David Thompson Bicentennial Events

David Thompson was one of the greatest explorers and mapmakers in not only the Northwestern US, but much of Canada. The North American David Thompson Bicentennials, a series of events and exhibits scheduled to take place from 2007 to 2011, will recognize the anniversaries of some of the explorer's great achievements. Upcoming events in the Northwest US include the David Thompson Black Powder Shoot & Rendezvous to be held from April 25-28, 2008, in Eureka, Montana. I had the opportunity to visit "The Mapmaker's Eye: David Thompson on the Columbia Plateau" exhibit when it was at The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane and was amazed and impressed by the extent of Thompson's travels and influence on the region. That travelling exhibit is currently on display at the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center through June 28, 2008.