Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-10-29
by Joseph .. Thoburn,


with The recent revival NJ mtarcs
IN navigation of the Arkunsu rive
In Eastern oklahoma, the stories o.
~ navigation I'm former times take
on now significance. While 20 doe.
not seem 10 Doe generally known It i'
nevertheless a fact that Oklahoma
has a part In the fascinating ana ro-
mantle history of the era Of steam
boating on inland waters before Tho
advent Of railway transportation In
Tho west
The first recorded attempt at the
naNlration of the Arkansas by white
men was that party Of French oN-
plorcrs under the command of hcr-
rard de- ia llarpc, which, in conocs
aslondcd its channel az far ms tho
mouth Of the Canadian, IN the year
1881. In 1919 the Mallet brothers
Glorre and rau) descended the Ar
kansas from point near the Rocky
Mountains after having spent a win
ter at Santa Fo whittier they had led
the first party across the Great Plains
from the Mississippi valley the year
before. From that time on it is
probable that French Creole traders,
trappers ana voyageurs pushed the
prows Of their canoes and hateauX
through the waters Of the Arkansas
and It's principal tributaries in East
orn Oklahoma with more or less FREE /.
qucncy their headquarters doubt |
less being at Arkansas Post, where a .
settlement ana garrison had been es-
tnblished hy la Harpe I'm 1922. True,
there may bee little or nothing in the
way OF written record 10 substantiato
such presumption, yet the names Of
Potenu, Illinois, Grand (Neosho),
Ncrdgris and Grand Saline (Salt
Fork rivers ANA Of the Salalsou (sal-
lisaw) Fourcho Maline san Gois, Ba-
you Manard Saline and other creeks
which are tributary to the Arkansas
would seem to furnish indisputable
evidence In support Of IT,
Late I'm 1906, Lieut. James -, VIII
knson who had accompanied Lieut.
Zebulon Montgomery Pike ON his eel
ohrated journey toward the Rock
Mountains as far as the Great BEND
Of the Arkansas river On what Is now
Central Kansas was detached from
the main exploring party with five
enlisted men for the purpose OF de-
icending the river to the settlements
near its mouth Excepting the first
miles, the Wilkinson party
accomplished It's journey in dug OUT
,anocs made of cottonwood logs The
voyage down the Arkansas through
hat part of It's course which traverscs
he state Of Oklahoma was made
Without incident worthy OF special
lote unless 1t be that Lieutenant VII
sinson reported that the fans Of the
arkansas tWcbhers Falsl were seven
Get high. tThirteen years later
Thomas Nu'tal. tho nglish naturalist,
'eportod them 10 Doe but three feet
nigh These falls are soid TO have
inally disappeared during q flood in
.S33l Lieutenant Wilkinson was
ION of Gen. James Wilkinson OF the
J. s. Army, who. It win be recalled.
vas more or less involved in the in
rl~uor OF Aaron Burr For this rea-
on the journey OF the son, down the
ertile valley of the Arkansas, under
he fathers orders and at that partl-
ular time may have had double
ignificance.
Fort Smith was established on the
outh hank Of tho Arkgnsae az the
nouth of the Potoau, in 1871 Seven
ears later, Fort Gibson was cstab-
lshed ninetv-five miles further up
trenm. on the Grand river. near its !
onfluencc with the Arkansas Al
hough one steamboat ascended the
liver as far as Fort Smith In 1920.
most Of the river TRANSPORTATION at
hat time was limited to canoes,
ateauX and koelhoats, the latter be-
ng craft which had n CARRYING ca /
acity Of several tons, sometimes pro- {
elled by means Of oars, push poles ]
r sails hut more often dragged tes-
ecially on the upstream voyagc) by !
nen who walked on shore with ,
ong tow-rOpe. Wagon transporta-
ion was also doubtless much in use, {
$ military roads had been laid out ,
y Lieutenant Benjamin l.. u. Bon- J
eville between Fort Smith. Gibson 7
nd Towson, while another road led Z
orthward from Fort Gibson toward :
be Missouri river. T