Page 33 - 2008 DT 12 issues

I n T h i s I s s u e

Featured Article
John Wesley Powell.........................1
Special
Desert Tortoise Consrv.Cntr............5
Strategic Planning Meeting.............3
Quiz................................................7
Departments
News & Notes..................................2
May 2008 Programs & Hikes...........................4
Desk Schedule................................6
Bulletin Board................................8

JOHN WESLEY POWELL - Conqueror of the Colorado River, while exploring the Grand Canyon.
scientist, soldier and nearly everything else. Even the Indians felt it was near-im-
possible. Powell put together a team of
by Chuck Kleber stop him. By the final months of the nine men, including his brother, Wal-
war, he was a major of artillery. ter. With four boats and enough provi-
ohn Wesley Powell shares his first Powell’s life now turned in a di- sions to last months, they set out from
two names with the notoriously rection that would bring him national Green River, Wyoming in May, 1869,
Jdeadly Texas gunslinger, John renown. He became professor of geol- making their way to the Colorado
Wesley Hardin. The resemblance ends ogy at Illinois Wesleyan University. River. The unknown lay ahead. After
there. Powell was nearly everything Once again, he felt the need to explore, swirling rapids took a boat and the
else; adventurer, explorer, scien- and just two years after the war, he led bulk of their provisions, Frank Good-
tist, war hero, administrator, writer man left the party early in the journey,
. . . and more. And he was the first to telling Powell that he had enough
conquer the Colorado River. He was also “excitement.” Powell’s diary reflected
a powerful influence nationally, and had a different view; he saw “. . . wonderful
his views been followed, the West as we features—carved walls, royal arches,
know it could have been far different. glens . . . ,” but he was well aware of
Born in Mount Morris, N.Y. in the enormous perils. He named one of
1834, John Wesley combined a thirst the boats after his wife, Emma Dean.
for knowledge with an adventurous Perhaps that would bring good luck.
nature. Completely on his own, he In the weeks that followed, even
studied geology, botany and zoology. the strongest hearts began to fail as
Later, he attended Oberlin and Whea- they encountered rapids so dangerous
ton colleges after his family moved to that Powell decided to portage their
Illinois, but did not graduate. Books boats a good part of the time. But the
did not answer his need for exploration shoreline was so rocky that they had
and challenge of the natural surround- to chance the rapids again and again.
ings that captured his imagination. He Finally, at a spot called Separa-
hiked across Wisconsin and rowed Major John Wesley Powell, circa1890’s tion Canyon, three men left “. . .
the Mississippi, Illinois and Ohio we will all die if we continue this
Rivers. By 1859, he was a member of journey.” The Howland brothers,
the Illinois Natural History Society. expeditions to the West to the region O.G. and Seneca, and William Dunn
Whatever his plans for the future, the of the Rocky Mountains and Colorado said goodbye and climbed to the rim
opening guns of the Civil War changed River. In another two years, he was of the canyon in the hope of making
everything. Powell enlisted in the Union ready to attempt what many felt was their way overland to civilization,
Army. At the Battle of Shiloh in 1862, more than dangerous—navigating the only to be killed by Shivwit Indians.
he lost his right forearm, but that did not Colorado River by boat through the
most treacherous rapids and shoals Powell, continued on p. 6