John Boyden Adams (also known as James Capen Adams and Grizzly Adams) (October 22, 1812 – October 25, 1860) was a famous California mountain man and trainer of grizzly bears and other wild animals he captured for menageries, zoological gardens and circuses. Early years Grizzly Adams was born John Boyden Adams to Eleazar Adams and Sybil Capen on October 22, 1812. His parents were of English ancestry. Born and raised in Medway, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston, he received little to no education. Adams began as an apprentice in the footwear manufacturing industry at age fourteen. At age twenty-one, he left that occupation, seeking to satisfy his true love - the outdoors and nature. He signed on with a company of showmen as a zoological collector. John hunted and captured live wild animals in the wildest parts of Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire, where he honed his woodsman, survival, and marksmanship skills. However, Adams told Hittell, his hunting and trapping career ended abruptly when he received severe back and spine injuries from a Bengal tiger he was attempting to train for his employers. Not wanting to become a burden on his family, after a year of recuperating he returned to his cobbler's bench in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1836, John married Cylena Drury and they had three children: Arabella, Arathusa, and Seymour. California and Western States, 1849–1860 In 1849 with the California Gold Rush in progress, John invested his life savings of over $6,000 to buy a large supply of footwear, and had it shipped to St. Louis, Missouri. He intended to sell his goods at great profit to the thousands of forty-niners passing through St. Louis. Through no fault of his own, he lost the entire investment in the St. Louis wharf fire. Shortly thereafter, John's father committed suicide; - it is possible that he had invested heavily in John's scheme. At this point, John felt he had nothing to lose. He had a touch of gold fever and a yearning for adventure. He knew even if he failed to recoup his lost investment in the mines, he could at least support himself by hunting and trapping in the untapped wilds of California. He left his family and relatives behind in Massachusetts and joined the 49ers on their way to California. On his journey via the Santa Fe and Gila trails, he twice survived near fatal illnesses and arrived at