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Wilson P. Hunt February 5-9, 1812 Campsite

Historic Campsite in Gifford Pinchot NF, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Cascade Range near Hood River, WA

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Wilson P. Hunt February 10, 1812 Campsite

Wilson P. Hunt February 3-4, 1812 Campsite

Hunt floated the Columbia River he an estimated 26 miles “and camped opposite an Indian village” probably near the Little White Salmon confluence. There meeting his land party, he traded the last of his horses for additional canoes.

From this campsite due to the Indian trail ending, the Astorians would canoe to the entrance to “The Cascades of the Columbia River”, portage around the rapids using the opposite shoreline as Lewis and Clark did, and then canoe down the Columbia River to the Pacific Coast.

Unfortunately, rain and high winds delayed the Astorian departure until Feb. 10th. (Hunt 1821, Irving 1836; Rollins 1935, 307)

Hunt added to his diary:

I bought still another canoe for a horse; and on the next day [Feb. 5th] when I reached another village [perhaps Little White Salmon River confluence], I traded our last three horses for two canoes. It seemed to me that the trail by land ended at this village. Hills became snow-covered mountains on which we saw pines. They bordered the river on both sides. Cottonwoods, oaks, and ash trees grew on the waterside, oaks on the nearby hills.

— Hunt

The rain increased greatly and the wind held me for several days opposite an Indian village. A Clatsop Indian came to see us and spoke to me about the establishment at the mouth of the Columbia - as well as about the tragic loss of Mr. McKay [company vessel the Tonquin’s explosion]. He was the third man to relate to me this grievous story. He knew a few English words and asked me for news about Mr. Lewis and Mr. Clark and some of their companions. However, he had learned of the death of Mr. Lewis [who died a mysterious death October 11, 1809]. (26 miles) (Hunt 1821)

— Hunt

Washington Irving added these words:

Even after he was enabled to get under way, he had still to struggle against contrary winds and tempestuous weather… (1836, 2: 73)

— Irving

Attribution of Source Material

The preceding summary for the approximated February 5-9, 1812 Wilson P. Hunt Campsite location is used with thanks for the public domain sources of Hunt 1821 and Irving 1836. Additionally, appropriate parenthetical citations are used with thanks and credit in specific summary passages and quotes for sources that are not in the public domain Rollins 1935. Errors regarding unintended and improper copyright usage will be corrected immediately following notification.

Primary Sources

Hunt, Wilson P., and V.A. Malte-Brun. Nouvelles annales des voyages. v. 10. Paris: Bertrand, 1821. English translation available at Mountain Men and the Fur Trade AMM Virtual Research Center Project http://www.mtmen.org/mtman/html/wphunt/index.html.

Irving, Washington. Astoria, Or Anecdotes of an Enterprise Beyond the Rocky Mountains. Vol. 2. Philadelphia: Carey, Lea, & Blanchard, 1836. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Astoria_Or_Anecdotes_of_an_Enterprise_Be/t6k-AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0.

Rollins, Phillip A., ed. 1935. The Discovery of the Oregon Trail: Robert Stuart’s Narrative of His Overland Trip Eastward from Astoria in 1812-1813: Appendix A: Wilson Price Hunt’s Diary. Bison Book Edition reprinted from the original 1935 edition by Edward Eberstadt and Sons. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1995.

Further Research and Reading

Irving, Washington. Astoria, Or Anecdotes of an Enterprise Beyond the Rocky Mountains. Vol. 1. Philadelphia: Carey, Lea, & Blanchard, 1836. https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/oKk-AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0.

Illustrations and Maps

Clark, William. “Clark’s Columbia River Maps.” Discover Lewis & Clark, April 9, 2021. https://lewis-clark.org/sciences/geography/clarks-maps/clarks-columbia-river-maps/ (accessed April 15, 2022).

Chittenden, Hiram Martin. “Map of the Trans-Mississippi of the United States during the Period of the American Fur Trade as Conducted from St. Louis between the Years 1807 and 1843.” Image. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, 1902. https://lccn.loc.gov/99446195 (accessed February 25, 2022).

Kmusser. “Columbia River Watershed with the Columbia River Highlighted.” April 7, 2008. self-made, based on USGS and Digital Chart of the World data. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Columbiarivermap.png. (accessed March 31, 2022)