New book highlights Corps of Discovery

The Columbia River Reader (CRR) of Longview has compiled into a book a 33-episode series chronicling the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s journey of discovery.

Author Michael Perry wrote the columns for the reader in time for the 200th anniversary of the1805-1806 expedition. They proved to be popular and were reprinted, and now, the Reader has put them together with embellishments, further reflections, commentary, photos and woodcut art by Debby Neely.

Episode 1 describes President Thomas Jefferson's scheme to evade restrictions from Congress and form the expedition to strengthen a US territorial claim from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans. Further episodes, rather than relying on just what members of the expedition did, include insights from individual localities, such as Episode 19, "Ocian in View!," which include discussion about whether or not the expedition actually saw the Pacific Ocean from the eastern shore of Gray's Bay and of Naselle resident Rex Ziak's calculations regarding that matter.

The book, written by Perry and edited by Hal Calbom, comes in a signed boxed edition with color and black and white illustrations and photos for $50 or in a trade paperback with black and white illustrations for $25.

Perry is an amateur historian proudly. He worked as an environmental technician for the Weyerhaeuser Company. He has served as president of the Cowlitz County Historical Society Board of Directors and volunteered at an outdoor school on the Cispus River in the Cascade Mountains. A native of Longview, he lives with his wife, Marilyn Perry, in Kelso. This is his first book.

A journalist, educator, and filmmaker, Hal Calbom writes and photographs the monthly "People+Place" feature for Columbia River Reader. He is author of "Resourceful: Leadership and Communication in a Relationship Age," and winner of five Emmy Awards for film production.

Copies are available at Redmen Hall in Skamokawa, Appelo Archives Center in Naselle, Tsuga Gallery and The Wahkiakum County Eagle in Cathlamet, and online through crreader.com.