Did Duncan M’Gillivray and David Thompson Cross the Rockies in 1801?

Arthur S. Morton was a professor of History at the University of Saskatchewan as well as the University’s Librarian. In this article, Morton responds to a critique of his 1936 article (“The North-West Company’s Columbian Enterprise and David Thompson”) by J. B. Tyrrell, a Canadian geologist and surveyor well known for his 1880s discovery of dinosaur remains in southern Alberta. Tyrrell challenged Morton’s claim that Duncan McGillivray crossed the Rocky Mountains with David Thompson in 1801 while employed by the North West Company. Morton reviews Tyrrell’s argument and presents additional evidence to defend his original thesis. While the debate concerns only a single exploratory journey in western Canada, Morton’s research introduces the breadth – and limitations – of records created by major names and organizations at the height of the fur trade. Offprint.