At the April 20th Lawrence Central Rotary meeting, Rotarian Nancy Pike Hause talked about finding out that she and Rotarian John Wilkinson share a historic connection. Hause told Rotarians that she was contacted by the publisher of Colorado Life magazine last year to write a story about her relative, explorer Zebulon Pike, and then found out that her friend, Wilkinson, belonged to the family of General James Wilkinson, Pike’s mentor.
In 1803 Thomas Jefferson appointed General Wilkinson governor of the newly acquired Louisiana territory, not knowing that Wilkinson and Vice-president Aaron Burr were making plans to turn the huge new area into a separate nation, with Burr in charge. But first they needed someone to explore the 828,000 square miles to map the terrain and learn about the Spanish influence there. They chose young Lieutenant Pike, the son of a friend of Wilkinson’s.
The expedition was full of mishaps and missteps, including the groups’ capture by Spanish forces, but Pike was able to report on what he had seen including the “Grand Mountain,” eventually named Pike’s Peak by western pioneers.
When Pike returned from Spanish captivity, he found Burr on trial for treason with Wilkinson testifying against him. No one knew whether or not Pike had been part of the conspiracy to create a new nation and if his part was to be a spy or if he was just acting as a good soldier and true explorer.
Burr was acquitted but disgraced and went to live in England. Wilkinson stayed in the military, eventually becoming envoy to Mexico, where he died in Mexico City, having been found to be a double agent, working for Spain.
Pike also stayed in the military, becoming a general. Only 34, he was killed in battle in Canada in the war of 1812, with no one ever knowing whether or not he was part of Burr and Wilkinson’s plot.
John Wilkinson also told club members more about General Wilkinson, and Hause shared issues of Colorado Life with the story. The program ended, rather unconventionally, with Hause and Wilkinson having a hug.
