Forgotten Trails

Indian inhabitants laid out the basic travel routes in central Washington's Grand Coulee country probably 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. In the early 1800s, the semi-nomadic Sinkiuse and other Native Americans continued to use these routes through the spectacular coulees. Following in their footsteps came a host of white explorers and frontiersmen - at first in a trickle, then in greater numbers by mid-century. Forgotten Trails is a compilation of the most significant firsthand accounts of travel through the region. Included here are the writings of explorers, fur traders, missionaries, railroad surveyors, scientists, and artists, as well as miners, stockmen, military road builders, and packers. A chapter on traditional Plateau Indian culture, and an oral history describing 19th century Indian life in the Grand Coulee area, offer a Native American perspective.