Rex Ziak

Rex Ziak (pronounced "zeek") is an American writer, historian, tour guide, and documentarian, who lives in Naselle, Washington, United States. Known for his Lewis and Clark studies, he is the author of In Full View.[1] After careful study of the expedition's journals and of the geography of the Columbia River estuary, Ziak discovered the previously unknown fact that from November 7, 1805, to December 6, the Lewis and Clark expedition stayed in what is now Pacific County, along the Long Beach Peninsula.[2][3] This finding took six years for Ziak to piece together, using the comments in the expedition's journals to find the locations the explorers stopped at on their trip. A controversy arose between Oregon, long considered the end of the expedition, and Washington's historians over Ziak's findings, with many historians in Washington and elsewhere supporting his discovery and many in Oregon opposing it.[4] In 1999, soon after his announcement, Ziak and David Nicandri, director of the Washington State Historical Society, began petitioning to give the newly found ending location, a camping spot called Station Camp, National Landmark Status. In addition, that year, US Representative Brian Baird had an amendment passed that changed the "federal designation of the Lewis and CLark National Historic Trail as ending not in Oregon but in Oregon and Washington."[5]

In 2004, Ziak testified before Congress in support of the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park.[6] The next year he published a fold-out map and guide to the route taken by the expedition.[7]

As a documentarian and cinematographer, his work under assignment from ABC Television received an Emmy in 1993 for cinematography in the documentary Tall Ship: High Sea Adventure. He was also involved in the filming of the 2003 Discovery Channel documentary, Marine Corps Survival School, where Ziak had to film at "high altitudes and in low temperatures" in the Sierra Nevada.[8] As a local activist and regional historian, he has served as a consultant to the City of Long Beach and as a board member of the Pacific County Friends of Lewis and Clark. Ziak has also run unsuccessfully for local political office.[citation needed]

  1. ^ Dean Baker (December 6, 2002). "His colorful past helps author track Lewis and Clark". The Columbian. Archived from the original on June 11, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
  2. ^ Jon Hahn (August 30, 2001). "Long Beach is discovering its historic place along the Lewis and Clark trail". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
  3. ^ Claudia Rowe (February 2, 2004). "On the money trail 200 years later hoping to reap benefits, Long Beach peninsula plays up ties to Lewis and Clark". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
  4. ^ Thomas W. Haines (February 22, 1999). "Controversy blurs path of Lewis, Clark". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on June 11, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
  5. ^ Staff writer (March 15, 2000). "Dollars, pride at stake in Lewis and Clark history debate". Associated Press. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
  6. ^ "Parks Bills:Rex Ziak". Federal Document Clearing House. May 20, 2004. Archived from the original on March 27, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
  7. ^ Lewis and Clark: Down and Up the Columbia River (Moffitt House Press, 2005)
  8. ^ Nancy Butterfield (November 6, 2002). "Rex on ice: Local cinematographer's latest adventure airs Friday". Chinook Observer. Retrieved April 27, 2012.