Forgotten Trails: Historical Sources of the Columbia's Big Bend Country - Paperback

by Ron Anglin (Author), Glen W. Lindeman (Editor)

Indian inhabitants laid out the basic travel routes in central Washington's Grand Coulee country probably 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. In the early 1800s, horse-oriented Native Americans continued to use these routes; a host of white frontiersmen followed in their footsteps. Though their passage is now largely forgotten, many individuals prominent in Western history traveled this way and kept excellent records.

In Forgotten Trails, the most noteworthy and exciting of these accounts have been edited into a single volume. Included are the adventures of Lewis and Clark and the Canadian explorer David Thompson, early missionaries such as the Reverend Samuel Parker, railroad surveyors and scientists, Paul Kane and other artists, as well as fur traders, miners, stockmen, military roadbuilders, and homesteaders. The book ends with the celebrated "Grand Horse Roundup" of 1906, and an enthralling Native American perspective.

These firsthand accounts, together with a chapter on traditional Plateau Indian culture and an oral history describing 19th century Indian life, render a portrait of the region's trails and travelers during its flamboyant and exciting frontier era. Forgotten Trails is an essential contribution to the literature of the Columbia Basin.

Back Jacket

Indian inhabitants laid out the basic travel routes in central Washington's Grand Coulee country probably 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. In the early 1800s, the semi-nomadic Sinkiuse and other Native Americans continued to use these routes through the spectacular coulees. Following in their footsteps came a host of white explorers and frontiersmen - at first in a trickle, then in greater numbers by mid-century. Forgotten Trails is a compilation of the most significant firsthand accounts of travel through the region. Included here are the writings of explorers, fur traders, missionaries, railroad surveyors, scientists, and artists, as well as miners, stockmen, military road builders, and packers. A chapter on traditional Plateau Indian culture, and an oral history describing 19th century Indian life in the Grand Coulee area, offer a Native American perspective.