Oregon Historical Society, Davies Family Research Library
Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97205
Phone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
E-mail: libreference@ohs.org
Mss
998
Thompson, David,
1770-1857.
David Thompson
papers
1806-1845
.5 cubic feet (1 document case, 1
reel microfilm)
Photostat copies and microfilm of the
journals, observations, Indian vocabularies, notes, and other writings of David
Thompson, a British explorer of northwestern North America.
Materials are in English and
in various Native American languages.
Biography of David Thompson:
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.
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.
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
The collection is open to the public.
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.
David Thompson papers, Mss998, Oregon Historical Society Research
Library
Origin of the collection is unknown.
Dictionary of American biography (New York : Scribner's, 1936), v. XVIII, p. 455.
David Thompson, Columbia journals (Montreal
; Buffalo : McGill-Queen's University Press, c1994)
Originals located at the Archives of Ontario, Canada; the Royal Geographic
Society, London, U.K.; and at the Royal Commonwealth Society,
U.K.
The collection is indexed under the following headings in the online
catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or
places should search the catalog using these headings:
Thompson,
David, 1770-1857--Diaries.
North West
Company.
Columbia
River--Description and travel.
Columbia River--Discovery
and exploration.
Northwest,
Canadian--Description and travel.
Northwest,
Canadian--Discovery and exploration.
Northwest,
Pacific--Description and travel.
Northwest,
Pacific--Discovery and exploration.
Fur trade--Northwest,
Canadian--History.
Fur trade--Northwest,
Pacific--History.
Indians of North
America--Languages--Glossaries, vocabularies, etc.
Kalispel Indians.
Mandan Indians.
Salish Indians.
British Colmubia
Expeditions and Adventure
Native Americans
Oregon
Washington (State)
Diaries.
Notebooks.
Series A
Journals
1806-1812
1
1806 December 13-1807 July 26
2
1807 July 24-1808 February 8
3
1808 February 4-April 10
4
1808 April 20-June 8
5
1808 August 4-1809 September 26
6
1809 September 27-1810 July 22
7
"Journey from the Boggy Hole
in the Saskachewan [sic] to the Athabasca River"
1810 October 29-1811 June 3
8
Journal and notes on furs,
canoes, Indian
1811 July 3-1812 April 28
9
Journal, navigation of
Athabasca River
1812 April 29-June 26
Series B
Observations and other
writings
1807-1845
10
Courses and
distances
1807
1808 April 20-May 7
11
Courses and distances on the
Columbia River
circa 1808-1812
12
Courses and
distances
1810
1812
13
Courses and distances,
Columbia River
1811 April 17-May 9
14
Courses and
distances
1811 July 3-September 22
15
Observations
1807-1809
16
Mandan vocabulary
undated
17
Salish and Kalispel
vocabulary
undated
18
"Report on experiences in the
west" with some unidentified sheets
1812
1845
Series C
Microfilmed records
1807-1813
1
Journal
1807 May 10-September 22
2
Account of trade of North
West Company
1809
3
Remarks on the country west
of the Rockies
1813