Nuttall Book Study: A Journal of Travels into Arkansas Territory During the Year 1819
September 11, 6 p.m.
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On Thursday, September 11, at 6 p.m., Jona Tucker will present an in-depth look at botanist Thomas Nuttall, a botanist who was an early explorer of what later became Fort Towson in 1819. She will review Nuttall’s publication, A Journal of Travels into Arkansas Territory During the Year 1819.
Who was Thomas Nuttall?
Thomas Nuttall (1786–1859) was a pioneering naturalist interested in botany who took many journeys and expeditions in the 19th century. He took a 5,000-mile journey down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. In his travels, he captured a time period in the Indian Territory when wolves and bison roamed the land. Nuttall also captured descriptions of the early days of barbed wire and cattle. He was fascinated with prairies and the natural science he observed, particularly interested in his favorite tree, the Bois d’arc, commonly known as the Osage orange.
The Fort Towson Historic Site and Thomas Nuttall. Stipple engraving by J. Thomson, 1825, after William Derby, 1786-1847 (7483i Wellcome Institute, London).
