Name

Josiah Gregg

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Josiah Gregg (19 July 1806 – 25 February 1850) was a merchant, explorer, naturalist, and author of the American Southwest and Northern Mexico. He is most famous for his book Commerce of the Prairies, which came out in two volumes in 1844. The book was an account of his time spent as a trader on the Santa Fe Trail before the Mexican-American War. Gregg had training in both law and medicine, and practiced both with distinction before he retired from urban life due to deteriorating tuberculosis. He traded on the Santa Fe trail from 1831 to 1840, and published his account in Commerce in 1844. This included extensive descriptions of the geography, botany, geology, and culture of New Mexico. Gregg was often extremely critical of local Mexicans and claimed that they lacked morals. For instance, he described Maria Gertrudis "Tules" Barceló, a Santa-Fe saloon owner, as a woman of "loose habits."

The book established Gregg's literary reputation, and he was hired as a news correspondent during the Mexican War. In this capacity, he traveled through Chihuahua. He corresponded with George Engelmann in St. Louis, Missouri, sending him collections of plants, many of which were previously undescribed. Several Southwestern plants bear the patronym "greggii" to honor Gregg's contributions. After the war, Gregg participated in the California Gold Rush. He died from starvation and exposure while leading an emergency winter expedition out of a snow bound mining camp. The expedition has been credited with the rediscovery of Humboldt Bay that resulted in its settlement.

References

External links

• Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Gregg, Josiah

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