting with Kit Carson in 1933 to a History Channel movie in 2003. There was a television western series called The Adventures of Kit Carson which ran from 1951-1955.
The Kit Carson House in Taos, New Mexico, is a U.S. designated National Historic Landmark and is operated as a museum.
But here in the Mt. Zion Cemetery, is a cache placed near the marker of one Keitt Carson Hereford. It is a small, round twist-lock container capable of holding small trade items.