Epic Wanderer: David Thompson and the Opening of the West

by Darcy Jenish

Popular historian D'Arcy Jenish recreates the adventure and sacrifice of mapmaker David Thompson's fascinating life in the wilderness of North America. Epic Wanderer, the first full-length biography of David Thompson, is set in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries against a broad canvas of dramatic rivalries -- between the United States and British North America, between the Hudson's Bay Company and its Montreal-based rival, the North West Co., and between the various First Nations thrown into disarray by the advent of guns, horses and alcohol. Less celebrated than his contemporaries Lewis and Clark, Thompson spent nearly three decades (1784-1812) surveying and mapping over 1.2 million square miles of largely uncharted Indian territory. Travelling across the prairies, over the Rockies and on to the Pacific, Thompson transformed the raw data of his explorations into a map of the Canadian West. Measuring ten feet by seven feet, and laid out with astonishing accuracy, the map became essential to the politicians and diplomats who would decide upon the future of the rich and promising lands of the West. Yet its creator worked without personal glory and died in penniless obscurity. Drawing extensively on David Thompson's personal journals, illustrated with his detailed sketches, intricate notebook pages and the map itself, Epic Wanderer charts the life of a man who risked everything in the name of scientific advancement and exploration.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Canada

320 pages, Paperback

First published September 21, 2004

Reviews

[Tweela S. Houtekamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is interesting (and somewhat sad) that, without the research of Joseph Tyrrell and his work with the Geological Survey of Canada, Thompson would be lost to history, unacknowledged for his accomplishments. What a life he led, what achievements and innovations! The experiences of these explorers and the challenges they faced is almost unfathomable to me.

I found it ironic (and also very sad) that his wife and children often joined him on his trips in canoes down the river, or lived in various trading posts with no ill health plaguing them. Yet the two of them lost two of their children shortly after finally settling in a fine city home. And still, eleven surviving children!! His poor wife!

Thompson appears to have been an intelligent, mostly self-taught, polymath, able to communicate with several First Nation tribes, and navigating most of their politics and enmities as well as calculating crazy math solutions, being a clever general problem solver and determined survivor. It is unfortunate that the British government was too distracted by other events to listen to his advice about the territories through which the Columbia River flowed as Washington State and Oregon could have ended up as a part of Canada. I was pleased to read that he treated his metis wife with the respect that he did, including her in all events in the "white" society they joined in the city. Still, marrying a thirteen year old at the age of 30 seems a bit creepy. It is astounding that they were married for 57 years at the time of his death. He really was obsessed with his "great map" and writing down all of his adventures and it is unfortunate that he was not credited for his accomplishments during his lifetime.

[Darren Kirby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great biography of David Thompson which spans his voyage to Churchill as a 14 year old apprentice to the HBC, until his death in 1857. The first two-thirds of the book describe his travels throughout what would become western Canada, including his time spent as clerk and writer for the fur-trade outfits. The last third describes the time after his 'retirement' wherein he used his detailed notes to draw a map of unrivalled size and accuracy. It also describes his time working for the US-Canada boundary commission surveying the border after the Treaty of Ghent.

The book is an easy, enjoyable read, and

is recommended for anyone with an interest in the fir trade, early indigenous culture, mapmaking, and the times prior to the birth of Canada.

My only issue with this book is that it is hard to follow along with Thompson's travels, as many of the rivers, forts, and various way-marks have different contemporary names. It would not have been difficult for the author to provide current, common names for these places in parentheses so the reader could follow along on a contemporary map.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting insight about the Epic Journey and Work undertaken by David Thompson. His travels across the interior of North America (mainly Canada, and western portions of U.S.A.), between 1774 - 1840's, surveying and mapping the wilderness, and interacting with local inhabitants and tribes. His travels, in miles and difficulty, are amazingly profound. The moral and phyiscal strengths needed to accomplish such, while weathering the natural and harsh climatic conditions, bitter cold and sweltering heat, and geographically design, raging rapids and mountainous terrain. Would cripple most human's spirit.

Excellently edited and considering it's a biography, which tend to be bland at times...this story kept me interested and focused on finishing...and gaining knowledge of his entire life's story. If you are a Canadian...highly recommend this read. After driving across Canada last year, so many names and events were even familiar to me.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "Epic Wanderer" D'Arcy Jenish does Canadians a great service, revealing the fundamental forces and events of Canadian History through the life of David Thompson. Thompson's epic life and (directed) wanderings through the geography and history of Canada -- from Hudson's Bay to the Pacific, from the Arctic Circle to the Mississippi, from urban Montreal to the farms of Glengarry County -- from the machinations of the fur trading companies, through the War of 1812, the post-war border commission, to the eve of Confederation -- give the reader an accessible and powerful understanding of the forces that molded and fired Canada. This is the sort of book that Canadians need now as new pressure from our neighbours and pointless and uninformed quibbling cause dissension and even sedition to break out in our public discourse.

"Thompson's vision of a Canada stretching from the mouth of the St. Lawrence to the shores of the Pacific was half a century ahead of its time. It had no appeal to his colonial contemporaries, but a similar dream resided at the heart of Confederation." p. 292

Thompson's is a dream all Canadians must rediscover and remember.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An astonishing story of a man who mapped the landscape of Western Canada 🇨🇦 in harsh conditions, in a time when only our First Nations peoples had travelled the rivers and lakes and crossed the Rocky Mountains. David Thompson is an un-sung Canadian Hero.

[Jim Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating story of one Canada's major explorers. An absolute must read for all Canadians. If it had not been for Joseph Tyrrell's persistence we would have lost an important character in Canadian history.

[Darby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating! I’m embarrassed to admit I didn’t know nearly enough about David Thompson and his importance in the development of Canada.

[Melanie Hepburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible read. Very well written. What a story.

The book would have been more informative if bigger maps would have been included that showed his travels by year.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very approachable history of the development of the Canadian west.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on Canadian History. David Thompson lived a wild and interesting life.

[Jordyn Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super interesting!! I didn’t know anything about David Thompson and very little about the history of the fur trade and exploration in Canada. Lewis and Clark had nothing on Thompson. It was especially interesting now living in the Great Lakes region and having done a portaging canoe trip—how these guys routinely hauled 90lb packs and huge canoes around rapids in the wilderness I will never understand.

[Toniette Giesbrecht · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book! As a Canadian homeschooler, I’m always looking for well written books to hand my kids, and I plan to keep this one on deck for high school. This was excellent!

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Thompson-probably one of the most under-appreciated Canadians.
I first learned about David Thompson while visiting the French River and read a plaque at the park headquarters that referred to him as the greatest land geographer that ever lived.
So being a geographer myself, I was intrigued.

After spotting this book in a bookstore around the Lake Louise area and after the sales clerk told me it was one of the better books about his life (his actual journal is hard to read), I was sold.

The sales clerk wasn't lying. The author does a great job synthesizing all of the research he did and providing relevant excerpts from his journal.
Although in a few places it seems like he starts on a development and then stops; and you can't tell if it was b/c he had a lack of info. or just didn't want to continue with that particular subject or issue. Nevertheless, it is well written and framed with historical contexts where appropriate. Although it could have referenced maps when mentioning his travels that could have been dispersed throughout the book.
I had to keep consulting a variety of maps that didn't always depict the forts where he lived and passed through.

If you want a full account of his life, I believe it's the only book that actually gives a background of the start of his career with the Hudson's Bay company at York Factory-others mainly focus on excerpts of his explorations and accomplishments.
Truly a remarkable person, he experienced the full spectrum of highs and lows. He did more in a few years in terms of exploring Canada when the rivers were the highways, then most people do in a lifetime, and had seen more of British N. America than any other great explorer of the time (Fraser, Mackenzie etc..).
'Epic Wander' is certainly an appropriate title.

Truly a man ahead of his time, his travels and explorations and the subsequent map he made of the North-West territory of the province of Canada were under-appreciated at the time.
Although he died unrecognized for his achievements and completely destitute, it was nice to learn that he was compelled more by exploration and discovery and was a principled man with well defined scruples.

[Kevin Spicer · Rating 1 out of 5]

A tragic story of a man who selflessly devoted his life to a nonexistent country who never found his work worth very much. If Canada had extended below the 49th parallel he would have been a hero, but since his work was ignored and the Oregon territory basically given to America the memory of David Thompson fades into the annals of poorly written history books.