In 1934, French-born American millionaire Charles Bedaux embarked upon an expedition to cross 2,300 kilometers of unmapped northern BC territory east of the Rocky Mountains, using the then newly designed Citroën halftrack vehicles, initiating one of the most extravagantly equipped overland parties ever seen in British Columbia – including a fleet of automobiles, 130 packhorses, 53 Canadian cowboys, 400 pounds of books, more than 20 tons of supplies, 2 professional surveyors, a geologist, and a film crew led by Oscar-winning Hollywood cinematographer Floyd Crosby. A hand-written memoir and typed notes have survived from the expedition that was created by A.H. Phipps, one of the surveying crew members who recorded his observations about the terrain, surveying activities, and ultimately the causes for the expedition’s failure. The memoirs document evidence of the regional participation of the team, from the involvement of individual cowboys from the Peace River country, to interactions with pioneer families from the Peace River region, and interactions with First Nations individuals from Northern British Columbia that the Bedaux party encountered on its route. Additionally, Phipps provides personal remarks about members of the Bedaux party.
