Warren Angus Ferris

Warren Angus Ferris (December 26, 1810 – February 8, 1873) was a trapper, cartographer and diarist in the Rocky Mountains from 1830 to 1835. From 1829–1835, he traveled to Cache Valley and the Snake River area with the American Fur Company. With the help of Native American guides, he explored what is now Yellowstone National Park in 1834. He recorded his experiences in a journal that was published as the book Life in the Rocky Mountains in 1940. The book contained the first settler-made map of the area, called the "Map of the Northwest Fur Country." Ferris became a surveyor in Texas in the area that is now Dallas. He also served on the Texas State Congress. Ferris settled down as a farmer in his later life and wrote articles for the Dallas Herald newspaper.

Biography Early life Warren Angus Ferris (Ferriss) was born December 26, 1810, in Glens Falls, New York, to Angus and Sarah Ferris. Ferris's father, Angus, died from a sudden illness in 1813, leaving a widow and 2 infant children. Sarah Ferris moved to Buffalo, N.Y. where she married Joshua Lovejoy, on Aug. 13, 1815, as his second wife. Sarah continued to live in Buffalo with her 2 daughters until her death at the age of 79. Ferris grew up with his family in Buffalo. thumb

Ferris learned to hunt, fish, and trap as a young boy. His early experiences growing up around Native Americans piqued his interest in their culture. He observed their celebrations and interactions. In his youth, Ferris also saw the completion of the Erie Canal, which was finished in 1825. This proximity to Native American culture and the accessibility to travel inspired Ferris's spirit of adventure and prompted him to move out west.

American Fur Company Ferris left Buffalo and got a job in Pittsburgh working for a merchant. He only held this job for three months before the merchant went out of business. He later found other employment in Cincinnati selling magazine subscriptions for the Western Tiller. He became restless reading about the west and wanted to see it for himself. He moved to St. Louis and opened a "mathematical and English school" in his home to pay for rent. The school was subscription based, so his income was determined by the number of students who attended. Ferris managed to attract some students during his first term teaching, but closed the school because parents did not pay him tuition fees due to his bad temper. On one trip in 1834, Ferris acted as a clerk for the American Fur Company in a trapping party to the mountains of western Wyoming. Out of curiosity, Ferris found Native American guides and made a side journey into what is today Yellowstone National Park. In his journal Ferris gave one of the first descriptions of the geysers of the Yellowstone region. From the surface of a rocky plain or table, burst forth columns of water of various dimensions, projected high in the air, accompanied by loud explosions, and sulphurous vapors, which were highly disagreeable to the smell. ...The largest of these wonderful fountains, projects a column of boiling water several feet in diameter, to the height of more than one hundred and fifty feet. ...These explosions and discharges occur at intervals of about two hours....

When Ferris returned to Buffalo, he found that while he had been away, his brother Charles had taken care of the family. When Ferris came back, however, Charles left the family in financial crisis, and Ferris was forced to remain in Buffalo to take care of them. Their half-brother Joshua issued a lawsuit against Charles, and while waiting for case to be settled, he devoted his time to writing his journal.

Ferris was called upon to resurvey the Dallas area in 1850. He finished surveying the 30 square miles in just 10 days despite unfavorable weather conditions. This was his last large surveying job. Throughout the 1850s Ferris practiced farming. He was one of the first citizens to try growing cotton in Dallas. By 1860, Ferris no longer identified himself as a surveyor, but a farmer. In the aftermath of the American Civil War, Ferris sold some of his land to pay for debts. In his later life, Ferris wrote articles for a local newspaper. He had a series of over twenty articles published between 1871 and 1872.

Personal life Ferris married Melinda G. Cook in April 1842. After Melinda's death in 1844, Ferris was determined to fulfill her dying wish, that he find another wife to raise her children. The next year Ferris courted Angeline Cook, Melinda's cousin, but she broke off their engagement due to her family's lack of approval. He was married to Frances "Fanny" Moore in 1847. Ferris was the father of 12 children. Frances died in childbirth in 1869, leaving Ferris to raise their young children. He sympathized with the Democratic Party and the Confederacy during the U.S. Civil War. He died on 8 February 1873 and is buried in the Forest Hills area of Dallas, Texas.

Throughout his life he had disputes with his half-brother Joshua Lovejoy. He maintained correspondence with his family in Buffalo, New York, when he moved to Texas.

Podcast and Blog On February 8, 2025, Jim Cornelius of Frontier Partisans released a podcast entitled "Warren Angus Ferris - Man of the Mountain Land". The podcast features the journal of Warren Angus Ferris entitled "Life in the Rocky Mountains" which includes poetic descriptions of Ferris' explorations, landscapes, wildlife, and the Native American cultures he encountered. Cornelius discusses Ferris' early life in New York, his fur-trapping career, and his later life in what is now Dallas County in Texas. Cornelius eloquently reads excerpts from the journal as well as provides a historian's reflection of the era and important events throughout the podcast.

A more detailed story of Warren Angus Ferris and his family is discussed on the Warren Angus Ferris Ancestry blog. https://ferrisancestry.blog/