On the Trail of Schoolcraft: Theodosia and Beyond

The explorer Schoolcraft passed this way in the 1800s.  I just finished reading his historic “journal” where he describes his canoe voyage down the White to Batesville, then called Poke Bayou.  He was a scientist, traveler and a pretty decent naturalist and geologist for his time.  His description of Calico Rock reads like nature writing at its best; in fact, Quincy Wolf, Sr quoted the passage in his famous Ozark memoir, Life in the Leatherwoods.  I must say, however, that the effect is a little disturbing because the White River isn’t as clear and pristine as Schoolcraft describes it, nor quite so brimming with aquatic life.  It’s beautiful in sections, to be sure, but reading a personal journal of how it was -- before dams, chemical pollutants and channeling – gives one pause.  What would it be like to see it again through Schoolcraft’s eyes?  And what ‘is’ the state of the White in regards to its ecological health?  I’m sure it’s better than most large American rivers, but is it as good as it can and should be?

White River and Mall Pond in Branson, MO

The bridge over Bull Shoals Lake
in Theodosia, MO.  A few miles further
is Pontiac, a settlement that Schoolcraft
visited.