Pike County Arkansas Genealogy Trails Presents ZEBULON MONTGOMERY PIKE 1779-1813 Zebulon Pike, an American general and explorer, won fame for his discovery of Pikes Peak in 1806. While Meriwether Lewis and William Clark explored the Northwest, Pike explored the upper Mississippi River. Later, he explored the Southwest to obtain information about the land and its resources, especially south from the upper reaches of the Arkansas River, which rises in central Colorado. Pike was born in Lamberton, N. J., Jan. 5, 1779. He began his military career at the age of 15. In the War of 1812, he led a successful advance on York (Toronto) Canada, in which he lost his life. ©2006 Pike County Arkansas Genealogy Trails |