Louis L’Amour

Louis L’Amour had a true hunger for knowledge. Born in Jamestown, ND on March 22, 1908, he cultivated a well-rounded education outside the confines of the classroom. The home he grew up in was close to the railroad and he often witnessed the circus arriving and unloading in town.

Some of the formative experiences in his early years were boxing with his father and brothers in the LaMoore Veterinarian barn and listening to stories of his great-grandfather Ambrose, who was scalped by Sioux Native Americans or his cowboy uncle, Truman Dearborn who was fairly well-known in the west.

Louis landed his first job working at the Train Depot Telegraph office where he learned to type. A few years later, at the age of fifteen, Louis and his family left Jamestown. Louis went on many real adventures after he left including working as an able seaman, mine claim manager, boxer, and ranch hired hand. His early experiences and years in Jamestown influenced his future and molded him as a person, readying him for the rest of his life.

Learn more about Louis L’Amour and visit some of the places he frequented as a young man on the Jamestown Talking Trail. You can also follow in his footsteps with the Louis L’Amour Walking Tour.