Truman C. Everts
Encyclopedia
Truman C. Everts was part of the 1870 Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition
exploring the area which later became Yellowstone National Park
. He became lost for 37 days during the 1870 expedition, and a year later became more widely known after writing about his 1870 experiences for Scribner’s Monthly
.
to a Great Lakes ship captain. President Abraham Lincoln
appointed Everts to be the Assessor of Internal Revenue for the Montana Territory
, a position he held between July 15, 1864 and February 16, 1870.
plant to stay alive, a plant (Cirsium
foliosum or elk thistle) later named after him. His party searched for him for a while, and his friends in Helena
offered a reward of $600 to find him. "Yellowstone Jack" Baronett and George A. Pritchett found Everts, suffering from frostbite, burn wounds from thermal vents, and so malnourished he weighed only 50 pounds (22.7 kg). One stayed with him to nurse him back to health while the other walked 75 miles (120.7 km) for help; in spite of their assistance, Everts denied the men the payment of the reward, claiming he could have made it out of the mountains on his own.
The next year, his account of the experience—"Thirty-Seven Days of Peril"— was published in Scribner’s Monthly
. The article helped raise awareness of the Yellowstone area before it became a national park.
Henry D. Washburn
, leader of the expedition named a peak near Mammoth Hot Springs Mount Everts
shortly after the rescue of Everts. During the expedition, Washburn named a peak in the Thorofare region south of Yellowstone Lake
for Everts, but later changed it to the current peak believing it was very near the location of Everts rescue. In fact Everts was actually rescued much farther north near Blacktail Deer Creek.
and worked in the Post Office. He died there in 1901.
Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition
The Washburn Expedition of 1870, explored the region of northwestern Wyoming that a couple years later became Yellowstone National Park. Led by Henry Washburn, Nathaniel P. Langford and under U.S. Army escort led by Lt. Gustavus C...
exploring the area which later became Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
. He became lost for 37 days during the 1870 expedition, and a year later became more widely known after writing about his 1870 experiences for Scribner’s Monthly
Scribner’s Monthly
Scribner's Monthly: An Illustrated Magazine for the People was an American literary periodical published from 1870 until 1881.-History:Charles Scribner I, Andrew Armstrong, Arthur Peabody, Edward Seymour, Josiah Gilbert Holland, and Roswell Smith established "Scribner & Co." on July 19, 1870 to...
.
History
Everts was one of six brothers born in Burlington, VermontBurlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
to a Great Lakes ship captain. President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
appointed Everts to be the Assessor of Internal Revenue for the Montana Territory
Montana Territory
The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 28, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Montana.-History:...
, a position he held between July 15, 1864 and February 16, 1870.
"Thirty-Seven Days of Peril"
After wandering away from the rest of the expedition on September 9, 1870, he managed to lose the pack horse which was carrying all of his supplies. He ate a local thistleThistle
Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles often occur all over the plant – on surfaces such as those of the stem and flat parts of leaves. These are an adaptation that protects the...
plant to stay alive, a plant (Cirsium
Cirsium
Cirsium is a genus of perennial and biennial flowering plants in the Asteraceae, one of several genera known commonly as thistles. They are more accurately known as Plume thistles. These differ from other thistle genera in having feathered hairs to their achenes...
foliosum or elk thistle) later named after him. His party searched for him for a while, and his friends in Helena
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
offered a reward of $600 to find him. "Yellowstone Jack" Baronett and George A. Pritchett found Everts, suffering from frostbite, burn wounds from thermal vents, and so malnourished he weighed only 50 pounds (22.7 kg). One stayed with him to nurse him back to health while the other walked 75 miles (120.7 km) for help; in spite of their assistance, Everts denied the men the payment of the reward, claiming he could have made it out of the mountains on his own.
The next year, his account of the experience—"Thirty-Seven Days of Peril"— was published in Scribner’s Monthly
Scribner’s Monthly
Scribner's Monthly: An Illustrated Magazine for the People was an American literary periodical published from 1870 until 1881.-History:Charles Scribner I, Andrew Armstrong, Arthur Peabody, Edward Seymour, Josiah Gilbert Holland, and Roswell Smith established "Scribner & Co." on July 19, 1870 to...
. The article helped raise awareness of the Yellowstone area before it became a national park.
Henry D. Washburn
Henry D. Washburn
Henry Dana Washburn was a U.S. Representative from Indiana and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
, leader of the expedition named a peak near Mammoth Hot Springs Mount Everts
Mount Everts
Mount Everts el. is a prominent mountain peak in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming near Mammoth Hot Springs. The peak was named for Truman C. Everts, a member of the Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition of 1870. Mount Everts is located immediately due south of Gardiner, Montana and due east of...
shortly after the rescue of Everts. During the expedition, Washburn named a peak in the Thorofare region south of Yellowstone Lake
Yellowstone Lake
Yellowstone Lake is the largest body of water in Yellowstone National Park, The lake is 7,732 feet above sea level and covers with 110 miles of shoreline. While the average depth of the lake is 139 feet its deepest spot is at least 390 feet...
for Everts, but later changed it to the current peak believing it was very near the location of Everts rescue. In fact Everts was actually rescued much farther north near Blacktail Deer Creek.
Later years
After the two expeditions and the fame from his article, he was offered a superintendent position with the newly formed Yellowstone park, but he declined since it did not include a salary. He later moved to Hyattsville, MarylandHyattsville, Maryland
Hyattsville is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 17,557 at the 2000 census.- History :The city was named for its founder, Christopher Clark Hyatt. He purchased his first parcel of land in the area in March 1845...
and worked in the Post Office. He died there in 1901.