Talk:Zebulon Pike

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The Park Service biography and [1911 Encyclopedia Britannica] differ on some minor points on the Mississippi headwater expedition. I'm going to try to figure out which is correct. -- ESP 20:45 16 Jul 2003 (UTC)

Ideal would be if there were a scholarly bio or history of the dead tree sort. When sources conflict, if often means there are multiple interpretations, and you need a more detailed work to explain the discrepancy. Stan 21:47 16 Jul 2003 (UTC)

That's probably it. It's silly stuff that I could find out with a little more work -- basically, it's the location of Fort Snelling, and whether Pike thought Cass Lake or Leech Lake was the headwaters of the Mississippi. More or less it's documenting Pike's blunders and screw ups. B-) -- ESP 23:45 16 Jul 2003 (UTC)

Fort Snelling's in Saint Paul, Minnesota (still there actually). - Hephaestos 00:15 17 Jul 2003 (UTC)

OK, cool. Thanks! So the info on the page is correct (since the Falls of St. Anthony are also near the Twin Cities area, right?). Now I just have to find out which lake Pike mistakenly thought was the headwaters of the Mississippi. -- ESP 00:26 17 Jul 2003 (UTC)

Cass and Leech are pretty close to each other, so that might be a challenge.  :) I have no idea which, myself. - Hephaestos 00:28 17 Jul 2003 (UTC)

Shoot. At this point I'm going to have to dig up whatever first sources there are! -- ESP 05:45 17 Jul 2003 (UTC)

Oh, another thing: the tone of the Park Service article is really different from a straight text. They kind of treat Pike like this blustering boob. Which, in a lot of ways, he was, but I think they overemphasize his incompetence as an explorer to point out that what he was really doing was spying on the Spanish. Anyways, I tried to keep the tone a little more respectful and objective, without losing the essentials -- that Pike's Mississippi expedition and the Pike expedition were less than successful. -- ESP 05:49 17 Jul 2003 (UTC)

[edit] Seeking info re descendants of Zebulon Pike

Q (by unknown): I am told I am related to Zebulon Pike through Ivory Pike (a gold prospector) and Alice Pike (mother of my grandfather) who spent her married life in Sanford Maine. Is anything known of Zebulon's descendants?

A (by D.A.Pike): To the best of my knowledge, Zebulon had no sons who survived to adulthood. He did have a daughter Clarissa who married a son of President William Henry Harrison ... as far as I know all of Zebulon's descendants descend from Clarissa. For more details, try contacting the Pike Family Association.