A new exhibit at the Nevada State Museum in Carson City called “Finding Fremont: Pathfinder of the West” will be unveiled by Gov. Brian Sandoval tonight at a public reception from 5 to 7:30 p.m.
The exhibit focuses on the explorer’s Western journey from 1843-1844, when he earned his nickname “The Great Pathfinder,” and brought his famed cannon to Nevada. The free reception will be at the Nevada State Museum at 600 N. Carson St., Carson City and coincides with the state's ongoing Sesquicentennial celebration.
The cannon proved a great burden when the expedition faced a winter crossing of the Sierra Nevada, and they cached it prior to their ascent over Carson Pass on Jan. 29, 1844. Tonight's opening reception coincides with the significant moment 170 years ago, during the expedition.
Among the centerpieces for the exhibit are the mountain howitzer that many believe is Fremont’s lost cannon, an archaeological discovery of mountain howitzer carriage parts, modern color photographs of Fremont campsites and vistas that retain their 19th century settings.
Also shown are artifacts recovered from Fremont sites in Oregon, expedition maps accurately portraying the Great Basin, Fremont’s presentation sword and Colt pistol, objects associated with significant periods of his life and a flag from his presidential campaign.
Earlier this week Victoria Thompson from Platinum Salon in Carson City provided an authentic styling of Fremont's hair for the exhibit.
The exhibit is made possible by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management offices in Oregon and Nevada, principal funding partners, and the Des Chutes Historical Museum, Bend, Oregon. Also partnering in the exhibit is U.S. Forest Service.