The Travels, Explorations and Surveys of David Thompson

David Thompson

David Thompson taking an Observation

The story of David Thompson’s has been a fascination since childhood and he seemed to come in and out of focus throughout my youth. He became a permanent fixture in my early twenties and has been ever since. The fascination with his exploration and travels has led to an interest in others who accomplished similar feats.

In 2002, as part of the David Thompson Bicentennial Partnership, a request was made to recalculate and verify the distances that Thompson traveled between the years 1785 and 1812; the time spent while engaged in the fur trade with the Hudson’s Bay Company and the North West Company.

 

 

Distances Traveled by David Thompson 1786-1812

YearCompany Employed WithDistance Traveled (km)Watersheds Traveled
1785Hudson Bay Company314Hudson Bay Seaboard Watersheds
1786Hudson Bay Company2881Hayes and Nelson River Watersheds
1787Hudson Bay Company1476Nelson River Watersheds
1788Hudson Bay Company738Nelson River Watersheds
1789Hudson Bay Company367Nelson River Watersheds
1790Hudson Bay Company2908Hayes and Nelson River Watersheds
1791Hudson Bay Company1141Hayes and Nelson River Watersheds
1792Hudson Bay Company560Nelson River Watersheds
1793Hudson Bay Company4140Hayes, Nelson and Churchill River Watersheds
1794Hudson Bay Company2539Nelson River Watersheds
1795Hudson Bay Company1581Nelson and Churchill River Watersheds
1796Hudson Bay Company2299Churchill and Mackenzie River Watersheds
1797North West Company5460St. Lawrence, Mississippi, Nelson and Churchill River Watersheds
1798North West Company6753St. Lawrence, Mississippi, Nelson and Churchill River Watersheds
1799North West Company6490St. Lawrence, Nelson, Churchill and Mackenzie River Watersheds
1800North West Company7500St. Lawrence and Nelson River Watersheds
1801North West Company1100Nelson River Watershed
1802North West Company8024Mackenzie, Nelson and St. Lawrence River Watersheds
1803North West Company881Mackenzie Watershed
1804North West Company6922St. Lawrence, Nelson, Churchill and Mackenzie River Watersheds
1805North West Company1975St. Lawrence, Nelson, Churchill and Mackenzie River Watersheds
1806North West Company8113St. Lawrence and Nelson River Watersheds
1807North West Company675Nelson and Columbia River Watersheds
1808North West Company6946Nelson and Columbia River Watersheds
1809North West Company2835Nelson and Columbia River Watersheds
1810North West Company7734Nelson, Mackenzie and Columbia River Watersheds
1811North West Company5233Mackenzie and Columbia River Watersheds
1812North West Company6081St. Lawrence, Nelson, Churchill, Mackenzie and Columbia River Watersheds
Total Km traveled with the Hudson Bay Company20944 Km
Total Km traveled with the North West Company82724 Km
Total Km traveled while employed in the Fur Trade103667 Km