III 109th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 252 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 27, 2005 Mr. Salazar (for himself and Mr. Allard) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary RESOLUTION Recognizing the Bicentennial Anniversary of Zebulon Montgomery Pike's explorations in the interior west of the United States.

Whereas Zebulon Montgomery Pike was born January 5, 1779, in Lamberton, New Jersey, to a military family, which quickly was on the move across the Nation with Pike growing up on frontier military posts; Whereas Zebulon Montgomery Pike served the United States with distinction, initially as a commissioned First Lieutenant in the First Infantry Regiment of the United States Army, later as a Captain, further as a Colonel of the 15th Regiment during the War of 1812, and ultimately as a Brigadier General in 1813; Whereas in July of 1806, Zebulon Montgomery Pike was given the assignment of leading an expedition west from present-day St. Louis, Missouri, up the Arkansas River to its source in the highest of the Rocky Mountains, then into Colorado’s San Luis Valley; Whereas Zebulon Montgomery Pike and his expedition traveled through the present day states of Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado observing the geography, natural history, and population of the country through which he passed; Whereas Zebulon Montgomery Pike and his expedition reached the site of present day Pueblo, Colorado on November 23, 1806, and, fascinated with a blue peak in the Rocky Mountains to the west, Pike set out to explore the mountain; Whereas Zebulon Montgomery Pike was prevented from completing the ascent due to waist-deep snow, inadequate clothing, and sub-zero temperatures, and so chose to turn back for the safety of his expedition; Whereas Zebulon Montgomery Pike never set foot on Pike’s Peak but did contribute significantly to the interior west’s early exploration through the headwaters of the Arkansas River; Whereas Zebulon Montgomery Pike and his expedition found the area of present day Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado and the headwaters of the Rio Grande, which he mistakenly thought was the Red River; and Whereas on April 27, 1813, Zebulon Montgomery Pike died in valiant service to his country, leading an attack on York, later to become Toronto, during the War of 1812: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)recognizes the year 2006 as the 200th anniversary of Zebulon Montgomery Pike’s discoveries throughout the American West; and (2)encourages the people of the United States to observe and celebrate his contributions to our Nation’s history with appropriate ceremonies and activities throughout the year.