The Powell Expedition

The Powell Expedition is a thought-provoking, nuanced work that reads at times like a detective story, and it should offer much fodder for historians.“” - The Wall Street Journal”“Lago examines many theories about the fate of three members of Powell’s expedition who left the river before the end of the journey and were never seen again. While the true fate of these explorers may never be known, there are enough leads in this account to entertain Colorado River rafters around campfires for years. Grand Canyon enthusiasts will find much to consider in this book.”” - Library Journal”“This is no straightforward river adventure, but rather a collection of multiple intriguing theories about various disputed facts, making for excellent campfire stories after a long day on the river.”” - Publisher’s Weekly”“Lago is a storyteller, and his accessible, sprightly writing style makes what could be a mind-numbing collection of facts read like an adventure yarn.”” - New York Journal of Books”“Written in a refreshingly transparent first-person style, Lago demythologizes Powell, corrects past libels and properly puts the focus on his crew. This book will be of interest to historians and river rats alike.”” - True West Magazine”“Lago’s latest book is the result of 20 years of research across 13 states, digging into the history of the expedition’s individual crew members to tell a far more specific story that the broad tale of river running and canyon mapping.”” - Grand Canyon News”“Conjecture - (readily admitted) and tangential - wanderings pervade the text, resting comfortably alongside nuggets of deep research that rewrite important aspects of Powell’s story and offer insight on Western exploration.”” - Roundup Magazine”“Don Lago’s The Powell Expedition: New Discoveries about John Wesley Powell’s 1869 River Journeytakes a new, fresh look at the 1869 expedition down the Green and Colorado Rivers led by John Wesley Powell. He concentrates especially on the often-overlooked members of the crew, and the events that led to distrust, tension, and the eventual departure of three members of the party, as well as an in-depth look at the deaths of those three and the subsequent lives of most, if not all, of the men. The book is definitely a significant and novel contribution to the literature on Powell, and that’s saying something. The sources Lago consulted are astounding, in a word.”” - Roy Webb”“Don Lago has spent over 20 years researching Powell’s 1869 river expedition, ferreting out details nobody else has discovered, myth-busting, speculating, and clarifying the whys and wherefores of the trip. This book is a culmination of those details and speculation, with updates on his previous writings and adding a wealth of new material. Lago covers topics no other Powell biographer/author has addressed, or ones in this depth.”” - Richard Quartaroli”“In search of answers and explanations, he delves into details of chronologies, genealogies, and politics, but he keeps the stories alive by following out speculations and connections along unexpected trails of evidence… Offering many intriguing new ideas and directions for further research, Lago’s The Powell Expedition will be of great interest to scholars of Powell’s survey. For anyone with an interest in Colorado River history, Lago’s book will be enjoyable reading.”” - The Western Historical Quarterly

Don Lago is one of the most respected historians of the Grand Canyon, and the author of Grand Canyon: A History of a Natural Wonder and National Park. He has published more than 50 personal essays in national magazines and literary journals. His latest book is Where the Sky Touched the Earth: Cosmological Landscapes of the Southwest. He lives in Flagstaff, Arizona.