author
Erwin N. Thompson
1926–1998
A historian with a gift for bringing the American West and the Pacific coast to life, this author wrote deeply researched books on places like Whitman Mission, Alcatraz, and the Presidio of San Francisco. His work grew out of years spent studying archives, landscapes, and the layered history of the National Park Service.
1 Audiobook
Whitman Mission National Historic Site
by Erwin N. Thompson
About the author
Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on August 18, 1926, he became a historian and author whose work focused especially on Pacific Northwest history and historic sites in the American West. Archival records say he served in both the Royal Canadian Navy and the United States Army, and was sent to Okinawa with the postwar occupation forces.
He went on to build a long career as a researcher and writer, producing studies and books on subjects ranging from Whitman Mission to San Francisco Bay military history. His published work includes Shallow Grave at Waiilatpu, as well as historical studies of Alcatraz, the Presidio of San Francisco, and other National Park Service sites.
His papers, preserved in archives, show a writer deeply committed to primary sources, maps, photographs, and careful historical reconstruction. He died on June 15, 1998, leaving behind a body of work valued by readers interested in Western, military, and public history.