There is much going on in the Lewis and Clark world. Embrace the last bits of summer and the upcoming fall, and enjoy these events held around the nation. Click on the following link:
FYI: The next Lewis and Clark events calendar will be published October 1, for the months of October, November and December.
Map of some of the 31 Lewis and Clark events nationwide for August through October 2023
There are so many Lewis and Clark events happening to look forward to! From a Zoom talk by New York Times bestselling author Dan Flores and a bundle-making demo to ranger-led paddle excursions and plenty of reenactments, there is surely something for everyone in the coming months!
Click the following link to view the calendar:
“Final Inspection” is the first painting in Steve Ludeman’s series of artwork depicting the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s time in the Eastern Legacy. This painting shows the final check of the expedition’s big boat prior to departure from Pittsburgh, Pa. Steve’s art will be exhibited at the June 27-30 annual meeting of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation. See page 13 of the calendar for information about Steve and page 14 for the annual meeting.
Just a few of the 32 events during the next three months:
You’ll find joy along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.
The summer travel season is almost upon us. Now is the time to figure out where you’re going and what to see.
Some good advice: Explore parts or all of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail during your summer travels. The trail goes for 4,900 miles through 16 states from Pittsburgh, Pa., to the mouth of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest.
The trail is perfect for tourist outings for single travelers, companions and families. You’ll discover beautiful scenery; hiking trails to wander along; campsites if you prefer sleeping in the outdoors; educational, recreational and entertainment opportunities; and significant historical sites, statues, and museums about the 1803-06 expedition.
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark believed good planning would make for a successful journey. With their philosophy in mind, here are tips on how to prepare for your travels, as well as how to keep a travel journal that your family and your descendants will love to read.
Travel books about the Lewis and Clark Trail: Before you make final decisions on your travel plans, research parts of the trail that you may be interested in by reading books that tell not only about what the expedition did on this or that day but also what’s available today in those areas. All of the books mentioned below are available from online book companies and outlets like Amazon.
There are numerous quality books on the market that offer details about where the trail goes through certain states and the available Lewis and Clark sites, museums, and statues. Most of these books provide information about hotels, recreational opportunities and other amenities, including guiding companies if you’re interested in getting on the water in a canoe or traveling parts of the trail by tourist boat. These are good references if you already know your specific destination.
For example, if you know your destination is along the Snake or Columbia rivers in the Pacific Northwest, take a look at a spiral-bound book, Wind Hard from the West: The Lewis and Clark Expedition on the Snake and Columbia Rivers, by Robert Heacock and Kris Townsend.
The book by the two long-time members of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation includes the expedition’s daily activities and location descriptions; and maps and historic and modern photos. The book is extremely helpful if you want to locate Lewis and Clark sites along the two rivers and learn what happened at those sites.
And let’s say your travel destination is Lewis and Clark sites in Missouri. A good reference guide: Exploring Lewis & Clark’s Missouri by Brett Dufur. This book gives information on how to find specific Lewis and Clark locations but also extensive advice on local hiking trails, art galleries, museums, parks, and other places. The book is a wealth of information that even includes addresses and phone numbers of places along the trail through Missouri.
Map of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail from Pittsburgh, Pa., to the mouth of the Columbia River. Map by the National Park Service and Solimar International.
Because the trail is so long, it can be challenging to identify specific areas you want to visit if you intend to travel the entire trail. Here are some suggested books for taking a look at what’s offered along the entire trail:
Traveling the Lewis and Clark Trail by Julie Fanselow.
Traveling the Lewis and Clark Trail by Julie Fanselow offers first-rate information about the best sites to visit and activities to do along the trail, as well as maps, itineraries, and advice on local lodging and dining. Julie also details specific Lewis and Clark events that happened along the trail.
Her top-notch book has remained a popular travel guide since it was originally published around the time of the 2003-06 Lewis and Clark National Bicentennial Celebration. Now in its fourth edition, the book is an essential pilot for a Lewis and Clark traveler.
Likewise, so is Adventures Across America: On and Off the Trail of Lewis and Clark by Jennifer White Fischer.
Published in 2019, the book gives an in-depth look—in both text and photographs—at what you’ll find not only along the trail in the way of Lewis and Clark history but also historical places unrelated to Lewis and Clark that you would enjoy visiting. Jennifer even notes good cafes and restaurants, as well as nearby walking trails and other opportunities.
If you prefer human-powered wheels to motorized travel, there is a good book, Bicycling the Lewis & Clark Trail, by Michael McCoy. With maps, info about road surfaces and traffic, and other helpful information, it’s an indispensable handbook for bicyclists.
Meanwhile, if you feel more adventurous than merely driving the roads on or near the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, backpacking and camping are great alternatives—and they are good ways to get a taste of the outdoor life experienced by the explorers.
Thomas J. Elpel, founder and
director of Green University and Outdoor Wilderness Living School, has authored excellent books about practical survival skills and reconnecting with nature.
Tom is the author of a brilliant and insightful award-winning book, Five Months on the Missouri, about his 2,341-mile journey in a dugout canoe from Montana to St. Louis, Mo. The book offers a wonderful step back in time to the adventures of Lewis and Clark and what it’s like along the river today—it’s superb reading for any traveler by water or otherwise along the Missouri River. Click here to see information about Tom’s books.
The best reference sources, of course, are the Lewis and Clark journals
themselves. Various edited versions of the journals have been published during the last two centuries. By far, the most outstanding and most accurate version is the set of The Definitive Journals of Lewis & Clark, edited by Gary E. Moulton, a Thomas C. Sorensen Professor Emeritus of American History at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
With the highest degree of accuracy, Dr. Moulton kept the journals true to what the explorers wrote. His work on the journals was one of the most important scholarly accomplishments of the 20th century.
Beneficial for your travels are Dr. Moulton’s footnotes that explain where the expedition was on a specific day in relation to today’s communities and landmarks. This information is a splendid key for helping you locate a Lewis and Clark site and comparing what you see there against what the explorers reported viewing and experiencing.
Dr. Moulton has also published The Lewis and Clark
Expedition Day by Day, a single volume that translates the unique writing styles of the explorers into the modern grammar of today. It’s an easy-to-read book and a remarkable reference if you already know the location of a place where the explorers were on a specific date.
If you’re computer savvy and know the expedition dates associated with the locations of places that you intend to visit, check out the Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition Online. After you reach the website’s home page, type the date you’re looking for into the search bar at the top right of the page. You’ll find the explorers’ daily journal entries, as well as images, supplemental information, audio files, and Native American perspectives.
Visit Lewis and Clark travel websites: You would be wise to study online resources that offer details about the expedition and what you can expect to find today. There are two premier websites.
The Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation’s website offers an interactive travel section that gives a state-by-state look at where to find Lewis and Clark sites and other places of interest. The section also includes information about the top 25 Lewis and Clark sites.
Meanwhile, the National Park Service developed an excellent travel website during the last few years that will soon be turned over to the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation for management and continued development.
The website—lewisandclark.travel—provides extensive information about history along the Lewis and Clark trail, historic places, natural areas, Native American cultures and lands, arts, events, guides, tours, museums, interpretive centers, campgrounds, motels, bed-and-breakfast lodging, maps, and a wealth of more information. Make sure you check it out.
You’ll definitely want to go to two National Park Service helpful offerings as you plan your journey, whether you’re going to be on a short jaunt or the entire trail.
The NPS has a state-by-state guide where you’ll learn about Lewis and Clark connections in each state. Here’s the link to reach the guide. Click on the name of the state that you want more information about.
Meanwhile, when you’re on the home page for this state-by-state guide, scroll down until you see the U.S. map that shows the visitor centers and museums which have a connection to Lewis and Clark. Use your cursor (your cursor will become a little wavy hand as it hovers over the map) to enlarge the map so it’s easier see the location of a visitor center or museum. When you click on a location, a box will pop up that gives you the address of the museum or visitor center there, as well as a link to click on for more information.
This map shows the locations of Lewis and Clark-related visitor centers and museums along the trail. Read the information in the two paragraphs above this map to learn how to use this site. Click here to go to the NPS web page that has the map.
The National Park Service also offers very useful travel apps for trail guides and national parks, a number of which are located along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. The apps can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play. Just type “National Park Service” into one of those site’s search bar.
After your narrow down your upcoming journey, there are other important recommended steps:
Prefer to bicycle parts of the Lewis and Clark trail, if not all of it, this summer? For your research, check out this talk by Megan Boehmer, who biked the entire trail. Megan gave the talk to members of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation.
Visit YouTube: Go to YouTube and see if videos exist about your destinations. The chances are excellent that some will. They will give you an idea about what places are like. Check out the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation’s YouTube channel; it has recordings by experts who discuss issues related to the expedition. If you’re a bicyclist, you’ll definitely want to watch a talk by Megan Boehmer who bicycled the trail in 2021.
Visit the world’s best online resource: It’s no exaggeration to say lewis-clark.org is the world’s best online resource about the expedition and its period in time. Also known as Discover Lewis & Clark, it is the educational website of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation. The website can provide you with details about what the expedition did day by day, as well as easy-to-understand info about the geography, geology, American natives, plants wildlife, fish, reptiles, and even insects encountered by the explorers.
So, for example, if you’re headed to Great Falls, Montana, you can go to the website and find everything there is to know about the expedition’s time there, including how the explorers celebrated July 4, 1805, with music and dance and, oh, woe, they ran out of whiskey, which meant no more distributions of a gill of whisky to each expedition member after a hard day of traveling. A “gill,” by the way, was the common term back then for four ounces of liquid.
Get help from a local expert: The Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation offers a free Ambassador Program that can put you in touch with local experts who will help you learn about Lewis and Clark history and assist with finding local sites. An Ambassador will also have information about museums, places to eat, and other local opportunities.
The Ambassador Program is a good benefit for travelers interested in personal assistance in discovering local Lewis and Clark information. The program operates through local volunteers who are members of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation. To learn more about the program, contact Sarah Cawley, the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation’s executive director: director@lewisandclark.org.
Display of replica Lewis and Clark journals in the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center atop high scenic cliffs at the Cape Disappointment State Park on the Washington coast. If you visit the many Lewis and Clark sites near the mouth of the Columbia River, you don’t want to miss this interpretive center or Fort Clatsop at the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park near Astoria, Oregon. Both sites offer magnificent views, hiking trails and in-depth information about the expedition’s time along the Pacific coast.
Most of us take photographs on vacations. Go a step beyond and keep a journal. The landscapes and places you travel through, and the people you meet, offer magnificent opportunities to write in a journal—or to draw if you feel like it.
Regardless of how you record your experiences in a journal, it’ll help put you in the mindset of the Lewis and Clark explorers. The two leaders and four other expedition members kept detailed journals, totaling about a million words. Journals cover the 1,118 days from the expedition’s departure from Pittsburgh, Pa., in the fall of 1803 to its return to St. Louis in late September 1806.
Lewis and Clark used a variety of notebooks, usually five- by eight-inch morocco-bound books—morocco is a type of goat skin used in bookbinding—that opened from the end. They also used notebooks bound in pasteboard with marbled covers, as well as two leather-bound books and one field book made up of loose sheets and bound in elk skin.
This replica of a Lewis and Clark journal tells about the explorers’ time in the area of Cape Disappointment on the Washington coast. The replica is on display at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center at Cape Disappointment State Park. Learn about the explorers’ journey at Cape Disappointment.
The explorers recorded their daily activities; extensive observations of plants, animals, weather, and terrain; and details about the lifestyles, customs, clothing, religions, political climate, and other valuable ethnographical information about the Native Americans they encountered in about 50 different tribes. The information became useful to pioneers and others who were part of our country’s westward expansion. Today, the journals are critically important in understanding our country’s history. Click here to learn more about the explorers as ethnologists.
Pages from some of Wayne Wilson’s travel journals, a combination of his art and writing. Some of the pages are from Wayne’s travels along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.
The foremost advocate of travel journaling: Without a doubt, Wayne Wilson is the No. 1 advocate of keeping a travel journal. He spent most of his career in the museum and archives field, including as executive director of the Kelowna Museums in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. He is a Pacific Northwest historian and an artist extraordinaire.
Wayne Wilson
Since high school, Wayne has always traveled with a sketchbook. His more formal travel journaling began in 2011 during a six-week canoe trip down the Columbia River system. He began filling journals by recounting the places, people, and events that made journeys so compelling. He keeps written travel journals complemented with his artwork of places encountered along a journey.
Wayne is passionate about encouraging people—particularly kids—to keep travel journals. He emphasizes: “Your memories will be richer and clearer. You’ll have more memories. You’ll nurture your creative spirit and your observation skills will sharpen, and your insights on people, places and events will become more thoughtful. As well, your travel journal will be a legacy of who you are as a person.”
That last part—leaving a legacy—is important. “I quickly learned in my museum and archives work that the people who will ever be remembered are those who wrote it down—and I want you to be remembered.
“So don’t be forgotten by your children and grandchildren or even in the longer history of your community. Set out to let your descendants know something more about you—where you traveled, who you met, what gave your life light and meaning, and where you were when you had that epiphany about some part of life.
“A travel journal is a legacy worth leaving.”
Wayne’s website—Travel Journal 100 – Proof of Life—offers a four-module course on travel journaling and solutions to challenges you might face—what you want, for example, in a kit that contains all of the journaling supplies you’ll need. The course offers motivational advice and is the ultimate guide to everything you need to know about travel journaling. There are also tips to help people overcome trepidation they may have about keeping a travel journal.
Wayne Wilson’s ebook about keeping a journal on your travels along the Lewis and Clark Trail. Well-worth the $4.95 price. Click here.
For an online workshop that he taught in March about travel journaling for members of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, Wayne put together a delightful, beautiful ebook—Lewis and Clark…A Special Guide to Travel Journal Prompts.”
Among other very useful advice, his ebook does just what the title promises: It gives excellent prompts about how to include sights, sounds, smells tastes, touch, and even your 6th sense, you know, the déjà vu that makes the hair stand up on your arms. All of these will enhance your travel journal.
Wayne’s ebook is available online for only $4.95. It’s well worth the small price. Click here to learn more and purchase the ebook.
Wayne also has a Facebook page where you’ll find more advice and have access to thoughts and ideas by other keepers of travel journals. Click here to go to the Facebook page.
Finally, remember: Research, read books, check websites and YouTube, contact the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation about the Ambassador Program, keep a travel journal…and have fun!
Author of this article: Gary Kimsey. Click here for info about him.
Just a few of the Lewis and Clark events across the nation in May through July 2023.
Thirty-two events will be held from May through July along the 4,900-mile Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. Click this link to see the calendar of events: Lewis and Clark Calendar_May-July 2023
Events range from talks by experts, a visit by Thomas Jefferson (a character actor, that is), a tour of a garden to learn about plants reported by the explorers, a celebration of the expedition’s 1804 departure, the annual meeting of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, and much more.
Click on this link to learn about the 31 Lewis and Clark events held across the nation in April, May and June 2023. Most are live and some will be aired over Zoom. The events are fun and educational.
Map of just a few of the 31 events:
The map above shows just a few of the upcoming events.
In total, 31 events related to the Lewis and Clark Expedition will be held in March, April and May 2023.
The events range from educational Zoom talks given by experts and meetings of a group that studies the expedition’s journals … to an exhibit focusing on the maps created by the explorers … and a fun festival to celebrate the expedition’s start up the Missouri River in May 1804 … a class to show kids how to bake the berry tart favored by William Clark … and an online class to help you start your own travel journal … and many more events … and all but a couple are free to you.
All in all, a lot of opportunities that offer you and your family the chance to learn about the most important expedition in our country’s history.
Click on the link below to see the calendar of Lewis and Clark events across the nation:
And here’s a quick visual look at three of the events:
Lewis and Clark authors Drs. David J. and Marti E. Peck will give two talks (April 18 and May 12) about medicines used by the explorers and the mystery surrounding the death of Meriwether Lewis. Here, in the photo, David is explaining the firing mechanism of a weapon similar to what Lewis may have used to kill himself.
On March 9, Barb Kubik will give a live and Zoom talk about the “Musquetos are verry troublesom”—an assessment given in the Lewis and Clark journal (Lewis and Clark were quite unique in the way they spelled some words back then!). Barb will discuss Lewis and Clark’s understanding of mosquitoes, vector-borne diseases, and the medical care the captains provided to alleviate the “troublesom’-ness” of mosquito bites.
Traveler’ Rest Connection near Missoula, Montana, will from April 6 to May 23 host an exhibit—“Imprinting the West: Manifest Destiny, Real and Imagined”—that features 48 prints by 18th- and 19th-century artists who recorded images of the landscapes and people of the American West. Some of the artwork depicts landscapes and people much in the same way the Lewis and Clark explorers may have seen them. The photo above is of one of the pieces of art to be shown during the Travelers’ Rest exhibit: George Catlin’s painting named “North American Indians.”
Here are summaries of eight upcoming Zoom presentations for you to attend (more info and Zoom links are shown after the summaries):
February 25 (Saturday): Montana artist Tom Schenarts will discuss his creative process in creating his sculpture, Dividing the Corps, which depicts the departure of Lewis and Clark from Travelers’ Rest on July 3, 1806.
February 26 (Sunday): Deveney Reber will give a presentation about Reuben Lewis, the younger brother of Meriwether Lewis.
March 4 (Saturday): Fiddler and violinist Ellie Nuno will share the music of the era of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
March 5 (Sunday): Edward Red Eagle, Jr., and James Duncan will talk about the Osage during the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
March 9 (Thursday): Barb Kubik will give a presentation entitled “’Musquetos are verry troublrsome’: The Corps of Discovery and Mosquitos.”
March 14 (Tuesday): John W. Jengo will give a Zoom presentation about the geological discoveries and mineralogical specimens of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
March 25 (Saturday): Lewis and Clark enthusiasts who enjoy traveling the trail have a wonderful opportunity: Curator and historian Wayne Wilson offers a workshop to help you keep a travel journal. Lewis and Clark kept journals—there’s no reason why you can’t keep your own.
April 30 (Sunday): Enjoy a presentation by Dr. Jay H. Buckley about the mountain men in the Yellowstone region in the 1820s and 1830s. The region is nicknamed Colter’s Hell after the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s John Colter, believed to be the first person of European descent to visit the region.
February 25 (Saturday): Longtime Montana artist Tom Schenarts will discuss his creative process in creating his sculpture, Dividing the Corps, which depicts the departure of Lewis and Clark from Travelers’ Rest, near what today is Missoula, Montana, on July 3, 1806. Meriwether Lewis marked this occasion in his journal by writing “I took leave of my worthy friend and companion William Clark and the party accompanied him. I could not avoid feeling much concern on this occasion although I hoped this separation was only momentary.”
This is the sculpture, Dividing the Corps, created by Montana artist Tom Schenarts. He will give a presentation on February 25 about the sculpture as part of the Travelers’ Rest Winter Storytelling Program.
The dividing of the Corps was a courageous and dangerous decision by Lewis and Clark. The Corps was already a small contingent in a vast wilderness. The nine men selected to explore the Road to the Buffalo in Blackfoot territory took a considerable risk.
Tom will talk about his creative process and the many details which make this sculpture an intimate portrait of an important moment in American history. His talk begins at 11 a.m. (Mountain Time).
As well as being an outstanding artist, Tom is a Travelers’ Rest State Park volunteer. His talk is part of the Travelers’ Rest Winter Storytelling Program.
For almost two decades, the Winter Storytelling at Travelers’ Rest has been a seasonal celebration of the Séliš tradition of sharing stories during the cold winter months. The stories are told by elders, authors, historians, and naturalists. In 2023, the storytelling will be held on Saturdays at the Travelers’ Rest State Park Visitor Center and on Zoom.
The cost to attend a storytelling session is $5 in person or on Zoom. However…admission to both the in-person and Zoom stories is free to members of the Travelers’ Rest Connection. Here is how to become a member. For non-members, click here to register for Zoom presentations at $5 per presentation. Select “Drop-In” to register and pay for one presentation at a time. If you are a member, select “Entire Series.”
To learn more about Travelers’ Rest and the time Lewis and Clark spent there, click here to read articles about the site. The articles are posted on lewis-clark.org (also known on the internet as Discover Lewis & Clark), the educational website of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation.
February 26 (Sunday): Deveney Reber will give a 3 p.m. (Mountain Time) Zoom presentation about Reuben Lewis, the younger brother of Meriwether Lewis. Deveney will present new information gathered from primary sources, interviews with collateral descendants of Reuben and Meriwether, and her trips to some of the places where events happened.
Deveney Reber
Deveney is a history and German studies graduate of Brigham Young University. As an undergraduate, she conducted research on Reuben Lewis while she was an assistant to Dr. Jay H. Buckley, director of BYU’s Charles Redd Center for Western Studies and a former president of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation. Deveney plans to continue her education by pursuing a master’s degree in history. Her article on Reuben (co-authored by Dr. Buckley) is featured in the upcoming 2023 February issue of We Proceeded On.
Deveney’s presentation is hosted by the Southwestern Region of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation. Here are the Zoom link and by-phone information for attending Deveney’s talk:
To join the Zoom talk, click here:
https://byu.zoom.us/j/8014225327?pwd=dlA1WGprUnRwd3h2UnBmTGk0U2xldz09
Meeting ID: 801 422 5327. Passcode: 1803
By mobile phone: +17193594580, 8014225327# US or +12532050468, 8014225327# US. Dial by your location: +1 719 359 4580 US or +1 253 205 0468 US or +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) or +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose).
March 4 (Saturday): Fiddler and violinist Ellie Nuno will share music of the era of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. These will be tunes that would have been familiar to the explorers and may have been played around their campfires by fiddler Pierre Cruzatte. Her presentation begins at 11 a.m. (Mountain Time).
On March 4, Ellie Nuno will be on Zoom to share music of the expedition era as part of the Travelers’ Rest Winter Storytelling Program.
Ellie has been sharing her energy and imagination for more than 30 years in performances across the western United States, Europe, and Asia. Her creative style reflects decades of study and performance on the fiddle/violin and encompasses a universal range of music, from traditional Old Tyme and Bluegrass to Celtic, Cajun, and contemporary rock.
Ellie has a deep connection with the Lewis and Clark story. She is the daughter of Joe Mussulman, the late professor of music history and theory at the University of Montana, who created the educational website, lewis-Clark.org, also known as Discover Lewis & Clark. The website is now operated by the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation.
For almost two decades, the Winter Storytelling at Travelers’ Rest has been a seasonal celebration of the Séliš tradition of sharing stories during the cold winter months. The stories are told by elders, authors, historians, and naturalists. In 2023, the storytelling will be held on Saturdays at the Travelers’ Rest State Park Visitor Center near Missoula, Montana, and on Zoom.
The cost to attend a storytelling session is $5 in person or on Zoom. However…admission to both the in-person and Zoom stories is free to members of the Travelers’ Rest Connection. Here is how to become a member. For non-members, click here to register for Zoom presentations at $5 per presentation. Select “Drop-In” to register and pay for one presentation at a time. If you are a member, select “Entire Series.”
Learn about the times when fiddle music was played on the expedition…and the man behind the music: Fiddle music on the trail and Pierre Cruzatte.
March 5 (Sunday): A Zoom presentation at 4 p.m. (Central Time) will focus on the Osage Native Americans during the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Presenters will be a member of the Osage Nation, Edward Red Eagle, Jr., and James Duncan, former director of the Missouri State Museum.
Edward Red Eagle, Jr.
At the time of the expedition, the Osage were the dominant tribe in large areas of present-day Missouri and Arkansas. Their hunting grounds extended into Kansas and Oklahoma. Before the Louisiana Purchase, the French were their primary European contact.
Edward and James will present their perspectives on the culture and history of the Osage and how the history of how the Osage Nation transitioned into today’s world.
Edward, a full-blood Osage, has been active in cultural and traditional Osage customs. A speaker of the Osage language, he served in the Osage Nation Congress and was instrumental in establishing the Osage Cultural Center. He worked in the corporate world for 32 years before retiring. Edward’s family home is located in Barnsdall, Okla., on the original allotment from the 1906 Osage Allotment Act.
James Duncan
James is an archaeologist, educator, author, and Osage scholar who served as director of the Missouri State Museum and also exhibits director of the Missouri Department of Conservation. He directed the department’s three-year statewide program for the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial from 2003 to 2006. He is co-author of The Petroglyphs and Pictographs of Missouri and is co-editor of Picture Cave. A resident of St. Louis, Mo., he has published articles about the Osage.
Pre-registration is not required for their Zoom talk. All members of the public are welcome. Please note: The Zoom talk will be limited to 100 attendees. Here is the Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86376552870?pwd=b3V1OXJ1Rmo2RGgwb2pVKzg1R1c0Zz09
For more information, send an email to garykimsey55@gmail.com.
This program is sponsored by the Southern Prairie Region, Southwestern Region, and Missouri-Kansas Riverbend Chapter of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation.
Prior to the March 5 Zoom talk, you may want to acquaint yourself with the Osage. Click here to read articles on lewis-clark.org (also known as Discover Lewis & Clark), the educational website of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage
March 9 (Thursday): Barb Kubik will give a presentation entitled “’Musquetos are verry troublrsome’: The Corps of Discovery and Mosquitos” at 3 p.m. (Pacific Time) in the Lewiston City Library, Lewiston, Idaho, and by Zoom.
Barb Kubik
Barb’s talk—the title is pure Lewis and Clark spellings, by the way—is part of the speaker series of the Idaho Chapter of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation. The program is sponsored through a collaboration between the Idaho Chapter and the Lewiston City Library. Barb’s talk will be given in person and over Zoom. For the Zoom link: contact the library: website.
Before Barb Kubik’s talk, you might want to read an interesting (and fun!) article about the explorers’ unique meanings and spelling of words like “Muscatoe Curtains” and “bier.” Click here to read an article on lewis-clark.org, the educational website of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation.
This photograph by John W. Jengo shows the rugged topography downstream from the Missouri River confluence with the Judith River in Montana. It is typical of the region known as the Missouri Breaks.
March 14 (Tuesday): John W. Jengo will give a Zoom PowerPoint presentation at 7 p.m. (Mountain Time) on the geological discoveries and mineralogical specimens of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The presentation is hosted by the Portage Route Chapter of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation in Great Falls, Montana.
John is a professional geologist and licensed site remediation professional who works for an environmental consulting firm in Pennsylvania. He specialized in hydrocarbon and hazardous waste remediation earlier in this career and now focuses on wetland restoration and dam removals to restore migratory fish passage. He has published articles in We Proceeded On since 2002 on the subject of Lewis and Clark’s mineral collection and the significance of the scientific influence of their geological discoveries.
Lewis and Clark’s mineralogical specimens are not always as heralded as their collections of botanical and zoological specimens, but the mineralogical discoveries were just as important. The explorers dealt with mineralogy in the same way as they did with botany and zoology: They diligently collected representative samples for shipment back East so experts could make proper descriptions and chemical analyses. John will discuss the fate of these mineralogical specimens in his presentation.
For information about how to get the Zoom link, check in the monthly national Lewis and Clark calendar to be emailed out March 1 to members of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation. You can also check the calendar on the Trail Heritage Foundation’s website: lewisandclark.org.
If you’d like to do some background research before John’s presentation, click here to read information about him and some of his writings about Lewis and Clark’s mineralogical observations and gatherings. The information is posted on lewis-clark.org (also known as “Discover Lewis & Clark”), the educational website of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation.
March 25 (Saturday): Lewis and Clark enthusiasts who enjoy traveling the trail have a wonderful opportunity: Curator and historian Wayne Wilson offers a workshop to help you keep a travel journal. Lewis and Clark kept journals—there’s no reason why you can’t keep your own.
Wayne will talk about a range of topics for you to remember when planning your journal: What to write in your journal; what to put in your travel journal kit; when to make your journal entries; and what to do with your journal once you’re home.
A page from Wayne Wilson’s travel journal. While most travelers keep a written journal, Wayne relies on his artistic abilities to record in his journal. He drew this scene of river and mountains.
Wayne has kept travel journals for years, from a journal about a month-long 900-mile paddle journey down the MacKenzie River in the Canadian Arctic wilderness to the rolling waves of the Yellowstone River to the winding stretches of the Jefferson and Missouri rivers.
While recording his adventures across these epic landscapes, Wayne worked out essential tips and tricks that will help make your travel journals a wonderful memento for you and future generations. Wayne has spent his career in the museum and archives fields, giving him a special perspective on recording events in a person’s life.
Wayne’s Zoom presentation begins at 1 p.m. (Pacific Time) and will last for about an hour, including time for questions and answers. The workshop is limited to 25 persons. At the end of the workshop, participants will receive a link to downloadable PDF documents that will help guide them as they plan their own expedition of the Lewis and Clark Trail. Click here to register. For more info, click here to read a press release and FAQ.
April 30 (Sunday): Dr. Jay H. Buckley will give a Zoom presentation on the topic of “Mountain Men in Yellowstone during the 1820s and 1830s.” In his talk, which begins at 3 p.m. (Mountain Time), Jay will draw upon a wealth of primary sources, including journals and poetry left by these fur trappers who ventured into the beautiful, geothermic region known as Colter’s Hell, a nickname for what became Yellowstone National Park. The nickname is associated with John Colter, who after the Lewis and Clark Expedition became the first person of European descent to journey through the Yellowstone region.
Dr. Jay H. Buckley
Jay is an associate professor of history at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah; director of the BYU’s Charles Redd Center for Western Studies; and director of the university’s interdisciplinary American Indian Studies minor. He is president of the Utah State Historical Society’s Utah Valley Chapter and past president of the Lewis and Clark Trial Heritage Foundation.
In his long association with the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, he has been a frequent contributor to We Proceeded On, the organization’s academic journal. He has authored several books, including William Clark: Indian Diplomat, as well as a new book, Great Plains Forts, that will be published in December by the University of Nebraska Press. He is also co-author of By His Own Hand: The Mysterious Death of Meriwether Lewis, and Zebulon Pike, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West. Learn more about Jay.
His presentation is hosted by the Southwestern Region of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation. Here are the Zoom link and by-phone information for attending his talk:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://byu.zoom.us/j/8014225327?pwd=dlA1WGprUnRwd3h2UnBmTGk0U2xldz09
Meeting ID: 801 422 5327. Passcode: 1803
By mobile phone: +17193594580, 8014225327# US or +12532050468, 8014225327# US. Dial by your location: +1 719 359 4580 US or +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) or +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose).
Click here to see the calendar of Lewis and Clark events offered in the coming months across the nation.
From a poetry reading about William Clark’s wife and study groups tracking the Lewis and Clark journals to talks about historical sites, art, and fiddle music—all relating to the Lewis and Clark explorers—the calendar covers events in February and March and includes in-person and Zoom presentations.
Click on this link to see the calendar: Calendar_Feb.-March 2023
‘Tis the time of year to prepare for 2023.
An excellent way to do this is by buying a 2023 calendar that features modern-day people, landscapes, and flora along the 4,900-mile Lewis and Clark Expedition National Historic Trail from Pittsburgh, Pa., to the mouth of the Columbia River on the Pacific Ocean coast of Oregon and Washington.
With your purchase, you’ll also be supporting the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation and displaying on your wall (or wherever you keep your calendar) a calendar with beautiful photographs taken by nine of the nonprofit organization’s members.
The members—all amateur photographers—took the photos for the organization’s annual photography contest. The photos were winners in one of six categories: historic sites, landscape, flora and fauna, people on the trail, public Lewis and Clark art, and overall winners.
The calendars are almost sold out, so order yours today at $20 a calendar. And remember that the calendar makes for a great Christmas gift. Click here: Order your Lewis and Clark calendar.
The following are looks at each photograph in the 2023 calendar. Click on a link that accompanies a photo and you’ll learn Lewis and Clark information that goes with the photo’s topic. The links will take you to lewis-clark.org (as known as “Discover Lewis & Clark”), the educational website of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation. The website is the world’s large digital repository of information about Lewis and Clark and their times.
Dugout Canoes at Pompeys PIllar. Photo by John Montague.
This photograph by John Montague shows Pompey’s Pillar in the background and, in the foreground, the bows of two dugout canoes, modern representations of the vessels used by some of the explorers to reach the pillar along the Yellowstone River in Montana. William Clark and nine men, as well as Sacagawea and Toussaint Charbonneau and their 17-month-old son, Jean Baptiste, arrived at the pillar on July 25, 1806. Clark described the pillar as a “remarkable rock” and named it “Pompy’s Tower” to honor little Jean Baptist, who during that summer had been nicknamed “Pomp.” In his journal, Clark wrote, “The natives have ingraved (sic) on the face of this rock the figures of animals &c near which I marked my name and the day of the month & year.” Learn more:
Decision Point Encampment. Photo by Lee Ebeling.
Named “Decision Point Encampment,” this photograph by Lee Ebeling represents the historic site where one of the most important questions faced by the explorers came up: Which river to take? In June 1805, the expedition, having journeyed up the Missouri River, reached the mouth of a large river that flowed into the Missouri. At this point, the explorers were unsure which river to continue up—the one that came from the south or the one from the north. Making the correct decision was of utmost importance; the explorers knew they needed to reach the Rocky Mountains without delay and find Natives to trade with to acquire horses to ride over the mountains. So for the next few days, they reconnoitered both rivers. They did, indeed, make the correct decision by continuing up the south fork, the Missouri River, rather than the other river, which Clark named Maria’s River after his cousin. Discover more:
O, joy! Photo by Laura Labadie.
Perhaps (and this is just speculation) one of the more happier moments for the explorers came on Nov. 7, 1805. On that day, William Clark wrote—with misspellings and all—in his journal: “Great joy in camp we are in View of the Ocian, this great Pacific Octean which we have been So long anxious to See…” Unfortunately, the jubilation was premature; the explorers were looking at the Columbia River estuary rather than the ocean, which was still at least 20 miles to the west. In this photograph named “View of the Ocian—O! the Joy,” photographer Laura Labadie excellently captured the coastal beauty that Lewis and Clark would have seen. More:
Astoria Column. Photo by Jared Norris.
This photograph by Jared Norris gives a scenic view of the Astoria Column at Astoria, Oregon, a community founded in 1811 on the Columbia River shoreline tread upon by the Lewis and Clark explorers during their 1805-06 winter encampment at nearby Fort Clatsop. The area overlooks the mouth of the Columbia River and gives a magnificent view of the landscape the explorers would have seen as they hunted, explored, and visited with members of the Clatsop, Chinooks, and other tribes who lived in the region. More info:
Dotted Gayfeather. Photo by Shannon Kelly.
Taken by Shannon Kelly, this photo shows a purple Dotted Gayfeather. One of President Thomas Jefferson’s instructions to Meriwether Lewis was to report on the flora and fauna seen during the journey. Even on the toughest of days when the expedition members were exhausted, Meriwether Lewis made efforts to observe and identify plants. At least 200 plants were preserved and taken back to civilization for accurate identification. Here are links to click on for more info:
Misty Sitka Spruce Forest. Photo by John Jengo.
Titled “Misty Sitka Spruce Forest,” this photo by John Jengo highlights one of the many diverse landscapes seen by the explorers. Sitka Spruce mainly occur along the northwest Pacific Coast, particularly in the area Fort Clatsop, the encampment built at the mouth of the Columbia River by the explorers for the 1805-06 winter. In his journal entry of March 10, 1806, Lewis noted a verbal report by hunters of the expedition who said they had seen a tree with a trunk 42 feet in “girth” (circumference) and that it was “very lofty.” He wrote: “…from the appearance of other trees of this species (sic) of fir and their account of this tree, I think it may be safely estimated at 300 feet. it had every appearance of being perfectly sound.” More information:
Canoeing the L&C Trail Approaching Citadel Rock. Photo by Phil Downs.
Taken by Phil Downs, this photograph of Citadel Rock is a landmark on the Missouri River in Montana. Upon passing by it on May 31, 1805, William Clark wrote in his journal about this “high Steep black Rock riseing (sic) from the waters edge.” The landmark, which did not receive a name until the steamboat era decades after Lewis and Clark, is an igneous intrusion in a sandstone layer that had been washed away by the river. It was near here that the explorers almost lost a pirogue. Take a moment and find out more:
Upper Portage Camp. Photo by Lee Ebeling.
“Upper Portage Camp” is a photograph taken by Lee Ebeling. The iron structure in the photo—it sort of looks like the back and rib skeleton of a while (but it’s not)—is a replica of what the expedition’s iron boat may have looked like. The boat was an idea that Meriwether Lewis (or it may have been Thomas Jefferson’s idea) had back in civilization about being able to assemble a large canoe when the time was needed. So the iron parts were made and taken along on the expedition. The boat was assembled in May 1805 after the explorers made a lengthy portage around the Great Falls of the Missouri River. Good idea, but no go—the boat failed. Lee’s photo shows the replica at a site near the Upper Portage Camp outside of Great Falls, Montana. The site features not only the replica but also historical information displays placed there by the Portage Route Chapter of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation. Learn more:
Sunshine and Snowflakes for Seaman. Photo by Shannon Kelly.
Entitled “Sunshine and Snow Flakes for Seaman, this photo by Shannon Kelly features a statue of the dog of Meriwether Lewis that was a beloved and valuable expedition membership. Located at the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site (For Mandan) in North Dakota, the statue is believed to be the world’s largest statue of Seaman. Shannon wrote an article about the statue for this LewisandClarkNew.com blog. The article tells all about the statue. Learn more:
Arriving in St. Louis. Photo by Tony Huhn.
Tony Huhn captured how Lewis and Clark must have felt on their arrival in St. Louis on Sept. 23, 1806. Crammed into five canoes and one of the two original pirogues, the explorers would surly have waved—as shown in Tony’s photograph—at St. Louis residents waiting on the riverbank to greet them. The site and statue are at the riverside Gateway Arch. The statute, sculpted by Harry Weber, was placed there to mark the end of the 2003-06 national bicentennial celebration of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. To learn more, click on these links:
Camp Disappointment National Historic Site. Photo by Phil Scriver.
This photograph by Phil Scriver tells a story of great hope and great disappointment. If the hope of Meriwether Lewis had played out, the United States may have acquired more land through the Louisiana Purchase. On the way back to St. Louis, Lewis and three other men explored up the Maria’s River in northern Montana in hope of finding that the river’s source was north of the treaty boundary of the Louisiana Purchase. If it did, the U.S. would be eligible for more land—land within the Canadian boundary of British territory. Lewis and his tiny entourage spent several days at a camp in July 1806 so Lewis could make celestial observations to determine their location. Their food supply was down to roots, a few pigeons and buffalo grease mush. The weather was cloudy and rainy—bad for celestial observations. Lewis’ chronometer, needed for observations, stopped working for some unknown reason. Finally, Lewis estimated the extension of the treaty boundary was a no go. Much to his chagrin, as he wrote in his journal, “We set out biding a lasting adieu to this place which I now call camp disappointment.” Check out these links to learn more:
Hole in the Wall From Below. Photo by Shannon Kelly.
Look closely at this photograph by Shannon Kelly and you will see the hole at the top of what looks to be a rock wall on the right half of the photo. Known as the “Hole in the Wall,” the site is within the Montana area of the Missouri River known as the White Cliffs. Meriwether Lewis was immensely impressed by the sandstone formations that dominated the shores. He wrote: “…so perfect indeed are those walls that I should have thought that nature had attempted her to rival the human art of masonry had I not recollected that she had first began her work.” More info: