Conversation so far:
What did Thompson do during David Thompson (explorer)'s later years?
He began work on a manuscript chronicling his life exploring the continent, but this project was left unfinished when his sight failed him completely in 1851.
Did he have any other achievements?
In 1843 Thompson completed his atlas of the region from Hudson Bay to the Pacific Ocean.

Question: What else is notable about this time?
Self-contained rewrite: What else is notable besides David Thompson completing atlas in 1843?