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Robert Gray
Gray was steady, dependable, yet passionate. He was a more practical man than Kendrick in some ways. It was his childhood dream to become an explorer and by the second voyage of the Columbia, he struck out on his own to expore the mysteries of the Northwest coast. He found the Columbia River and recognized its potential. To this day, the state of Washington has a harbor named for him.
Gray was born in 1755 at Tiverton, Rhode Island. Little is known of his early years; he is said to have entered the Navy, but he did command a ship belonging to two of the financeers of the Northwest expedition, which was why he was chosen to be part of the venture.
After the fur trade began dying down, Gray was briefly a privateer, then "he returned to the merchant service and made a number of voyages to England" (Howay xiv). He remained close to his wife throughout his life, and had several daughters. They were left nearly penniless in 1806 when Gray died, and his contribution to history was not realized until some time after.
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 Later artist's rendering from the Oregon Historical Society OrHi 586
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