Part II of Farnham's Travels in the Great Western Prairies, etc., October 21-December 4, 1839; and De Smet's Oregon Missions and Travels over the Rocky Mountains, 1845-1846
Thomas Jefferson Farnham, the captain of a small band of nineteen adventurers, set forth from Independence, Missouri to seek the Western prairies, to take possession of the territory of Oregon for the American flag, and to aid in resisting the British fur-trade monopoly. The adventurers followed the Santa Fe Trail, which was infinitely more difficult and dangerous, rather than the Oregon Trail. Although all but four of his fellow adventurers had deserted him, Farnham managed to find a competent guide to steer them across the Colorado Mountains and eventually arrived at the Hudson's Bay Company's headquarters at Fort Vancouver, minus two more of his company. His account of this journey comprises Volume XXVIII. Volume XXIX follows his exploration of the settled portion of the country. After a brief sojourn, he left Oregon on the Hudson's Bay Company's vessel bound for Hawaii, and then took passage for the coast of California, journeyed across Mexico to New Orleans, finally arriving home to Illinois. The value of his writing lies in his detailed descriptions of his journey: his vivid portrayal of the Colorado mountain valleys, streams, and ranges; the fertility of the great parks; and the resources and geography of the area. He made his readers realize the hardy endurance needed for such a journey. Volume XXIX also includes the experiences of Father Pierre Jean de Smet as he made the rounds of his Oregon missions, going to Vancouver and the Willamette, back across the Spokane plains to the Coeur D'Alene mission, and finally to St. Mary's. He also successfully established an alliance between the Flathead and the Blackfeet Indians, and between two warring bands of Blood and Piegan Indians. Even though he never returned as a missionary to the mountain tribes, the United States government requested his assistance in important Indian negotiations.
Reuben Gold Thwaites, LL.D.
(1906), 2007, CD-ROM, Graphic Images, Searchable, Adobe v6, PC or Mac, 424 pp.
ISBN: 9780788444067
101-CD4406
