Jim Phillips
Jim Phillips, who portrays 'George Drouillard' and 'Sergeant John Ordway' with the
Pacific Northwest Living Historians group based at Lewis and Clark National and
State Historical Park at the Mouth of the Columbia (in Oregon and Washington),
presently resides in Northern California with his good wife: Joy, their 'Yaller Dog
Howie' and their two 'half-breed cats'. After retiring from his position with the City of
Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services Department in July of
2008, Jim relocated to Magalia, California [in the foothills northeast the of the Feather
River canyon].
Jim received his undergraduate degree in American History and Outdoor Recreation
and Parks from California State University at Sacramento. He went on to do graduate
work in Folklore at Western Kentucky University at Bowling Green, Kentucky; and
finished his graduate work at Utah State University in Logan, Utah, in the field of
Folklore and Living History Museum Studies under Jay Anderson and Barre Tolkien.
Over the years since he left college, Jim has served in the United States Air Force and
worked in youth ministry with the Evangelical Covenant Church in both Minnesota and
Northern California. After leaving the ministry, Jim spent a summer on the interpretive
staff at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Vancouver, Washington: interpreting
the life of a Hudson's Bay engage working at the fort in the 1820 - 30's. He also
served as the Interpretive Coordinator of Farmamerica (Minnesota Historical Society
site) at Waseca in southeastern Minnesota. He left that job to become the Interpretive
Director at Murphy's Landing Historical Site in Shakopee, Minnesota. From there he
went on to Western Kentucky University where he was active in the college's
Elderhostel programming. He transferred to Utah State University to study in the living
history program at the college's Jensen Farm Living History Site; and was the
Elderhostel program coordinator for USU during his last summer in Logan. During the
winter of 1969 - 1970, Jim took part in the University of California's National Science
Foundation Research Project at McMurdo Station in the Antarctic; serving as the UC
Davis's program resource and support person.
Over the years, Jim's passion for American History has led him to become a member
of a variety of reenactment groups around the country: 'La Compagne de Hivernants
de la Riviere de St. Pierre' in Minnesota, 'the American Longrifle Association' in Utah,
and 'the Coalition of Historical Trekkers' in Colorado and Utah. Jim has served on the
boards of the Colorado State Muzzle Loading Association and the Ute Trail
Muzzleloaders in Woodland Park, Colorado. Jim helped plan and coordinate the
inaugural HBC Brigade Encampment at Fort Vancouver in Washington State, and was
on the staff of the First High Plains National Rendezvous at Oakwood Lakes State
Park in South Dakota. He has served as an advisor and range officer for the 4-H
Youth Shooting Sports Program, and has run black powder shooting ranges for the
National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association, the Colorado Muzzleloaders Association,
and 'the Lewis & Clark Camp of Instruction' in 2004 in Oregon. He has been actively
involved in black powder shooting and living history interpretation for more than thirty
five years; and his interest in 'historical trekking' has involved him in canoe trips and
woodland journeys in the Midwest and the Rocky Mountain Region since early in the
1980's. Since the early 1970's, Jim has presented numerous 'campfire programs' for
school groups, scouting organizations and museums and parks across the western
United States.
In December 2001, Jim was privileged to join John Luzader (our original PNLH
Sergeant Gass) and Ed Duncan (our Private John Shields) at Fort Clatsop,
Oregon....where he began doing a first-person interpretive portrayal of 'George
Drouillard': the Shawnee / French Canadian hunter and interpreter for the Corps of
Volunteers for Northwestern Discovery. He was an instructor at the Camp of
Instruction First-Person Living History Training Class at Camp Rilea, Oregon in June
of 2004; and participated in the L&C Descendants' Gathering at Fort Clatsop in
August of that same year. Jim has participated in all but one of the 'Wintering Over'
programs at Fort Clatsop since 2001; and took part in the Lewis and Clark
Bicentennial Signature Events at Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Park
with 'Destination the Pacific' in November and during December of 2005. In September
of 2006, Jim was selected to represent 'Destination the Pacific', the Pacific Northwest
Living Historians group, and Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Park at
'The Return of the Corps' Bicentennial Signature Event in St. Charles and in St. Louis,
Missouri, where he again portrayed 'Drewyer' along with Phil Huff and Tom Wilson
from Oregon. Jim has participated in Lewis and Clark events at Clark's Camp in July
of 2007 and 2009,(where he portrayed Sergeant John Ordway) and at Dismal Nitch in
Washington in May, 2008 and 2009. Since moving to Northern California, Jim has
been the featured speaker at the openings of the 'Lewis and Clark Revisited'
photographic exhibition in Santa Rosa and in Yuba City.
For an individual whose first black powder rifle was a Navy Arms reproduction 'Model
1803 Harper's Ferry' rifle, being invited to participate in the Bicentennial of the Lewis
and Clark Expedition has been 'a return to his roots' in the living history field.
These days, Jim continues to actively research and interprete the history of the Lewis
and Clark Expedition and the lives of the individuals involved in that incredible
enterprise.....
Jim Phillips, who portrays 'George Drouillard' and 'Sergeant John Ordway' with the
Pacific Northwest Living Historians group based at Lewis and Clark National and
State Historical Park at the Mouth of the Columbia (in Oregon and Washington),
presently resides in Northern California with his good wife: Joy, their 'Yaller Dog
Howie' and their two 'half-breed cats'. After retiring from his position with the City of
Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services Department in July of
2008, Jim relocated to Magalia, California [in the foothills northeast the of the Feather
River canyon].
Jim received his undergraduate degree in American History and Outdoor Recreation
and Parks from California State University at Sacramento. He went on to do graduate
work in Folklore at Western Kentucky University at Bowling Green, Kentucky; and
finished his graduate work at Utah State University in Logan, Utah, in the field of
Folklore and Living History Museum Studies under Jay Anderson and Barre Tolkien.
Over the years since he left college, Jim has served in the United States Air Force and
worked in youth ministry with the Evangelical Covenant Church in both Minnesota and
Northern California. After leaving the ministry, Jim spent a summer on the interpretive
staff at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Vancouver, Washington: interpreting
the life of a Hudson's Bay engage working at the fort in the 1820 - 30's. He also
served as the Interpretive Coordinator of Farmamerica (Minnesota Historical Society
site) at Waseca in southeastern Minnesota. He left that job to become the Interpretive
Director at Murphy's Landing Historical Site in Shakopee, Minnesota. From there he
went on to Western Kentucky University where he was active in the college's
Elderhostel programming. He transferred to Utah State University to study in the living
history program at the college's Jensen Farm Living History Site; and was the
Elderhostel program coordinator for USU during his last summer in Logan. During the
winter of 1969 - 1970, Jim took part in the University of California's National Science
Foundation Research Project at McMurdo Station in the Antarctic; serving as the UC
Davis's program resource and support person.
Over the years, Jim's passion for American History has led him to become a member
of a variety of reenactment groups around the country: 'La Compagne de Hivernants
de la Riviere de St. Pierre' in Minnesota, 'the American Longrifle Association' in Utah,
and 'the Coalition of Historical Trekkers' in Colorado and Utah. Jim has served on the
boards of the Colorado State Muzzle Loading Association and the Ute Trail
Muzzleloaders in Woodland Park, Colorado. Jim helped plan and coordinate the
inaugural HBC Brigade Encampment at Fort Vancouver in Washington State, and was
on the staff of the First High Plains National Rendezvous at Oakwood Lakes State
Park in South Dakota. He has served as an advisor and range officer for the 4-H
Youth Shooting Sports Program, and has run black powder shooting ranges for the
National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association, the Colorado Muzzleloaders Association,
and 'the Lewis & Clark Camp of Instruction' in 2004 in Oregon. He has been actively
involved in black powder shooting and living history interpretation for more than thirty
five years; and his interest in 'historical trekking' has involved him in canoe trips and
woodland journeys in the Midwest and the Rocky Mountain Region since early in the
1980's. Since the early 1970's, Jim has presented numerous 'campfire programs' for
school groups, scouting organizations and museums and parks across the western
United States.
In December 2001, Jim was privileged to join John Luzader (our original PNLH
Sergeant Gass) and Ed Duncan (our Private John Shields) at Fort Clatsop,
Oregon....where he began doing a first-person interpretive portrayal of 'George
Drouillard': the Shawnee / French Canadian hunter and interpreter for the Corps of
Volunteers for Northwestern Discovery. He was an instructor at the Camp of
Instruction First-Person Living History Training Class at Camp Rilea, Oregon in June
of 2004; and participated in the L&C Descendants' Gathering at Fort Clatsop in
August of that same year. Jim has participated in all but one of the 'Wintering Over'
programs at Fort Clatsop since 2001; and took part in the Lewis and Clark
Bicentennial Signature Events at Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Park
with 'Destination the Pacific' in November and during December of 2005. In September
of 2006, Jim was selected to represent 'Destination the Pacific', the Pacific Northwest
Living Historians group, and Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Park at
'The Return of the Corps' Bicentennial Signature Event in St. Charles and in St. Louis,
Missouri, where he again portrayed 'Drewyer' along with Phil Huff and Tom Wilson
from Oregon. Jim has participated in Lewis and Clark events at Clark's Camp in July
of 2007 and 2009,(where he portrayed Sergeant John Ordway) and at Dismal Nitch in
Washington in May, 2008 and 2009. Since moving to Northern California, Jim has
been the featured speaker at the openings of the 'Lewis and Clark Revisited'
photographic exhibition in Santa Rosa and in Yuba City.
For an individual whose first black powder rifle was a Navy Arms reproduction 'Model
1803 Harper's Ferry' rifle, being invited to participate in the Bicentennial of the Lewis
and Clark Expedition has been 'a return to his roots' in the living history field.
These days, Jim continues to actively research and interprete the history of the Lewis
and Clark Expedition and the lives of the individuals involved in that incredible
enterprise.....
