Zenas Leonard (1809-1857)
Lawrence Township, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Clearfield native and fur trader, Leonard was second in command of the Joseph Reddeford Walker Expedition from 1831-1834 to find a route to the Pacific Ocean through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Leonard served as the expedition''s clerk and chronicler, recording the first non-native American encounter of giant sequoia trees. In 1839 Leonard published his account of the expedition, recognized for its detailed descriptions.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Born in Clearfield County, Zenas Leonard went west as a young fur trader and became clerk and second-in-command of Joseph Reddeford Walker's 1831–1834 expedition seeking a route across the Sierra Nevada to the Pacific. Along the way he recorded what is regarded as the first non-Native American description of the giant sequoias. His 1839 published narrative, admired for its vivid detail, became a valued account of the mountain West in the fur-trade era.
Why it matters
Leonard's chronicle carried news of California's mountains and its towering sequoias eastward, feeding the American imagination of the West on the eve of the great overland migrations.
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Related people
- · Zenas Leonard
- · Joseph Reddeford Walker
Themes & tags
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