In the vast Western territory defined by the Columbia River, historian and naturalist Jack Nisbet tracks the stories and meaning of remains such as a trilobite fossil that points to a tropical prehistoric ecology; the indelible stain of the smallpox pandemic that overcame local native peoples; the remains of Jaco Finlay, a trapper and scout from 200 years ago. The photographs, map, and Nisbet's poetic style create an inspired chronicle of this region.