Page 6 - Early Naturalists of the Black Range

Early Naturalists of the Black Range
Although there is yet much to be learned about the natural history of the Black Range, there is much which is known. What is known is handed down to us from many of the early naturalists and explorers, some who simply passed through or by, some who spent some time here. Some are famous, some are forgotten. What follows is a brief (and incomplete) history of some of them and their efforts up through 1930. There has been a lot of study and work done in the Black Range after 1930 - but you have to stop somewhere.
We know little about the knowledge of natural history developed by the First Peoples of this region. We have a partial record of how they related to and utilized the natural world, but little else. In one sense this, our knowledge, of their knowledge, is derived from our interpretation of their art, our study of their structures and implements, and our study of their bones and the bones of what they ate. We surmise, and we may be right. But the farther we wander from the basic facts, the more it is little more than surmise. The filter of “our” knowledge/perception creates a real impediment to our understanding of their lives. Much of what they knew about the natural world has been passed on to us, however, taught from one generation to the next. We may not recognize some of these early teachings when we look around today - but they are there, just unattributed.
The Spanish who entered this area in the 1500’s were explorers, conquerers, and settlers, but generally not naturalists. (See our later entry about the natural history studies conducted by the Spanish in North America.) It is the Spanish who contributed most of the Western understanding of the “lay of the land” of the area we call home. A lot of detail has been ferreted out since the Spanish were the premier Western power of the region, but they were the first Westerners on the scene, and they defined the major features we know today. The entries in this work recognize that distinction.
In general, the earlier the period the more latitude we have given ourselves in defining “Black Range”. Many of the early Spanish explorers came near the Black Range, for instance, but probably did not enter it. Their contributions, however, formed the essential bedrock on which other, more detailed studies in the Black Range rest.
Following the Spanish, other Europeans entered the area, mostly from the east. Typically they were French, British, and later American. Like the Spanish before them, most of these Westerners came to exploit and conquer. But the naturalists tended to tag along, and a more rigorous study of the natural history of this region began.
Many of the naturalists who visited this area in the 1800’s were affiliated with various expeditions and surveys, which were led by people like Emory and Whipple. In the British Empire of the
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