Josiah Gregg

Josiah Gregg (19 July 1806 - 25 February 1850) was a merchant, explorer, naturalist, and author of the American Southwest and Northern Mexico. He is most famous for his "The Commerce of the Prairies", an account of his time spent as a trader on the Santa Fe Trail before the Mexican-American War. Gregg had training in both law and medicine, and practiced both with distinction before he retired from urban life due to deteriorating tuberculosis. He traded on the Santa Fe trail from 1831 to 1840, and published his account in "Commerce" in 1844. This included extensive descriptions of the geography, botany, geology, and culture of New Mexico. The book established Gregg's literary reputation, and he was hired as a news correspondent during the Mexican War. In this capacity, he traveled through Chihuahua. He corresponded with George Engelmann in St. Louis, Missouri, sending him collections of plants, many of which were previously undescribed. Several Southwestern plants bear the patronym "greggii" to honor Gregg's contributions. After the war, Gregg participated in the California Gold Rush. He died from starvation and exposure while leading an emergency winter expedition out of a snow bound mining camp. The expedition has been credited with the rediscovery of Humboldt Bay that resulted in its settlement.