Newton Henry Chittenden

Newton Henry Chittenden was born Henry Newton, but he always went by Newton Henry in his adult life. He was a lawyer and a graduate of Ripon College, WI and Columbia Law School, NY. He served as a Captain in the Wisconsin Calvary in the Civil War. He was an explorer and writer.

Newton's family moved from Connecticut to Ripon, Wisconsin in 1859. Newton graduated from Ripon College. At 21, immediately after President Lincoln's first call for volunteers, Newton joined Company B of the 4th Wisconsin Infantry on April 19, 1861. He was wounded at Vicksburg and twice thereafter. He built the dam across the Red River to Louisiana "which relieved Portor's fleet". Newton served for five years and reached the rank of Captain.

After the war, Newton obtained his law degree from Columbia College, NY (1868). For a while, he worked at his brother, Richard's, law firm at 27 Wall Street, NY, NY. Newton left NY to practice law in Minneapolis, where he also taught school. From Minneapolis, Newton went to Litchfield, MN where he served as a Justice of the Peace and helped the settlers prepare for attack from Sioux.

Newton returned to New York to marry Amelie Marie Friedrich in 1870. The couple returned to Minnesota and set up house in Fergus Falls, MN. Their first child, Clara, was the first white child born in Fergus Falls which entitled her to a land grant. The Chittendens never claimed the land grant, however.

Instead, they moved across the country to Santa Barbara, California (1873). In 1874, Newton became liscensed to practice law in California and became a counselor of the California Supreme Court. The family, grown to a total of 5 children, lived in Santa Barbara until 1879. In that year Newton contracted typhoid fever and was unconscious for 20 days. The near death experience and the impact of his fevered dreams changed him. He began long trips of exploration. Although he was a man of strong moral character who never drank, smoked or gambled, his explorations meant his family was left for long periods of time. They felt abandoned.

Amelie divorced Newton Henry. Newton fought in court to retain custody of his children, but was denied. Amelie and the children returned to her family in New York, but by 1885, she and the children took a train as far west as they could go, and homesteaded in Spokane, Washington.

When fully recovered from typhoid, Newton began his career in exploration and enthnology in earnest. He revisited the California missions that had figured prominently in his fever's delirium. By 1881, he had completed an 800 mile journey through Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Bernardino. He then set out for Oregon and Washington. 1882 through 1884, New traveled in British Columbia and Alaska.

In April of 1884, Newton was commissioned by the government of British Columbia to conduct an official exploration of the Queen Charlotte Islands. The Queen Charlotte Islands were the home of the Haidas who possessed exceptional skill in canoe making and totem pole carving. Newton became fascinated by their folklore, describing their legends as "rich in legendary mythological creatures." The Haidas were equally impressed by Newton Henry. They especially admired his physical abilities and daring deeds. They called him Stouthearted White Man. Newton's brawny, six foot + frame was well suited for his hardy existence and for friendly competition with the Haida. When Newton lost his knife handle while pursuing a bear, a Haida created a beautifully carved replacement. It symbolized Newton's character in totem pole fashion: "The bear was carved for the reason that it was the cause of the loss of the original handle, besides being one of the most important of their clan titles, totem figures and subjects in the marvelous folklore tales of the tribe. The beaver is typical of strength, industry and skill, and was designed as a personal compliment of their appreciation; I had out-paddled them canoeing in the ocean storms, outdistanced them over the difficult forest trails, outran them on the beach at Skidegote and pulled up several of their strongest men at tug-of-war, while my enthusiastic red friends made the woods ring with their loud shouts of genuine applause."

By the time Newton returned from the Queen Charlotte Islands, he had covered 1,200 miles in a canoe and uncounted miles on foot. Newton never rested for long, though. Soon, he began an investigation of the Canadian Provinces, including Manitoba, Assiniboine, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Chittenden was purported to be the first white man to cross over the Canadian Pacific railway line, and he visited all the major tribes of the region. In Saskatchewan, he met Chief Poundmaker, leader of the unsuccessful Riel Rebellion.

Chittenden's journeys resulted in the amassing of a collection of Indian artifacts, eventually consisting of over 1,000 individual pieces. These Newton exhibited in Europe in 1886 and at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. Newton ultimately donated the bulk of his artifacts to the Victoria Museum of the Province of British Columbia and the remainder to the Smithsonian Institute. (Although, apparently, the New York Library has the knife handle carved by the Haida.)

Newton spent 1887 and 1888 among the tribes inhabiting New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado. He also researched the cliff dwellings of these states. While other scientists of the time declared that the cliff dwelling people existed thousands of years ago, perhaps predating the ruins of the Nile, Newton believed they were ancestors of the Moquis branch of the Pueblos and that the dwellings were only a few hundred years old. Today, scientists share Chittenden's opinion.

In the winter of 1896-7, Newton and his burro, Campos, made a perilous 600 mile journey through the California desert. Newton wished to meet and learn about the warlike Cocopah Indians. Until shortly before, the Cocopahs allowed no white man to penetrate their territory. Although warned, in descriptive detail, of the Cocopah's vicious nature, Newton advanced into their region alone and unarmed. In contrast to all reports, and perhaps because Newton did not arrive bearing the attitude of conqueror, he found the tribed to be quite friendly. In fact, a band of traveling Indians saved his life when he stumbled into their midst during a sand storm with blind dust-filled eyes and a dry swollen tongue. He stayed in a Cocopah camp, sharing sumptuous meals of fish, rabbit, beans, corn, nuts and rice.

Shortly after that trip, on September 27, 1897, Newton embarked on a marathon expedition from Santa Monica, California to Louisiana, his 23rd crossing of North America. He traveled "through the Santa Anna valley, across the Mohava desert, through Arizona, the Gila valley, along the Salt river, down the Rio Grande, through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. After reaching his destination in April of 1899, he had walked 3,350 miles. He was 59 years old.

Newton ceased to travel quite so extensively after 1899, but he continued an active life: lecturing and writing. 1906 found him in Berkeley Heights where he witnessed and recorded the San Francisco earthquake and fire. Unfortunately, that same earthquake and fire destroyed the only manuscript of his autobiography. (Much of the information and quotes in this short biography are gleaned from Newton's notes or "Prospectus" of his autobiography).

Newton settled at last in Santa Barbara, the city he considered "the most desirable place of residence...found in all his wanderings." Newton Henry truly embodied the western spirit and lead a life of adventure.