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Clark County History: Benjamin Eulalie de Bonneville By Martin Middlewood for The Columbian
Published: February 14, 2021, 6:00am
Share: An officer of the U.S. Army, fur trapper and explorer, French-born Benjamin Louis Eulalie de Bonneville blazed portions of the Oregon Trail and explored the American West. In 1837, Washington Irving published a biography based on interviews of Bonneville, who relayed the explorations. Bonneville served as commander at the Fort Vancouver Barracks for two years. For this undated photo, he donned a hairpiece. (Contributed by the National Park Service)
Alive, he was among the famous explorers of the West. Dead, he’s forgotten. His name appears here and there as a reminder Bonneville Salt Flats and Bonneville Dam. But the Pontiac Bonneville, like him, is now a dusty memory.