James, John (Vocalist)

Thomas Varker Keam was born in Kenwyn, England on August 6, 1842. He went to sea as a young man and served in several branches of the British and then American military. Honorably discharged at Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1868, Keam stayed on becoming a liscenced trader with the Indian Bureau. By 1879 he had left the tading post he and and William Leonard had established together, to what is now called Keam's Canyon. There he traded with both the Hopi and Navajos, learning both their languages fluently. His dealings with both tribes enabled his collecting of prehistoric indian artifacts. The largest of his collections is housed with the Museum of Ethnology, while others can be found in a variety of instituions in the United States.

From the guide to the Lieutenent Thomas Varker Keam Collection, 1842-1904., (Cline Library. Special Collections and Archives Department.)

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