author
Frederick Samuel Dellenbaugh
1853–1935
Best known for joining John Wesley Powell’s second Colorado River expedition as a young artist and assistant topographer, he helped shape early understanding of the Grand Canyon. He later turned those adventures into vivid books that blend exploration, history, and firsthand observation.
4 Audiobooks
The Romance of the Colorado River : The Story of its Discovery in 1840, with an Account of the Later Explorations, and with Special Reference to the Voyages of Powell through the Line of the Great Canyons
by Frederick Samuel Dellenbaugh
Breaking the Wilderness : The Story of the Conquest of the Far West, From the Wanderings of Cabeza de Vaca, to the First Descent of the Colorado by Powell, and the Completion of the Union Pacific Railway, With Particular Account of the Exploits of Trappers and Traders
by Frederick Samuel Dellenbaugh
About the author
Born in Ohio in 1853, Frederick Samuel Dellenbaugh was an American explorer, artist, and writer whose life was closely tied to the American West. While still very young, he joined John Wesley Powell’s second expedition down the Colorado River from 1871 to 1873, serving as the party’s artist and assistant topographer.
That journey became the defining experience of his career. He is remembered for helping prepare the first map of the Grand Canyon and for recording the landscapes of the region in both words and images. His later work drew on those experiences, giving readers a direct, personal window into western exploration.
Dellenbaugh also remained active as an artist and author for decades, writing books on the Colorado River, the Southwest, and western history. He died in 1935, leaving behind a body of work valued for its mix of adventure, careful observation, and historical importance.