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211 Epilogue They all left the world as humbly as they had entered, with little or nothing of real tangible wealth to their names. The only one to this day with a substantial grave marker is Joseph, who was originally laid to rest in the Catholic Calvary Cemetery, then moved to Mount Olivet Cemetery in the town bearing his name. His monument stands twelve feet high and was erected by his grandson Louis in 1914. Around the base of the monument are the markers of Antoine, Michel, Francois, though not actually buried there, and Joseph’s wife, Angelique, who died in 1857. All the Brothers Robidoux made and lost great personal fortunes, a reflection of that streak of gambler in each of them. Never patriot to much more than the desire for a new deal or the chance to make a profit, nonetheless they contributed to the founding of, and betterment of, the many communities they lived in, whether it was a frontier outpost or a city with great potential: St. Louis, Franklin, and St. Joseph, Missouri; the Council Bluffs/Omaha, Nebraska area; Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico; and Riverside, California. Americans, quite by accident, they seemed to remain stepchildren of the nation they contributed so much to. Though their presence in the West is frequently overshadowed by other mountain men and Indian traders of note, like Kit Carson, Bill Sublette, Thomas Fitzpatrick, or William Ashley, they stood as equals with nearly all their contemporaries and far above many of them, leaving a substantial and tangible legacy nearly everywhere they operated. In hindsight, many people might judge them to have been less than honorable, even scoundrels, in their dealings and treatment of the Native Americans, especially regarding the use of alcoholic drink to promote their trade and an ongoing sexual exploitation of Indian women. Their dealing with slavery, buying and selling both Native and African American victims, their sharp business practices, frontier polygamy, personal problems with drink or gambling, and the flippant way they approached their national identity make them less than admirable characters in the eyes of some. It must be remembered that the streak of adventurer that each of them carried , their zeal to achieve, their desire to seek and see, their willingness to risk, and great personal courage made them not only important contributors to the 212 The Brothers Robidoux expansion of the nation, but brought them to truly epitomize the spirit of the American West. Their greatest legacy may be that they sired future generations of westerners, who followed in their ancestors’footsteps across the Great Plains and into the mountains, making their own impressions on the land and the native peoples. Others became urban leaders, merchants, and bankers, and their sons and daughters found the American dream, married well, and were blessed with grand families of their own. The number of descendants of the original Brothers Robidoux now number in the many hundreds. 15. The Robidoux Monument in Mount Olivet Cemetery, St. Joseph, Missouri. Photo by the author ...

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