Rick Mansfield of Ellington will speak on “Retracing the Epic Journey of Henry Schoolcraft” at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 8, at the West Side Church of God, corner of Barron Road and Channon Drive.
The Poplar Bluff Chapter National Daughters of the American Revolution is presenting the program and inviting the public to the event, which is part of the chapter’s Missouri Bicentennial Programs.
Nov. 6, 1819, Henry Schoolcraft and Levi Pettibone depart from Potosi, Missouri, on a 900 mile exploration of the Ozarks in Missouri and Arkansas. They were looking for deposits of lead and any other minerals. Schoolcraft was trained as chemist, in mining and mineralogy.
He kept a journal describing the area’s wildlife, vegetation, landscape and settlements, following old trails. His was the first documented expedition in the Ozarks, providing significant insight to the territory’s resources and future settlement opportunities.
Two hundred years to the day, Mansfield departed from Potosi, walking the trails and covering the areas Schoolcraft visited. He kept to Schoolcraft’s schedule, going 900 miles in 90 days, enduring the winter weather, camping 63 nights of the trek. For part of his journey, Mansfield wore the clothing and carried the gear of the era including a wooden canteen, a hatchet and an antique brass compass. For safety he also carried a GPS device and cellphone.
Mansfield is a writer, storyteller, minister and retired educator. He is president of the Ozark Heritage Project dedicated to preserving Ozark culture.