James Longmire

James Longmire

James Longmire (1820 – 1897) was an American explorer and settler. He led the first wagon train to go through the Naches Pass in 1853, and then settled on Yelm Prairie within view of Mount Rainier. His homestead became a popular stop on the way to the mountain, and he farmed and worked as a guide and surveyor. In 1883, he climbed Mount Rainier and found a series of geothermal springs. Those springs were the foundation of the hotel and health spa he built, which at its peak had 12 rooms. He died in 1897.^[1] The town of Longmire, Washington within Mount Rainier National Park is named after him.

References