John A. “Snowshoe” Thompson: Pioneer Mail Carrier of the Sierra, by Frank Tortorich

John A. Thompson was born in Norway in 1827. His family emigrated to the U.S. just ten years later and by 1851 John was a young man, ready to try his luck in the gold fields of California. While he undoubtedly brought enthusiasm and determination with him, he also brought something the people of the region had never seen before, skis. Unfamiliar with the long thin strips of wood he strapped to his feet, people called them “snow-shoes” and Thompson acquired a nickname. He pursued many interests in the years that followed – farmer, rancher, guide, trader, Indian agent and politician – the thing Thompson is remembered most for was his service as a dependable mail carrier, who made record time traversing the Sierra Nevada on those “snow-shoes” carrying the winter mail and keeping the lines of communication open for those who lived in the region