Filling Up the Canvas: A Voyage up the Washita
January 31, 2003 - December 31, 2003

Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources
3853 Smackover Highway
Smackover, Arkansas
Contact: Pam Beasley
Phone: 870-725-2877
Email: pamela.beasley@mail.state.ar.us
Website: www.cei.net/~amnr

This exhibit focuses on Thomas Jefferson's forgotten expedition up the Ouachita River of William Dunbar and George Hunter. The title of the exhibit refers to a statement by Jefferson in a letter dated Mau 25, 1805 to William Dunbar: "Those who come after us will extend the ramifications as they become acquainted with them, and fill up the canvas we begin." In this letter he emphasizes the importance of the expedition for posterity and his hope that this expedition will be a model followed by others. Jefferson felt that the Dunbar/Hunter expedition held equal importance to Lewis and Clark's Corp of Discovery.

This exhibit will chronicle the purchase of land, the explorers, the explorers themselves, excerpts from their journals, a large scale map of the expedition and the importance of the expedition to Arkansas and American history. A narrative of the expedition with excerpts from the journals of Dunbar and Hunter along with specimen of the flora, fauna, rocks and minerals seen during the journey will be displayed.

The event is free, accessible to those with disabilities and open to the public.