John Wesley Powell: Into the Great Unknown (Surprise)

Millions of travelers visit the Grand Canyon each year, but just 150 years ago, this was still considered the “last blank spot on the map.” One man, a one-armed civil war veteran, was determined to navigate and document the Colorado River as it winds through the canyon. Therefore, on May 24, 1869, John Wesley Powell set out with nine men, four boats, and ten months of rations on an adventure that would nearly kill them. Three months later Powell emerged 1,000 miles down-river with five men, two boats, and only one week of moldy flour left. Listen to their story and see film clips of the raging Colorado as it was in Powell’s time.

Chris and Sandy have been speaking about the land and people of the Colorado Plateau since 2012, after completing docent training at the Museum of Northern Arizona. In-depth research and related interviews have resulted in lectures to their fellow docents, local social and educational groups, and at public venues such as Riordan Mansion in Flagstaff.  Some topics are presented in costumes of the time period, and in every case with a thorough exploration of the events and personalities of the time from multiple points of view.