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David Thompson papers, 1806-1845

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Thompson, David, 1770-1857.
Title
David Thompson papers
Dates
1806-1845 (inclusive)
Quantity
.5 cubic feet (1 document case, 1 reel microfilm)
Collection Number
Mss 998
Summary
Photostat copies and microfilm of the journals, observations, Indian vocabularies, notes, and other writings of David Thompson, a British explorer of northwestern North America.
Repository
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org
Access Restrictions

The collection is open to the public.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Historical Note

English explorer, trader, and geographer David Thompson (1770-1857) was born in London and educated at the Grey Coat School, Christ's Hospital School, and at Oxford University. While still in his teens he came to Canada as an apprentice with the Hudson's Bay Company, but left in 1797 to become a partner in the North West Company. His extensive explorations of western Canada included the discovery of the source of the Columbia River in 1807, and he surveyed the entire river in 1811. He established trading posts throughout the Pacific north west, including ones on the Kootenai, Pend Oreille, and Spokane Rivers. In his later years he created a comprehensive map of the northern United States and Canada, based on the surveys he and others had completed. From 1816 to 1826 he headed the British commission that established the boundary between the U.S. and Canada. His old age was marred by poverty, and his work was largely forgotten until the posthumous publication of his writings in the early 1900s.

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Content Description

The collection contains Photostat copies and microfilm of selections from Thompson's journals, notebooks, and other writings. Included are his journals, 1806-1812; observations, 1807-1809; courses and distances, 1808-1812; "Saleesh and Kullyspele [sic] vocabulary"; Mandan vocabulary; and report of experiences in the west, written in 1845. The microfilm contains Thompson's journal, 1807; account of trade of the North West Company, 1809; and remarks on the country west of the Rocky Mountains, 1813.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library before any publication use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Preferred Citation

David Thompson papers, Mss998, Oregon Historical Society Research Library

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in the following series:

  • Series A: Journals, 1806-1812
  • Series B: Observations and other writings, 1807-1845
  • Series C: Microfilmed records, 1807-1813

Acquisition Information

Origin of the collection is unknown.

Bibliography

Dictionary of American biography (New York : Scribner's, 1936), v. XVIII, p. 455.

Related Materials

David Thompson, Columbia journals (Montreal ; Buffalo : McGill-Queen's University Press, c1994)

Location of Originals

Originals located at the Archives of Ontario, Canada; the Royal Geographic Society, London, U.K.; and at the Royal Commonwealth Society, U.K.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Finding aid compiled by Geoffrey B. Wexler
2006

CC0

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