Peter Weiser was a private of German descent in the Corps of Discovery. He was a reliable soldier who participated in many of the expedition’s key events, including the salt-making detail at the coast and several diplomatic councils.
Weiser was part of the salt-making camp near present-day Seaside, Oregon, where men boiled seawater to produce salt during the winter at Fort Clatsop. This tedious but essential work produced enough salt to help preserve meat for the return journey.
After the expedition, Weiser joined the fur trade. The Weiser River in Idaho is named after him, as is the town of Weiser. He is believed to have been killed by Native Americans while trapping in Idaho around 1810-1812.
