John Kirk Townsend: Across the Rockies to the Columbia

National Gazette article on John Kirk Townsend. The newspaper was saved by my grandmother for some unrelated reason.

Happy New Year! A few days ago, my mom showed me an old newspaper she found preserved in a dresser that belonged to my grandmother. The newspaper is called the "National Gazette" and its dated November 22, 1837.  My mom pointed out a small article I might be interested in about a man who traveled across the country named John K Townsend. He had just returned after 4 years of exploration with Mr. Nutall, a "well known biologist," and Capt. Wythe. After a quick google search, I discovered that his book/trail journal is published online: "Across the Rockies to the Columbia by John Kirk Townsend."

It's a fascinating account of his journey, his observations and opinions on the land, the Indians, the wildlife, and a few of his own personal struggles. I'm only about half way through at the moment but it's very reminiscent of the Lewis and Clark story. It's amazing how much the land has changed in just a couple hundred years.

For those interested, here is an account of a few of my thoughts along the CDT in 2013, when the trail crossed Lemhi Pass, where Lewis and Clark reached the "source of the Missouri River..."