January 8, 1805

William Dunbar and Dr. George Hunter began their return trip after exploring the Ouachita River and the hot springs in the area on a commission from President Thomas Jefferson to venture into the area of the Louisiana Purchase. The Hunter-Dunbar expedition was one of only four such ventures into the Louisiana Purchase. The expedition provided Americans with the first scientific study of the varied landscapes as well as the animal and plant life of early southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana. In fact, the expedition resulted in arguably the most purely scientific collection of data among all of the Louisiana Purchase explorations.