As Dunbar and Hunter began their ascent of the Ouachita River, they knew that they had a problem: Dr. Hunter’s boat. Designed by Hunter himself, the vessel just sat too low in the water to easily navigate the shallow rivers. But the leaders had a plan: If the men could make it to the settlement known as Ouachita Post, they could rent some new boats from the American garrison there.
Ouachita Post, which would change its name in a few years to “Monroe,” was the last American point of control on the Ouachita River. Above this settlement, the expedition would be largely on their own–a fact they would learn all too well near present-day Camden, Arkansas, when an accident almost cost Dr. Hunter his life.
Monroe & West Monroe | El Dorado | Camden
↖ Hot Springs and Upper Ouachita | ↘ Natchez & Lower Mississippi
Native Nations, Native Landscapes
Salt: A Valuable Commodity
Outdoor Recreation
Some Like It Hot: Thermophiles in Hot Springs
Black History Along the Red River
Dr. George Hunter, Chemist and Explorer
Monroe & West Monroe | El Dorado | Camden
↖ Hot Springs and Upper Ouachita | ↘ Natchez & Lower Mississippi