Most Americans have heard the story of Lewis and
Clark and the Corps of Discovery sent by Thomas Jefferson to explore the
new Louisiana Purchase territory from 1804-1806. What most people do not
realize is that Jefferson also commissioned a second expedition to
explore the southern areas of that new frontier. The president asked
William Dunbar, a Mississippi planter/scientist/surveyor, and George
Hunter, a Philadelphia chemist/apothecary, to lead that expedition on
the Red, Black, and Ouachita Rivers up to the hot
springs. The two men and their crew mapped, described flora and fauna, tested the
waters of the Hot Springs area, and sent Thomas Jefferson the first
report on the huge territory that had just been purchased from France.
This collection includes the journal carried by Dunbar on the trip up the Ouachita, as well as family correspondence and
other materials related to the Dunbar family and their plantation, "The Forest."
For additional information about the Dunbar and Hunter journey, see the
AETN documentary "The Forgotten Expedition."
Contact Us
Jacynda Ammons
OBU Box 3729
Arkadelphia, AR 71998
ammonsj@obu.edu
870.245.5332 |
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