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Adventure EXPLORERS, ADVENTURERS, LEADERS
Here's a little sampling of adventure, read on. HOLIDAYS
WITH THE CORP OF DISCOVERY ____________________________________________________ The more you read and research, the less you really know. Here's a little history for you, did you know that Thomas Jefferson persuaded Congress to adopt a decimalized coinage system which has served as the basis of our monetary system to this day. Like many of the items we take for granted, came from the Franklin - Jefferson period like the one just mentioned, much of our legal system, even business practices to gardening. Its amazing the minds and thoughts that this period generated, truly great thinkers along with being doers. Think where or who we would be if these folks had not stepped forward and took command of the development of this new land. Jefferson's orchards yielded a variety of apples, probably the best selection in the colonies for decades, one of his favorites was the Taliaferro of which he made his favorite apple cider, so sweet he claimed - "no sweetener was needed". TJ was know for his "green thumb", his herb and spices, vegetables and fruits were known world wide, the reason being - of his never ending trade of seeds with all he met in person or by letter. There have been dozen of books written about his passion of growing edibles, his foraging and a love of making fine wines, ciders and his books of every subject known to man. He once wrote to John Adams "I cannot live without books", and these books are now part of our Library of Congress, sold to clear debts owed by Jefferson. Jefferson's library was considered one of the best in the world and biggest in the New World, he admittedly "canine appetite for reading" was well - known - and has inspired the ages. After the British burned part of the Capitol during 1814, destroying the Congressional library, Jefferson offered to sell his personal library to repair the loss. The books numbered nearly seven thousand and became the nucleus of the present day "Library of Congress", "establishing the breathe and character of our nation's library" wrote John Adams. T. J. noted "nature intended me for the tranquil pursuits of science," although politics drew him away from these pursuits, he sill found time for experiments, observations, and calculations wrote Daniel P. Jordan, President of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation located at Jefferson's Monticello home. Throughout his life Jefferson gathered a world - class collection of "mathematical apparatus." In 1786 T.J. visited London's most famous scientific shops, collecting telescopes, microscopes, thermometers, and globes. He was a discriminating collector, finding only pieces of the best workmanship, and materials to create one of the finest sets of scientific equipment displays in America. Later many of these tools would travel to the unknown with the Corps of Discovery lead by Lewis and Clark. Not only interested in the "mathematical apparatus" just mentioned, he designed his own homes, government buildings, parks and wildlife retreats. His designs of furniture, silver and glass wares is still copied today, he was able to gather his thoughts, organize them and then draft a plan to make them a reality. Ben Franklin, Thomas Payne, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson where thought of as equals to Aristotle and Plato of an earlier time. Their vision's in this New World changed the world and the lives of all who came to make it their home And to think, we have problems getting up to go to work each day, and complain when we get home and have a few things to do in the evening.
1823 - 1904
A father of Irish background and a mother from the Delaware tribe, born May 1,1823. Thomas Tate Tobin was to lead an adventurer's life style. At 5'7" tall, considered average for the time, his swarthy complexion and facial features always puzzled those who attempted to guess his nationally. Know for his short temper, ready to fight at the drop of a hat and was a deadly shot with either rifle or pistol, but not a kinder man when talking to friends -"a person never left his camp hungry or penniless, a man of his word". Tobin and a half brother, Charles Autobees, came west to Bent's Fort on the Arkansas River in 1837 or 1838 with Ceran St.Vrain, the partner of the Bent brothers. He spent several of his early western years as a trapper and scout at Bent's Fort and in Taos, New Mexico. However many of Tobin's early activities as a hunter, trapper and Indian fighter remain obscure. Tobin was famous for his uncanny ability to detect and follow sign, in regard to this his old trapper friends would say "he could track a grasshopper through the sagebrush". Known as a crack rifle and pistol shot, and one that knew which end of a knife to use. He was a close friend of men like Kit Carson, "Uncle Dick" Wootton, Ceran St. Vrain, Charley Bent and others that would fill a page alone. A trapper, a scout and most famous for his tracking ability working for different parties and men like Colonel's Inman, Price and Tappan, Major Grier in gaining knowledge of this new land. The stories of Tobin, Carson and Wootton are many, they where ones that could be counted on in a fight or having the ability to follow and report back on any problems in the area, according to General Kearney and Governor Charles Bent. _______________________________________________________ Tobin was a man of few words, a trait well expressed by Edgar L. Hewitt in "CAMPFIRE & TRAIL" a western publication. Tobin was interviewed while on a hunting trip with Mr. Hewitt in the Rockies, asked about Kit Carson, with which the answers, were as follows: "Did you know Kit Carson ?" "I et many a beaver tail with him." "Was Kit as fearless as reported ?" "Wasn't afraid of hell or high water." "How was Kit in his private life ?" "Clean as a hound's tooth." "Was Kit's word as good as it was said to have been ?" "Kit's word was as sure as the sun's coming up." At the end of the interview Tom asked if Hewitt was going to get paid for the interview. "Why yes Mr. Tobin, I will be reinversted for my expenses." "What about mine ?" _______________________________________________________ An interview taken on October 10, 1946 at Sanford Colorado, Kit Carson III, proprietor of the "Kit Carson's Trading Post" located in that same town in the San Luis Valley, told of his noted grandfathers. His paternal grandfather was the famous scout and Indian fighter, Kit Carson, guide for two of John C. Fremont's exploring expeditions. His maternal grandfather was the famous early bounty hunter Tom Tobin, who won a place in western history by exterminating the Espinosa outlaws, wholesale murderers that ran wildly through the southwest. As background for Mr. Carson's story of the killing of the Espinosa as related to him by his Grandfather Tobin, told many times in his years of living with him in the old southwest. The following brief outline of the travels of the notorious outlaws is shown at this time. Felipe Nerio Espinosa and Vivian Espinosa moved to the San Luis Valley from New Mexico in the early 1860's. In 1863 they started the illegal activities in the area, as they had done in New Mexico, by robbing a teamster, tied him to the back of his wagon and whipped his horses, he barely escaped being dragged to death. A detachment of soldiers was sent from Ft. Garland to arrest the Espinosas. They where cornered in a small cabin, but escaped after wounding several soldiers and killing one. The brothers declared war against all anglos and in less than a year they had ambushed and killed twenty-two persons, mostly miners in the California Gulch region. One of the Espinosas was killed, but his place was taken by a cousin and their "private war" continued as eight more victims fell before their guns. A posse of miners set out to kill or capture them, but failed in the several attempts. Following the ambushing of a man and his wife on La Veta Pass, Colonel Sam Tappen, commanding officer at Ft. Garland, called on Tom Tobin to ask for help in stopping the Espinosas's terror. The colonel insisted on providing a detachment of fifteen soldiers for additional support in the capture of the brothers and their band, Tom left them in camp and went ahead, accompanied only by a young Mexican boy, whom he left behind when he actually located the band of killers. At this point historical accounts differ in some respects from Grandpa Tobin's story and what was recorded of the event by records from Ft. Garland. Official records state the teamster ambushed on La Veta Pass escaped with his life and reached Ft. Garland to report the event. Governor Evans offered a reward of $2,500 for the Espinosas, dead or alive; that $500 subsequently was paid to Tom Tobin by the Colorado territorial government, and $1,000 by the Colorado State government. [This only adds up to $1,500 - shorting Mr. Tobin of $1,000 of the reward] _______________________________________________________ This is the story told by Tom Tobin to his grandson Kit Carson III, and some inserts by his other grandfather Kit Carson. One day while gathering cattle with Grandfather Tobin near La Veta Pass, he pointed out the place where he had caught up with the Espinosas, I ask him to tell me about it again and he did. I was just a young kid at the time and lived on every word. He said the actual spot was not in the draw where most people said it was, but in another draw five to six miles away. He felt the actual spot, which he showed me, should not be shown to anyone being the resting place for these killers, he also felt that with missing body parts would "float in limbo" and never settle forever. Tobin's Indian belief's according to Kit Carson. The Espinosas had been working their way from Colorado Springs going south killing anyone they came in contact with, they met the teamster and his wife on La Veta Pass and killed the man from ambush, tied up the woman but she escaped and made her way to Ft. Garland. Colonel Tappin considered Grandpa Tobin the best tracker in the country, had him brought in and asked to catch the Espinosas, the reward was not mentioned. Grandpa was told "kill them for humanity's sake", nothing said about any reward. Upon leaving Ft. Garland the trail was found within a day, he left the soldiers in camp, as they made to many mistakes and where noisy. The Espinosas doubled back on their trail when realizing they where being followed, my grandpa was not fooled. He found a bunch of crows circling around a small area and knew the Espinosas where camped at that spot, and moved in very slowly not to spook the birds, horses or men. He found them busy preparing a meal, the older Espinosas was squatting in front of the fire, while a younger one was hobbling horses. Grandpa waited till the younger one came near the campfire, not wanting anyone to get away in the heat of battle. Hiding behind a rock Grandpa sighted in on the older man and shot him, he fell face first into the fire, grandpa loaded a charge and spit a bare ball into the old Hawken rifle and killed the younger Espinosas. The older Espinosas had rolled out of the fire and had pulled his pistol, but his eyes had been burned in the fire and he couldn't see when grandpa walked up on him. His face looked horrible, being burned in the fire, even his hands had suffered - now looking more like animal claws according to Mr. Carson. Being blind from the fire he didn't see grandpa take his knife and end his life by cutting his head off. He retrieved the other Espinosas head, putting them both in a gunnysack for proof that they where really dead. At this point the soldiers hearing the shots appeared at the scene in time to bury the bodies. (some accounts claim Tobin made the older brother dig the holes before killing him). When arriving at Ft. Garland the Colonel, some of his officers and their wives had been out riding, an announcement was made that grandpa was there to see the Colonel, he was brought into a large room, where the officers and wives relaxing after their ride. The Colonel asked "Any Luck, Tom ?" Grandpa said, "So-so," and he held the gunnysack upside down rolling the heads out on the floor, ladies where screaming, the officers and the Colonel even looked a little green. When I was very young we lived at Ft. Garland in that room, grandpa said that was the Colonel's way of getting even for him rolling those heads out on that floor. Grandpa finally got $400 reward and never saw the remaining amount of the original reward of $2,500. The Governor gave him a buckskin coat that was lined with a red blanket, like one given to my Grandfather Carson, and the Army gave him a Henry rifle, a cousin has the coat and rifle in Durango Colorado last time I heard of them. Grandpa told me that when he buried the Espinosas he found a little money and a small journal that had a list of the people killed in Colorado, He thought it listed twenty-five names, I don't know whatever happened of the little book. I think he turned it over to the people at Ft. Garland. Grandpa Tobin had known Grandpa Carson a long time, they both came from the same town in what is now Missouri, Grandpa Tobin was a lot younger than Grandpa Carson, he looked on him as a sort of hero. Both of my Grandfathers would joke about a newspaper clipping from St. Louis, that showed Grandpa Carson's name as a runaway and a reward of ONE CENT for his return. Evidently the man did not value grandpa very highly, or maybe it was illegal to offer a reward. _______________________________________________________ Years later it was reported that Tom had a run-in with the law after trying to stab his son-in-law for hitting his daughter, Bill Carson shot Tom in the side after hitting him in the head with a 4-pound hammer, both where drunk at the time. A few days later Bill and Tom talked about it, ironed out their problems and stayed friends until Bill's death. Tom never received all of the $5,000 reward, but Governor Shoup of Idaho gave him $1,000 and in 1893, thirty years later after the killing of the Espinosas, Senator Smith an old friend got Colorado to pay Tom another $1,000. Tom Tobin is buried in a small cemetery north of Ft. Garland, visited by many yearly and the story still lives on of a brave man of the mountain and his adventures. References: Alamosa Independent Journal, May 3, 1888-April 14, 1890. Colorado Magazine, March 1932. Uncle Dick Wootton, Conrad, H.L., 1890. Denver Post Empire Magazine, 1900. Denver Republican, May 1888. Campfire & Trail, Hewitt, E.L., New Mexico Press, 1913. FOOTNOTE:
There's an old man that works there showing some kids how an apple peeler works at another counter near by. I call a friend over, "Trapper look at this, it's Tom Tobin's coat." The old man stops and comes over, "How do you know about Tom Tobin"? I tell him I saw a sketch of that coat in Hanson's Mountain Man Sketch Book, he doesn't know what I'm talking about, I try to explain. He excuses himself to finish with the apple peeler demo, but tells us to stay put. He returns in about 5 minutes, and explains that he's Tom Tobin's youngest grandson (probably in his mid seventies), and is really surprised about anyone even knowing about him. We ask if we can see the coat (you know - the one with the cut-out diamonds and the red wool blanket showing through), it's in excellent condition when you consider the age of it. Mr. Tobin (never got our host's first name) is pleased with our remarks and offers to show us more. "Would you like to see the Henry rifle the army gave him" ! "How about the war shirt the Indians presented him" ? "Have the papers granting him the $1000 reward, signed with an "X" by his friend Kit Carson, and co-signed by a Captain from Ft. Garland". We partake in the viewing of these items with remarks and showing our excitement, he's very pleased. He tells us he doesn't remember much as a young lad about his grandfather, other than he was real ruff on the kids, didn't like them under foot. After we are finished looking at the above mentioned items, he tells us that the reward was never paid to Tom or his family as far as he knew. "It's been in a federal court somewhere in Washington", was his comment on that. Can remember if we finished looking around or just thanked him and left, we couldn't wait to get to a phone and call Chadron NE. It took several tries to get through to Charley, I told him what we found, he told me I was pulling his leg. Trapper tells him the same story, Charley can't believe we got that lucky - historians have researched these items for years and we stumble into them. To make a long story short, the following spring Charley calls and wants to go from Chadron NE to Durango CO, in search of the Tobin coat. I agree to call the museum and make sure that the coat and the grandson are going to be available. Call Charley, he's disappointed, Marie wants to visit friends in Ft. Collins CO and doesn't want to drive all the way to Durango another 8 hours from Collins or my place. I tell Charley to have Marie drop him at my place and we'll make the trip, which is what happens. In Durango and at the museum I put the two gentlemen together, they talk and look at different items for hours, long enough that I go get lunch for both of them, come to think of it we all go to dinner and I got stuck for that tab also. Mr. Hanson owes me big time, just kidding - he has been so good to me, I could never repay his kindness. Mr. Tobin and Charley spend the weekend talking about mountain men, they have probably had the best time, they each have had for years talking about something they both seem to love. This made the whole trip (16 hours driving) worth while to watch these two and see their excitement telling each other old war stories. Now that you have the story after the story as someone use to say in resent years, let be tell you about the man behind the story - Tom Tobin. (SEE TOP)
Mariano Medina Born in Taos, New Mexico in 1812, Mariano Medina was a friend of Kit Carson, Louis Vasquez, the Bent brothers along other legendary mountain men like Jim Bridger and Tom Toblin. With his early experiences as a trapper, trader, hide trader, bounty hunter (captured 2 Utes for a reward), and known for his vast knowledge of the wilderness. Known as a half-breed, half-breed Frenchman, Jicarilla Apache, and a Spaniard according to frontier terminology. His ability became apparent when in the service as an aide to John C. Fremont in his exploration of the west. Along with providing his skills to Fremont, he also was employed as a guide for Captain Randolph B. Marcy's exciting trek across the Rockies in the winter during the Mormon War. It is known through reports of these events and journals of several fur trade companies that one Mariano Medina was in their employ from time to time, he had spent time on the trail and in camps and on the trap line throughout the fur trade making life long friends with many famous mountaineers. With the days of the fur trade coming to an end and growing older for providing a guide service for explorations, Mariano settled down and proclaimed he was the first settler on the Big Thompson Creek (River) in1858 (the unorganized western district of the Territory of Nebraska) near present day Loveland, Colorado. The years spent on the Sweetwater and Green River had taught him a thing or two about water, crossing it and building structures that would withstand its force. Starting business with a raft to ferry teams across and charging fifty dollars in gold for the service, after a season a toll bridge built high enough to avoid the high spring run-off with its construction and eventually building a fort and trading post "Marianne's Crossing", soon it became the favorite stopping place for the growing numbers of travelers involved in the western movement and of course his now famous mountain friends made frequent stops. Many references in journals, newspapers of the time, mention of famous mountain men: "Kit Carson spent the past week with friend Jesus Garcia Mariano Medina at his post in the Big Thompson canyon". Loveland News June 1858 or "Mr. Ceran St.Vrain has been seen in the company of Mariano Medina near Estes Park, a family outing with several other famous people - William Gilpin (future governor of Colorado), Jos'e de Mirabal and William Bent (trader)". Rocky Mountain News 5th of Sept. 1858. In March 1861 Tim Goodale and his wife, Jennie, joined old friend Mariano, on the Thompson. Noted in their journal that a group of Indians where living about a mile or so below (on the south side of the river) from Mariano's place, the leader was Nawat (Niwot, or Left Hand) [Arapahoe]. North were Cheyennes with their leader Big Mouth, they spent most of their time watching a thousand ponies pastured on the Cache la Poudre. Also noted was the viewing of a hunting party of Sioux working their way up the Thompson canyon near present day Estes Park Mariano had lots activity around his location, he was happy and business and times where good at this location according to friends and family. "His post was a known location for the "pony trade", "Whites", "Mexicans" and "Indians" traded on a regular schedule here in the Big Thompson Valley........" reported the Denver Rocky Mountain News. This horse trade attracted many groups of Indians, they counted theirs and Mariano's wealth by the number of ponies one owned, this turns out to be trouble for "Marianne's Crossing". On the morning of 17 April 1861 Mariano Medina experienced a raid on his post and the stealing of his ponies, that throw him into a rage. In the days to follow Medina, Goodale, and Mirabal tracked down the stolen ponies and the band of Indians that had taken them. "On the morning of 21 April 1861 they discovered the remains of a camp fire on the banks of a creek and spotted the culprits, at which time they discharged their rifles and charged forward, the Ute Indians fled in all directions with Mariano, Tim and Jos'e in hot pursuit". according to W.J. Menton, reporter for the Rocky Mountain News. "Cowards !" yelled Mariano, "Come back and fight for horses !" Suddenly the Indians wheeled around and charged Mariano, taking his hat off and waving as though signaling for help, where upon the Indians scattered, thinking they where out numbered. Mariano shot several of the Indians, leaving the battleground bestrewn with blood, their arms [weapons] thrown in all directions, they escaped with only five ponies." the report reads. Three days later Mariano and his group return with fifty head of stolen horses, the Indians had shot five and had gotten away with five. Twenty one shots where fired, in something less than three minutes according to some reports, with the highest praise given to Medina, Sueze Luis, Merival and 'Uncle' Tim Goodale for their skilled handling of the event. After this attack Mariano had his Mexican labors start building his fort to protect the people living at his settlement. It has been noted that in the 1871 Medina loaned the new founded First National Bank of Ft. Collins, Colorado a sum of money to start business, money gotten from the toll bridge operation and trading post enterprise - $61,000.00. A large sum like this shows how successful his business had become, it's said that some would pay as little as 25 cents to make the crossing on a busy day and as much as $100.00 on a slow day, freighters loaded with gold would usually pay the most and Mexicans crossed free. With such extreme changes in "crossing" costs, some researchers claim Mariano was responsible for many of the small communities around the Loveland area. Settlers waiting for a busy business day to make their crossing in moving westward would decide that the area and available homestead ground was more attractive than first thought. In his later years he was known as a fashionable gentleman of the area, stories of his parties with the new settlers, travelers and guests coming to his settlement, his wines, Santa Fe cooking, and great hospitality was becoming legend, Mariano had come into his own. On occasion he would show his now famous Hawken muzzleloader "Old Lady Hawkens", parade around in his white Spanish style leather jacket, leather breeches, fancy knitted long socks and beaded moccasins. One visitor remarked "what a worldly gentleman Mr. Medina was and a credit to the country", while ladies were charmed by all the airs of this Spanish gentleman, the men from the States were impressed with his guns, and trophies of a wilder time. Something about this Mexican and his flashing smile fascinated everyone, locals and newcomers alike, anyone that had ever heard of him, a legend in his own time, stories that had gotten better with each telling. One such story is about Mariano and his new gun. He was sitting outdoors examining the new rifle, lining up the sights, fingering the trigger, and testing its weight, like a child with a new toy. Suddenly without warning, Mariano raised the gun to his shoulder and fired, shooting a Mexican laborer off the roof of a building he was repairing. When the sheriff asked Mariano why he shot the man, Mariano replied "AW, him make such a purty target, all dressed up in his white shirt." Another story was a tale that after the death of his Indian wife, Mariano bought a white wife from one of the early settlers, paying for her with whiskey. Stories and tales of legends aside, it is clear that Mariano was not to be taken lightly. The following appears in the court records of Larimer County, Colorado Territory:
At times "Medina's Crossing" was referred to as "Marianna's Town" and he was its "major domo"-the "Don Juan of the Thompson." Mariano's daughters where famous for their expensive tastes, styles and clothing, appearing at fashionable engagements with the upper crust of Denver, its fashionable night spots and appearing in parades throughout the area. Stories, poems and articles of these ladies, their father and brother where common news in the weekly papers. To be an associate, friend or guest of the Medina family was to be the "in-thing" in Colorado at this time in history. Lena Medina still lives on even in 1960, when the family graves where moved only one female body was identified, that of Mariano's Indian wife - "John". Then the story of the Indian burial on the ridge northwest of Loveland is brought to mind. Harold Dunning, Loveland's historian labels the burial that of an "Indian Princess" to be Lena's resting place, now the appearances of Medina's step son at this location several times a month starts to add up, he's visiting his step sister's grave, along with other family members. Not much has been written about some of the children, Lena and Louis seem to have been the most visible in the eyes of the researchers over the years. Louis, the French trapper's son and Mariano's step son; raised by Medina he recalled going with him (Mariano) to Ft. Bridger, Ft. Vasquaz, Ft. Laramie, and the remains of Bent's Fort, getting his one and only spanking by his mother for racing his pony on the sand dunes of the Salmon River in Idaho. Louis would have been in his early teens when coming to the Big Thompson Valley with his family, he worked most of his adult life with cattle and cattle ranches in the Estes Park, Colorado area. Louis Papin (Papa) was well known in the Loveland area and very visible in public as the yearly town marshall for the Loveland Parade and other events in the early 1900's, he was often seen riding his white horse and wearing his father's fancy clothes (seen in several accounts wearing the white breeches and long knitted socks) at special occasions. He rode in the hills around Loveland and up the canyon of the Big Thompson from Loveland to Estes Park most of his life, he would travel northwest of Loveland several times a month to visit family member graves near Masonville, Colorado, now covered by years of quarry work. [SEE ARTICLE- MEDINA'S BREECHES] Not much has been written about Medina when compared to other mountain men of this period. Zethyl Gates a local librarian living in Loveland, is considered the expert on Medina the legend, she wrote a book about him published in 1981. Probably the most complete work assembled of the man, his life and his time from February 20, 1812 to June 28, 1878, along with family relations into the 1920's. Gates has spent much of her life researching this interesting individual, his family and his ancestors, even going to Spain to search family records. For more detailed information see: Mariano Medina / Colorado Mountain Man by Zethyl Gates; ISBN: 0-933472-51-X, LCCatalog Card No. 80-83140; Johnson Publishing Company,Boulder, CO ______________________________________________________ A few facts about Thomas Jefferson Hears a little history for you, did you know that Thomas Jefferson persuaded Congress to adopt a decimalized coinage system which has served as the basis of our monetary system to this day. Like many of the items we take for granted, came from the Franklin - Jefferson period like the one just mentioned, much of our legal system, even business practices to gardening. Its amazing the minds and thoughts that this period generated, truly great thinkers along with being doers. Think where or who we would be if these folks had not stepped forward and took command of the development of this new land. Jefferson's orchards yielded a variety of apples, probably the best selection in the colonies for decades, one of his favorites was the Taliaferro of which he made his favorite apple cider, so sweet he claimed - "no sweetener was needed". TJ was know for his "green thumb", his herb and spices, vegetables and fruits were known world wide, the reason being - of his never ending trade of seeds with all he met in person or by letter. There have been dozen of books written about his passion of growing edibles, his foraging and a love of making fine wines, ciders and his books of every subject known to man. He once wrote to John Adams "I cannot live without books", and these books are now part of our Library of Congress, sold to clear debts owed by Jefferson. Jefferson's library was considered one of the best in the world and biggest in the New World, he admittedly "canine appetite for reading" was well - known - and has inspired the ages. After the British burned part of the Capitol during 1814, destroying the Congressional library, Jefferson offered to sell his personal library to repair the loss. The books numbered nearly seven thousand and became the nucleus of the present day "Library of Congress", "establishing the breathe and character of our nation's library" wrote John Adams. TJ noted "nature intended me for the tranquil pursuits of science," although politics drew him away from these pursuits, he sill found time for experiments, observations, and calculations wrote Daniel P. Jordan, President of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation located at Jefferson's Monticello home. Throughout his life Jefferson gathered a world - class collection of "mathematical apparatus." In 1786 TJ visited London's most famous scientific shops, collecting telescopes, microscopes, thermometers, and globes. He was a discriminating collector, finding only pieces of the best workmanship, and materials to create one of the finest sets of scientific equipment displays in America. Later many of these tools would travel to the unknown with the Corps of Discovery lead by Lewis and Clark. Not only interested in the "mathematical apparatus" just mentioned, he designed his own homes, government buildings, parks and wildlife retreats. His designs of furniture, silver and glass wares is still copied today, he was able to gather his thoughts, organize them and then draft a plan to make them a reality. Ben Franklin, Thomas Payne, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson where thought of as equals to Aristotle and Plato of an earlier time. Their vision's in this New World changed the world and the lives of all who came to make it their home And to think, we have problems getting up to go to work each day, and complain when we get home and have a few things to do in the evening.
Jefferson's Letter to Lewis 1803 We received this interesting article by e-mail several years ago from a person that only signed as "JK.", wish we had more than that to give proper credit to a well written and informative article. EXPEDITION TO THE PACIFIC Instructions to
Captain Lewis June 20,1803 by Department of Humanities Computing Mathematical
Instruments: For
entertainment, he often played the violin while guests danced the Virginia reel
and other favorites. Choice guests were men of the Enlightenment who conversed
in French, Italian and German. They were well-educated and well-read, raptly
curious about many topics, especially natural history, geography and the rights
of man. JK.
Read the account of David Campbell's travels, he thought the great adventures of the fur trade and earlier were gone. David Campbell's Account of travels west in 1846 The following is a portion of the account of the Campbell family migration to and experiences in California, selected from David Campbell's articles in The Weekley Review (Porterville, CA) of July 14, 21, and 18, 1899 - (It is taken from the 1934 book by Ina H. Steiner entitled "Porterville Genealogies" Pages 304-310): A Pioneer of 1846 "There were 250 wagons in rendezvous at Independence, Missouri, ready to start for California on April 1, 1846. In order to guard against Indian raids we organized into companies of 25 to 50 wagons, each company electing its own captain. We then elected Col. William Russell of Kentucky as commander. We left Independence April 2. Each captain had to furnish four men from his company to stand guard at night ... We concluded it would be best for each company to be independent and keep as near together as possible. Each wagon had from two to three yoke of oxen. In a short time the most of the companies divided up - some of the men wanted to rush through.... The party which hurried soon found that their cattle could not stand it, for by the time they had reached the Platte their cattle were tender footed and gave out. The company I was in made it a rule that if they could find a suitable place to camp they would always lay over one day in every week in order to rest up and do their washing. We aimed to travel 12 miles each day stopping when a good camping place was found. There were a great many buffaloes on the Plains at that time. We would hardly ever be out of sight of a band of from 100 to 1000 of the magnificent animals...There were four of us who had nothing else to do but hunt, viz. Green Patterson, John Foster, David Wray and myself . . .The way we managed to get them was to station three men out to one side and not let the buffalo see them - this was easy to do as the country was rolling- and then one would go around and start them in the direction of the men laying in wait; and as they passed the men would select a fine one and shoot him. If the animal was only wounded he would turn and make for the smoke of the gun; all we had to do was to jump to one side and put in another shot . . .-There would be from 5 to 10 killed each day ... and antelope . . . The buffalo is very clumsy and runs like a cow... When one starts to run you can't turn him but have to get out of the way. We had to be on our guard to keep them from stampeding our stock. "By the time the companies that were trying to rush through had reached Ft. Laramie their stock gave out; but they found traders there; so they traded their oxen off for others; and before we got to Ft. Hall they were in the rear. We were out of the buffalo range when we struck the Rocky Mts.; but we found plenty of mountain sheep, or goats as some people called them ... They too went in bands ranging from 1000 to 3000 and inhabited the roughest places in the mountains, going with ease over places where a man could not walk. They had very large horns which seemed to be quite useful to them at times, and especially so when they jumped down from one cliff to another for they would always light on their heads. There were a great many wolves in the Rocky Mts ... They were very large and white and would come around our camp at night and bark. We had a great many large streams to cross; but fortunately the rivers were all very low that year ... and were all forded without getting anything in the wagons wet, and without having to prop up the wagon beds. "We traveled up Sweet River for two days; the beaver dams were thick on the river and the mountains on each side were capped with snow. This brought us up to the Devil's Gate, where we laid over for one day to view the grand scenery. The river made a short turn here and came rushing down a narrow pass some 500 feet, with solid rock on both sides, the channel being about fifty feet wide. This brought us on the waters of the Pacific slope. Bear River was also a beautiful stream and was full of large mountain trout. When we reached the Steam Boat Spring, we laid over a day to fish and enjoy the grandeur which surrounded us. The water in this spring was boiling and threw up steam some twenty feet high and would cook a piece of meat in just a few minutes. It was close to the river bank; and the mountains came up close to the spring; the rocks for a mile around looked as if they had been thrown out of a burning pit. They looked like burned cinders. Some of the company thought that was surely the Devil's regions. "When we arrived at Fort Hall we found about 500 Indians of the Flathead tribe who had come to trade. They had buffalo hides and deer skins and would pay any price for beads and tobacco. We bought some buffalo robes; and I bought a horse for five pounds of tobacco and a pound of beads. I afterwards sold this horse to the Government for $50. We found this tribe of Indians very friendly. After we left Fort Hall the mountain fever began to rage among the members of the party; and as there was not a doctor in any of the companies a great many people died. So, by the time we arrived at Goose Creek, where the Oregon road turned off, about fifty wagons concluded they would go to Oregon, as they had so many deaths in their families. ("The Donner party concluded they would take another road, which was called the Hastings Cut-off, by way of Ft. Bridger. This road proved to be a longer and a worse road. The two roads came together again at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mts. The Donner party were to put up a notice when they got there, but the company I was in got there two weeks before they did. For some reason they got to quarreling; and their captain killed a member of the company; and they gave him 12 hours in which to leave the party. William McCutcheon and a Mr. Eddy left the company with him, overtaking our party forty miles from Sutter's Fort. The remainder of the Donner party got to the foot of the mountain; but the storm came on and they could get no farther. The families of the three men named above were with the Donner party and were all saved. William McCutcheon and the Captain that was run off were members of the second party which went to their rescue in the spring. They made an attempt to go to them in the winter; but they could not get their Indian pilot to go through with them...) "Our company had a good road most of the way, considering the fact that it was a mountain road and had never been worked. Those who came to California bore to the south and came into what is called the '1000Spring Valley', a level valley surrounded by mountains. There were large holes of water every few rods all over the valley, the water being as clear as crystal. They were from five to ten feet across; and the water was about one foot below the surface of the ground; and they never run over. The ground would shake them when a person walked over it. We could not see the bottom of them. I tried to touch bottom with a ten-foot pole, but couldn't do it. We had to guard our stock to keep them from getting into these holes. There were a few willows growing in this valley. "Just after leaving Spring Valley we struck the head of the Humbolt River. Here we came in contact with hostile Indians, the first we encountered on the trip. We traveled down river for several days. There were thick willows and good grass all the way down; but the water was bad. We had only one rain on us during the whole trip across the plains. When we buried our dead we had to bury them in the corral and let the stock tramp everything down so the Indians would not find the place, for they would dig it up and get the cloth the body was wrapped in. Three of our men were killed by Indians. They used poisoned arrows; and when shot by one of them the poison would go all through one's system. The Indians would hide in the willows and shoot arrows in our stock. We had to corral our stock every night and guard them while they were feeding. When we got to the 'sink' of this river we found that we had a desert of 35 miles to cross without water or grass. We started in the evening and traveled all night reaching the Truckee river the next evening. This was a beautiful river; and there was plenty of grass for the stock. We traveled down the river for two days and crossed and recrossed it 25 times. We then left the river and bore to the west. This brought us into the mountains where we found we had very rough country to travel over. When we came to the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mts. it looked as though we could not get any farther; but as we had no time to lose we double-teamed and took one wagon at a time up to the summit. It was so rocky that we had to work our way around the rocks, and only got a short distance in two days. We had a rocky road to travel over after we got up the mountain; but it was not very steep until we got to Boca Creek, where we had to chain a tree to the wagons in order to get down the hill safely. This was the steepest hill we had on the whole trip. After we got down to the creek we had to stop and grade a road to get up the hill. There were two companies; and it took us three days to complete the grade. This brought us on to a dividing ridge which we followed down to the North Fork of the American River, a distance of fifty miles. By this time a good many of the company were out of flour; so they started myself and another man to Johnson's place to get flour. We got 100 pounds and started back to the company. "The men that had left the Donner Party overtook us about 30 miles from Johnson's and told us what had happened ... and that they were fearful lest the party would never get through. Our company reached Johnson's place all right and in good spirits. We laid over there two days. While there we heard that the American fleet had landed and hoisted the American flag over the Capitol, and also in Los Angeles. From here we started for Sutter's Fort, a distance of fifty miles. There was no road; but it was level country...We laid over there several days, bringing the time up to the tenth of October, making a six months' journey from Independence, Mo. The first American child born in California was born the next day after we arrived at Sutter's Fort. They named the child John Sutter Whisman; he is now living in Oregon. Sutter had two flour mills running to supply the immigrants with flour. This flour was coarse and had not been bolted. The mills were built in a cheap style. They used two stones with a lever attached; and a squaw could turn the lever around. We got fine beef. They were only worth what the hide and tallow would bring. A large beef was valued at $5. After being here five days the immigrants divided up, some going to Napa County and others to Santa Clara County. "Just before we separated, Lt. Blackburn came up from Monterey as a recruiting officer for Col. Fremont to enlist men to join his regiment going to Lower Calif., where the American flag had been pulled down and the Spanish flag hoisted instead. All of the men who could go enlisted; and their families were ordered to go to Santa Clara Mission, where they could be guarded and have houses to live in. Col. Fremont commissioned Capt. Arom to raise a company and guard the women and children." On November first at San Jose, David Campbell joined a company of fifty men of Captain Buress who had secured 500 horses and saddles for Fremont. When these had gone as far south as the Salinas plains they fell into an ambush of Spaniards, who killed one of the six advance guards. Twenty men were detailed to run the horses to Gomez's corral two miles away. The rest attacked the Spaniards, discounting to shoot, then mounting to charge. The Spaniards were scattered; but Buress was killed by his horse' running away and taking him into the midst of the enemy who "speared" him. The Americans "held the ground". Both sides recovered and buried their dead: five Americans and eighteen Spaniards. David Campbell returned from Monterey to San Jose with Lieut. Blackburn, who was sent by Fremont with a cannon. On account of sickness in his family he remained at San Jose under Capt. Webber, and was in the Santa Clara battle in January, 1847. 250 Spaniards, who had hoisted their flag "were in rendezvous near what we call Half Moon Bay. They were commanded by Schanres who had been paroled. Captain Webber found where they had been encamped; and they only had sixty men in their company. He notified Lieut. Maddix who had a company of 50 rangers ... He also notified Capt. Mardson, who was captain of the marines at Urbano, which is now called Presidio. He came up with a cannon and 100 men on foot. Mardson ranked in office, so both the officers had to submit to his orders. By this time the Spaniards had moved camp to within three miles of the Santa Clara Mission where the women and children were living. They were guarded by Captain Arom. He could not leave his post; so he put up breast-works to keep them from getting to the houses and for his men to fight behind. The Spaniards were camped in full view of the Mission. The people at the Mission expected every hour to be attacked; but they were there three days when our soldiers came upon them. Capt. Webber came up on the north of them, and Lieut. Maddix on the south and got between them and the Mission. Mardson was behind them with his marines and cannon. The Spaniards advanced toward the Mission across a mud slough which was a half mile wide. When Mardson got into that they commenced firing at him; and he could not use the cannon on account of the mud; and as the Spaniards would not get within 300 yards of his men, they could not hit a man. Capt. Webber and Lieut. Maddix charged on them; but the Spaniards kept too far away; and they could not do them much damage. They killed three Spaniards and wounded several; one American was shot in the leg. The fight lasted three hours; and at night the Spaniards retreated to their camp. The next morning they sent in a flag of truce. Capt. Mardson was the highest in rank; so he had to treat with them. They parleyed for three days trying to come to terms. They had run all of the horses off which they had taken from the Americans and had hidden all of their good guns; then they were willing to come to terms; but they had to stack all of their arms and give up all of the horses they had taken. They were to drive everything in and let the Americans take their pick. They had over 50 head. The Americans gave was the first sawmill built in Santa Clara County. When we finished the mill we went back to the mines. The first of September we went to the place now called Placerville. The gold here was very coarse. The only tools we used in getting it out were a pick, spoon, butcher knife and pan. I stayed there three weeks and averaged $50 per day for that time. "One of our party was taken sick with mountain fever; so I had to put him into a wagon and take him to San Jose. And when I got there I concluded to go to work in my sawmill, instead of going back to the mines. I commenced making lumber and sold it at $50 per thousand. I kept on raising the price; and in 1849 it went up to $300 per thousand at the mill; and everything else was high in proportion. Flour sold at $30 a barrel. In 1849 everything was booming at San Jose. "There were only five houses in San Francisco in 1847: the custom's house, post-office, Leigdoff's store, and a tavern kept by Mr. Bennett. There was not a wharf in the place until the fall of 1847. Mr. Clark, a man who crossed the Plains with me, put up the first wharf, running it out from Clark's Point which was named for him. The first town lots were laid off in 1847. They made the streets only eighty feet wide; but in 1850 they found the streets were too narrow; so they moved the buildings back twenty feet on the main streets. One can hardly believe that there could be such a change made in fifty-two years. San Jose was an old Spanish town. In the fall of 1847 the Alcalde issued a proclamation calling all the citizens together who were living on the town land to survey off the town into lots and to release the remainder of the land that belonged to the town under the Spanish law. So they found there were forty families entitled to land. They surveyed it off in five acre tracts and gave each one a lease for ninety-nine years. This is called the San Jose Forty Thieves; but being done under the Spanish law the title is good. I helped to survey the town in 1847 ... At this time there was not an American living in San Jose except a few who had been there for twenty years and had Spanish families. The Alcalde was a shrewd Englishman and was appointed by the governor." As to the first Protestant sermon in California, "in December 1846, there was a local Methodist preacher, who crossed the Plains with us, preached a funeral sermon aver the remains of the daughter of Capt. Arom who had died just before Christmas ... The minister's name was Heacock. The sermon was preached in old Santa Clara Mission." (Note: Because of the details of life among the first Americans and in crossing the Plains, it has seemed best to omit practically nothing from Mr. Campbell's articles. To understand the route across the Plains, the places named might be put into the present states of their location: Independence was not far from Kansas City of today on the Missouri River at the western boundary of Missouri; farther northwest is the Platte River crossing the state of Nebraska; Ft. Laramie is in the eastern edge of Wyoming, about a third of the way from the southeast corner; continuing fairly westward across Wyoming up the Sweetwater River leads through the pass of the Rockies known as South Pass. (Ft. Bridger is farther south in the very southwest corner of Wyoming; it would seem that the main body of the immigrant train did not bend south to Ft. Bridger, but that the Donner Party left the others and passing through Ft. Bridger went on southwestward through Utah and then westward through Nevada to the Truckee River where Reno now is.) The main part of the train continued westward across the Bear River in southeastern Idaho to Ft. Hall where they first touch the Snake River, followed the Snake halfway across the southern edge of Idaho (the route they were following to this point was the Oregon Trail) but at the Goose Creek which flowed from the south they turned south into Nevada and on the Humboldt and Truckee followed approximately the present Lincoln Highway.)
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