David Thompson (1770-1857) Canadian cartographer and explorer
Wikipedia
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David Thompson
b. 30 April 1770 — Westminster, England
d. 10 February 1857 — Longueuil, Canada East
Thompson, a charity pupil at Grey Coat School, London, was apprenticed to the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1784. He joined the North West Company [1779–1821]> as a surveyor in 1797. In 1811 he explored the length of Columbia River, making the first recorded crossing of the Continental Divide via the Athabasca Pass.
Thompson was a member of the British-American Boundary survey from 1815 to 1824. He died of poverty at Longuineil, Quebec, in 1857, age 87. He was never on any of the three Thompson Rivers.
Works pertinent to the Mount Robson region of which Thompson was author or co-author:
- — David Thompson’s Narrative of his explorations in western America, 1784-1812. Joseph Burr Tyrrell, editor. Toronto: Champlain Society, 1916. University of British Columbia [accessed 3/10/2025]
- Henry, Alexander [1739–1824]; — and Coues, Elliott, Editor. The Manuscript Journals of Alexander Henry, Fur Trader of the Northwest Company. And of David Thompson, Official Geographer and Explorer of the same Company, 1799-1814. Exploration and Adventure among the Indians on the Red, Saskatchewan, Missouri, and Columbia Rivers. Volume 2 of 3. New York: Francis P. Harper, 1897
Thompson is the namesake of the following places in the Mount Robson region:
Thompson is credited with naming the following places:
Events in the Mount Robson region in which Thompson was involved:
- 1807 David Thompson visits the Kutenai. Kutenai House established
- 1811 David Thompson crosses Athabasca Pass
- 1857 David Thompson dies. Most maps are lost and fur trails forgotten.
References:
- Nesbit, Jack [1949–]. Mapmaker’s Eye: The Mapmaker’s Eye: David Thompson on the Columbia Plateau. Pullman: Washington State University Press, 2006
- David Thompson. Map Maker, Explorer and Visionary. 2021. Archives of Ontario
- Gottfred, J. How David Thompson Navigated. 2000. Northwest Journal
- Wikipedia. David Thompson (explorer)