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Cage 556
Gustavus Sohon
Drawings, 1858

The drawings of Gustavus Sohon were purchased in 1982. The drawings were processed and cataloged by Tina Atkinson in November 1987.

BIOGRAPHY

Gustavus Sohon was born in Tilsit, Germany on December 10, 1825. He came to America at the age of 17 and lived in Brooklyn, New York. On July 2, 1852, he enlisted as a private in the United States Army, at the age of 26. He was ordered West for service on the Pacific Coast.

A gifted linguist (he spoke English, French, and German), Sohon quickly learned the Salishan languages of the Flathead and Pend D'Oreille Indians. He also made drawings of the country and important landmarks while working on expeditions. These drawings were useful in later expeditions.

At the request of Washington Governor Stevens, Sohon was transferred to his command. Stevens had been very impressed with Sohon's work. On later expeditions Sohon worked as map maker and barometrical observer as well as sketcher and interpreter.
Sohon was involved in the building of the Mullan Road, the first wagon road from Fort Walla Walla to Fort Benton.

On July 29, 1863, Sohon married Juliana Goh and moved to San Francisco, California. There Sohon opened a Photographic and Ambrotype Gallery. He finally closed his shop and moved back to the East Coast in 1865 or 1866 and lived in Washington, D.C. There he died on September 3, 1903.

For more information on Sohon and his drawings, see:
Gustavus Sohon's Portraits of Flathead and Pend d'Oreille Indians, 1854 by John C. Ewers
Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections v.110, no.7
Publication 3941 November 26, 1948
Archives E 99 S2 E95 (WSU MASC)

FOLDER LIST

Item	Title
1.	Great Falls of the Spokane River, 1858.
2.	View of the Snake River at mouth of Tukanon, 1858.
3.	Camp on the Spokane River, September 6, 1858.