George Catlin Found

I said my next Blog was going to be about George Catlin, and here it is 3 years later.  Work, age, life, fear:  they all played a part in not contributing to this blog and letting it languish.


I'm thinking it's time to wake up and start thinking again.  I think (think) I got a little afraid of other people's opinions as I expressed mine.  I'm not trying to change anyone's way of thinking, I'm just wanting to - express!




So, George Catlin.



Several years ago, my great aunts, Blanch Jacobs, who has since passed away, and Lillie Fitzsimmons, who is still alive (in her 90's) and wondering why, were moving from Kaysville, UT to  St. George of the same state.  They wanted to get rid of some stuff and let me have my pick from a pile of books.  Among those were a 2 volume set by George.  "Letters and Notes on the North American Indians."  I really did not know what it was about, but I took the two volumes and a few more books.




Some months later, wanting something to read during my commute on the train, I hurriedly grabbed the first volume and ran out the door.




I was completely surprised to find that this man had traveled up the Missouri River on the first steamboat to do so, for the sole purpose of documenting the American Indian.  This was 1836.  I was fascinated on how he got this bee in his bonnet to do this.  It was an idea that dogged him and the only person who encouraged him to go on this journey with his paints and canvases and journals and ink, was Governor Clark, of Lewis and Clark fame. 




Not only was I surprised, I was fascinated at the life and times of the plains Indians in the early 1800's as he documented them in words and paintings.  Gratefully, the Smithsonian has all of his paintings and these are still used today for research and study.  No one else even thought to do such a thing.




There were several things in the writings of George Catlin that I found very interesting.


1.  The story of a warrior and a javelin
2.  The Mandan Indian and the Welsh
3.  Grapes on the wild frontier
4.  Oysters 300 miles from the ocean.




Next time:  The story of the warrior and the javelin and what I find so interesting about that.