John Mullan was born July 32, 1830 in Norfork, Virginia and died December 28, 1909. He graduated from West Point and was a topographical engineer and a member of the Isaac I. Stevens party that explored the Washington Territory upon the direction of the U.S. Government, charged with establishing a wagon and railroad route from Fort Walla Walla, Washington, to Fort Benton, Montana.
The project was begun in the winter of 1853-54, and when complete, the "Mullan Military Road" ran 624 miles and became a route of high importance in development of the Northwest.
Several times, Indian troubles interrupted construction of Mullan's Road, including February 1855 when he was transferred to Florida for two years of fighting the Seminole Indians. He returned to the project from 1858 until 1862 as Chief of Construction in clearing the path for the wagon road across the Rockies, with sporatic interuptions for Indian fighting including August 31-September 1, 1858 when he commanded 30 volunteer Nez Perce Indians and took part in the Battle of the Four Lakes.
Mullan's work called "Report on the Construction of a Military Road from Fort Walla Walla to Fort Benton (1863)", described the establishment of the route, and is an important historical document. He is also the author of "Miners' and Travellers' Guide to Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, via the Missouri and Columbia Rivers (1865)".
After his military careeer Mullan had a rich and varied life: he married in 1863 and tried his had at ranching in the area of Walla Walla, WA. For a brief period of time he owned a contract to deliver mail from Chico, California, to Ruby City, Idaho. Later, he opened a law practice at San Francisco was was said to be successfull, and lastly, he moved to Washington, D.C., in 1878, and died there in December 28, 1909.
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