In 1541, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto took note of Native Americans cultivating it east of the Mississippi River. George Washington wrote in his diary in 1785: "Planted all my cedars, all my pawpaw, and two honey locust trees." (Though there"s no historical documentation, it is said chilled pawpaw was Washington"s favourite dessert.) In 1786, when Thomas Jefferson was minister to France, he had pawpaw seeds and plants shipped from Virginia to friends in Europe. A journal entry from the explorers Lewis and Clark dated 18 September 1806 recorded that the men were "entirely out of provisions" but "appear perfectly contented", living "very well on the pappaws."