He was an adventurer, laborer, surveyor, longshoreman, farmer, merchant, community leader, civic builder, richest man in the state, world traveler, miner and writer. He made and lost millions. He was the charming, witty, Ezra Meeker. He was one of hundreds of thousands who left behind all they knew and set out on the Oregon Trail. He came to Washington Territory and left a mark that to this day is felt in the region. Here is the story of those hardy pioneers with whom Meeker shared adventures, perils, and laughter while building a new state out of the rough frontier north of the Columbia River. Among others that he wrote, this book is one of the best pioneer narratives from any section of the country. Though he lived in Washington at a time of so-called "Indian troubles," to the end of his days he remained the friend of many Native Americans and had sympathy for what he felt was a raw deal they received from the government.