John M. Bozeman was born in Pickens County, Georgia in 1835. He left his wife and children to join the gold rush to Colorado in 1860, and later drifted into what would become Montana Territory. Never successful at mining, Bozeman instead turned to promoting a faster route to the Alder Gulch gold country for immigrants in 1863. Bozeman's route followed the eastern front of the Rockies north to the Yellowstone River, then west across the pass which bears his name to this day. The town of Bozeman was established in the Gallatin Valley just west of the pass, and John Bozeman took an active role in promoting it to potential settlers. In April 1867, while traveling to Fort C. F. Smith to secure a flour contract, Bozeman was allegedly killed by Indians. Rumors that maintain he had actually been murdered by his traveling companion, Thomas Cover, have persisted and continue to be debated by historians.

Bozeman's role in promoting his route and adopted community were the focus of research for Montana State University historian Merrill G. Burlingame as early as the 1930s. In 1941, Burlingame published a biographical sketch in the titled "John M. Bozeman: Montana Trailmaker." The article was revised by Burlingame in 1971 and again in 1983 based on material the historian continued to collect. In his research activities, Burlingame was assisted by former MSU president James M. Hamilton and MSU library director Lesley M Heathcote, who corresponded with members of the Bozeman family.