The name is widely applied in the territory of the western Great Basin. Baron Lahontan (1666-1715) was part of the French military and early explorer who in 1668 arrived in New France (Canada) to defeat the Great Lakes Iroquois. Lahontan later deserted the military and returned to Europe. As an exile, he could not return to France to claim his inheritance. Lahontan settled in Holland and began work on his memoirs. The first of three volumes published in 1703, New Travels of Monsieur le baron de Lahontan in North America,  was an immediate success. One of Lahontan’s claims was the discovery of the Longue River that would provide passage to the Pacific Ocean. Lahontan’s book were quite popular and were published in English, French, Dutch and German. Lahontan had his critics, and they questioned his so-called discoveries. Whatever the case may be, Lahontan’s work influenced cartographers of North America for the next 100 years. Lahontan’s theory of the Longue River was finally laid to rest by the expeditions of Lewis & Clark.

Support by subscribing.