Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 19.djvu/89

Rh River, and Wallula, on the Columbia River, 624 miles. The road was intended not only to connect the navigable waters of the two great rivers, across the continental divide, but also to provide a shorter route from Fort Laramie into the Pacific Northwest. The road was not a successful through highway, but served the uses of local progress and has important historical significance.

Death of Hiram M. Chittenden, at Seattle, October 9, 1917, takes away one of the foremost historians of the early pioneer West and a distinguished military engineer. He was a brigadier-general in the United States Army and almost reached the age of sixty years. His History of the Fur Trade of the Far West, published in 1902, is probably the most comprehensive and easy-reading authority on the subject. Collaborating with Alfred Talbot Richardson, he edited Life, Letters and Travels of Father Pierre-Jean De Smet, published in 1905. His earlier work included The Yellowstone National Park: Historical and Descriptive (1893). The eighth edition of this book came out in March, 1917, and he was writing a final revision at the time of his death. The American Historical Review last year contained a review, written by him, of David Thompson's narrative. He was author, also, of several engineering treatises on Western subjects. He rendered distinguished service in engineering problems in the city of Seattle. His departure leaves widespread regret in historical circles and in his technical profession. He was born in New York state October 25, 1858, and graduated from West Point Military Academy in 1884. A small volume of his poems, written in his early life, was published in 1916 for Christmas distribution.