Westward Journey

Charbonier Bluff

May 16, 1804

The boats set out early, pass the coal beds of Charbonier Bluff, and reach St. Charles, an early French settlement on the Missouri River. Many citizens come out to see the event and socialization commences.

Kind Reception

October 21, 1805

Moving down the Columbia above present John Day Dam, the paddlers navigate several rapids while the non-swimmers walk around them. Pvt. Collins shares his camas-brewed beer, and Mt. Hood is in view.

Sepulcher (Memaloose) Island

October 29, 1805

Moving 35 miles down the Columbia, the expedition encounters many Sahaptin and Upper Chinook villages. They pass an island with numerous graves—Memaloose—and camp above the Little White Salmon River.

Quicksand River

November 3, 1805

Moving down the Columbia River above present Portland, Oregon, Clark is unable to cross a river full of quicksand—today’s Sandy River. They continue to a large island full of ponds and waterfowl.

Ocean in View?

November 7, 1805

The expedition paddles around Columbia River islands and stops at two Wahkiakum villages. They reach a landmark presently named Pillar Rock where Clark mistakenly exclaims ‘Ocean in view! O! the joy’.

RV park

October 10, 1805 · Snake · Mile 139

Silcott- Alpowa Creek

October 11, 1805 · Snake · Mile 130.5

Almota Cr. - grain elevator

October 11, 1805 · Snake · Mile 103.5

River Mile 64.0

October 13, 1805 · Snake · Mile 64

Cow Bar Canyon-red #14 / Sacajawea famous words

October 13, 1805 · Snake · Mile 48.8

Island / Burr Canyon

October 14, 1805 · Snake · Mile 35.8

Rd 76 -Carpet Island / Edison Street

October 17, 1805 · Columbia · Mile 332.8

Lewis view Mt Hood 142 m / Yellepit Pond descent

October 18, 1805 · Columbia · Mile 310

Long Walk Island

October 19, 1805 · Columbia · Mile 275

Alder Creek

October 20, 1805 · Columbia · Mile 258

Wood Gulch- N. Roosevelt

October 20, 1805 · Columbia · Mile 243

Preachers Eddy / Beer Camp

October 21, 1805 · Columbia · Mile 214

Wishram

October 22, 1805 · Columbia · Mile 201

Power Lines / Power Lines

October 23, 1805 · Columbia · Mile 199.8

Horsethief Lake

October 24, 1805 · Columbia · Mile 194.5

Rock Fort

October 25, 1805 · Columbia · Mile 189.2

Taylor Lake

October 28, 1805 · Columbia · Mile 186.2

Little W. Salmon Ri- Drano Lake

October 29, 1805 · Columbia · Mile 162

Dougs Beach-Friendly Village

October 29, 1805 · Columbia · Mile 183.5

Home Valley

October 30, 1805 · Columbia · Mile 155

Island Camp

October 30, 1805 · Columbia · Mile 149.1

Upper RR land. both sides / Ashes Lake-upper portage

October 31, 1805 · Columbia · Mile 149

Crown Point- Vista House

November 2, 1805 · Columbia · Mile 129

West Sandy River / Camas - CRGNSA Boundary

November 3, 1805 · Columbia · Mile 121

William Clark: May 14, 1804

May 14, 1804 · William Clark

Monday 14th a Cloudy morning fixing for a Start. Some provisions on examination is found to be wet. rain at 9 oClock. many of the neighbours Came from…

John Ordway: May 14, 1804

May 14, 1804 · John Ordway

Monday May the 14th 1804. showerey. Capt. Clark and our party set out from River Dubois about 3 oClock P.m. the party consisted of 3 sergeants and 38…

Charles Floyd: May 14, 1804

May 14, 1804 · Charles Floyd

Showery day Capt Clark Set out at 3 oclock P m for the western expidition the party consisted of 3 Serguntes and 38 working hands which maned the Batteow and…

Joseph Whitehouse: May 14, 1804

May 14, 1804 · Joseph Whitehouse

hard Showers of rain. this being the day appointed by Cap! Clark to set out, a number of the sitizens of Gotian Settlement came to see us Start. we got…

Patrick Gass: May 14, 1804

May 14, 1804 · Patrick Gass

On Monday the 14th of May 1804, we left our establishment at the mouth of the river du Bois or Wood river, a small river which falls into…

Clark: May 15, 1804

May 15, 1804 · William Clark

Tuesday 15rained all last night and this morning untill 7 oClock, all our fire extinguished, Some Provisions on the top of the Perogus wet, I sent two men to the…

Lewis: May 15, 1804

May 15, 1804 · Meriwether Lewis

Tuesday May 15th It rained during the greater part of last night and continued untill 7 OCk. A.M. after which the Prarty proceeded, passed two Islands and incamped on the…

Camp River Dubois, Illinois — Charles Floyd: May 15, 1804

May 15, 1804 · Charles Floyd

Rainey morni[n]g fair wind the Later part of the day Sailed som and encamped on the N. side some Land Cleared the Soil verry Rich. Sal ewensday may 16″ 1804…

Camp River Dubois, Illinois — Joseph Whitehouse: May 15, 1804

May 15, 1804 · Joseph Whitehouse

hard rain. we set out eairly. the current Swift, & water muddy. passed Islands & Some inhabitants &c. the aftir part of the day proved pleasant. we Camped on the…

Camp River Dubois, Illinois — John Ordway: May 15, 1804

May 15, 1804 · John Ordway

of the day. Sailed Some, encamped on N. Side Some land cleared, the Soil verry Rich, &c. Wensday May 16th 1804. Set out eairly, this morning pleasant, arrived at S*…

Patrick Gass: May 15, 1804

May 15, 1804 · Patrick Gass

Tuesday 15th. We continued our voyage; it rained during the day. We passed a creek on the south side, and encamped on the north side of the river.Source:…

Clark: May 16, 1804

May 16, 1804 · William Clark

Wednesday May 16th A fair morning, Set out at 5 oClock passed the Coal hill (Call by the natives Carbonear) this hill appears to Contain great quantytes of Coal, and…

Patrick Gass: May 16, 1804

May 16, 1804 · Patrick Gass

Wednesday 16th. We continued our voyage, and arrived at St. Charles, a village on the north side of the Missouri, about 21 miles from its mouth. We remained…

Clark: May 17, 1804

May 17, 1804 · William Clark

Thursday the 17th 1804 a fine Day 3 men Confined for misconduct, I had a Court martial & punishment Several Indians, who informed me that the Saukees had lately Crossed…

St. Charles, Missouri — Joseph Whitehouse: May 17, 1804

May 17, 1804 · Joseph Whitehouse

a pleasant morning. we are waiting here the arival of Cap! Lewis, the evening rainy.

St. Charles, Missouri — John Ordway: May 17, 1804

May 17, 1804 · John Ordway

occured worthy of notice this day

St. Charles, Missouri — Charles Floyd: May 17, 1804

May 17, 1804 · Charles Floyd

a fair day but Rainey Night

Patrick Gass: May 17, 1804

May 17, 1804 · Patrick Gass

Thursday 17th. We remained at St. Charles.Source: Patrick Gass, A Journal of the Voyages and Travels of a Corps of Discovery (Pittsburgh, 1807; 1811 reprint). Public domain. McKeehan’s…

Clark: May 18, 1804

May 18, 1804 · William Clark

Friday May the 18th 1804 a fine morning took equal altitude and made it 97° 42′ 37″ M. A I had the Boat & Pierogue reloded So as to Cause…

St. Charles, Missouri — Joseph Whitehouse: May 18, 1804

May 18, 1804 · Joseph Whitehouse

a fair morning. we bought some acceseries &c. for the voiage. passed the evening verry agreeable dancing with the french ladies, &c.

St. Charles, Missouri — Charles Floyd: May 18, 1804

May 18, 1804 · Charles Floyd

we Lay at S’ Charles

Patrick Gass: May 18, 1804

May 18, 1804 · Patrick Gass

Friday 18th. We continued at St. Charles.Source: Patrick Gass, A Journal of the Voyages and Travels of a Corps of Discovery (Pittsburgh, 1807; 1811 reprint). Public domain. McKeehan’s…

Clark: May 19, 1804

May 19, 1804 · William Clark

Satturday May the 19th 1804 a Violent Wind last night from the W. S W, Suckceeded by rain with lasted Som hours, a Cloudy Morning, many persons Came to the…

St. Charles, Missouri — Joseph Whitehouse: May 19, 1804

May 19, 1804 · Joseph Whitehouse

a rainy wet morning. Cap! Lewis and Some of the officers from S! Louis arived here this afternoon. we made ready for a Start &c.

St. Charles, Missouri — John Ordway: May 19, 1804

May 19, 1804 · John Ordway

Cap* Stoddard1 & Sergts Worrell2 came with him

St. Charles, Missouri — Charles Floyd: May 19, 1804

May 19, 1804 · Charles Floyd

a Rainey day Capt Lewis Joined us

Patrick Gass: May 19, 1804

May 19, 1804 · Patrick Gass

Saturday 19th. We still remained at St. Charles.Source: Patrick Gass, A Journal of the Voyages and Travels of a Corps of Discovery (Pittsburgh, 1807; 1811 reprint). Public domain.…

Clark: May 20, 1804

May 20, 1804 · William Clark

Sunday 20th May a Cloudy morning rained and a hard wind last night I continue to write Rolls, Send 20 men to Church to day one man Sick Capt Lewis…

Lewis: May 20, 1804

May 20, 1804 · Meriwether Lewis

Sunday May 20th 1804 The morning was fair, and the weather pleasent; at 10 oCk A M. agreably to an appointment of the preceeding day, I was joined by Capt.…

St. Charles, Missouri — Joseph Whitehouse: May 20, 1804

May 20, 1804 · Joseph Whitehouse

Several of the party went to church, which the french call Mass, and Sore [saw] their way of performing &c.

St. Charles, Missouri — John Ordway: May 20, 1804

May 20, 1804 · John Ordway

to the Mass, & saw them perform &C.

St. Charles, Missouri — Charles Floyd: May 20, 1804

May 20, 1804 · Charles Floyd

nothing worth Relating to day

Patrick Gass: May 20, 1804

May 20, 1804 · Patrick Gass

Sunday 20th. Captain Lewis arrived from St. Louis, and joined us at St. Charles.Source: Patrick Gass, A Journal of the Voyages and Travels of a Corps of Discovery…

Clark: May 21, 1804

May 21, 1804 · William Clark

Monday 21st May Dine with Mr. Ducete & Set out from St. Charles at three oClock after getting every matter arranged, proceeded on under a jentle Breese, at one mile…

St. Charles, Missouri — Charles Floyd: May 21, 1804

May 21, 1804 · Charles Floyd

Left S’ Charles at 4 oclk. P m Showerey encamped on the N Side of the River

St. Charles, Missouri — Joseph Whitehouse: May 21, 1804

May 21, 1804 · Joseph Whitehouse

Some rainy. we took on board Some more provision bread &c. about 4 oclock P. M. we Set out from this place. fired our bow peace and gave three cheers,…

Key figure

Alexander Willard

Served as one of the expedition's blacksmiths alongside John Shields. He was court-martialed and sentenced to 100 lashes for sleeping while on sentinel duty — a capital offense. He was the second-to-last surviving member of the expedition, dying in California at age 86.

Key figure

Arcawecharchi (The Half Man)

A Yankton Sioux chief who spoke with dignity at the August 1804 council, declaring "I am a man and a chief of some note." His eloquent speech impressed the captains.

Arikara

A Caddoan-speaking agricultural people along the Missouri River in present-day South Dakota. The expedition held councils with Arikara chiefs in October 1804. The Arikara were notable for refusing alcohol, saying it "made people into fools."

Key figure

Baptiste Deschamps

Served as the "patron" (boss/skipper) of the French pirogue crew. He oversaw the group of French-Canadian boatmen hired to navigate the Missouri River from St. Louis to Fort Mandan.

Key figure

Buffalo Medicine

A Brule Teton Sioux chief present at the council on September 25, 1804 alongside Black Buffalo and the Partisan.

Key figure

Cameahwait

Chief of a Lemhi Shoshone band and Sacagawea's brother, whose emotional reunion with his sister was one of the expedition's most dramatic moments. He ultimately traded several dozen horses to the expedition for their mountain crossing. Killed in a battle with the Blackfeet in 1812.

Flathead Salish

An Interior Salish people of western Montana. The expedition were the first whites to encounter the Salish in person at Ross's Hole in September 1805. The Salish provided horses, food, and directions despite having no common language.

Key figure

Francois Labiche

An experienced boatman and Indian trader who spoke English, French, and several Native American languages. Labiche served as one of the expedition's key translators and was assigned alongside Pierre Cruzatte to man the bow of the keelboat.

Key figure

George Drouillard

Son of a French-Canadian father and Shawnee mother, Drouillard was the expedition's premier hunter and sign language interpreter. He was the highest paid member after the captains, and the only man Clark referred to by first name in the journals. Killed by Blackfeet warriors while trapping near Three Forks, Montana in 1810.

Key figure

George Gibson

Born in Pennsylvania and recruited in Kentucky, Gibson was a skilled hunter and fiddle player who entertained the Corps alongside Pierre Cruzatte. He served as an interpreter using sign language and was one of Clark's most trusted men.

Key figure

George Shannon

The youngest enlisted member of the Corps, Shannon famously got lost twice during the expedition, once for 16 days surviving on grapes and one rabbit. After the expedition, he studied law, assisted Nicholas Biddle in compiling the official expedition history, and served in the Kentucky and Missouri legislatures.

Hidatsa

Close neighbors of the Mandan living at the Knife River villages. The Hidatsa were the tribe from whom Sacagawea had been captured as a girl. The expedition had complex diplomatic dealings with Hidatsa chiefs, particularly the powerful Le Borgne.

Key figure

Hugh Hall

Born in Massachusetts and recruited from the 2nd Infantry Regiment. Court-martialed alongside John Collins for being drunk on duty, receiving 50 lashes. Despite this early trouble, he completed the entire expedition.

Key figure

Hugh McNeal

Accompanied Lewis on the first crossing of the Continental Divide at Lemhi Pass in August 1805, where he reportedly straddled a small stream and declared that he had "lived to bestride the mighty Missouri."

Key figure

Jean Baptiste Lepage

A French-Canadian trapper who had lived among the Mandan and explored the Black Hills. Hired at Fort Mandan on November 2, 1804 to replace the expelled John Newman. At 43, the oldest member of the permanent party.

Key figure

John Collins

Born in Maryland, Collins was a reliable hunter ranked in the top five of the Corps. He was court-martialed and received 100 lashes for tapping the expedition's whiskey barrel. Believed killed by Arikara warriors in 1823 during the Ashley-Henry fur trading expedition.

Key figure

John Colter

Considered one of the Corps' best hunters and scouts, Colter was discharged early on the return journey to join fur trappers. He became the first person of European descent to enter the Yellowstone region and is widely regarded as America's first mountain man. He famously escaped a Blackfeet ambush by outrunning his pursuers naked and barefoot.

Key figure

John Potts

Born in Germany and formerly a miller. After the expedition, he returned to the upper Missouri as a fur trapper. He was killed by Blackfeet warriors near Three Forks while trapping with John Colter, who narrowly escaped the same ambush.

Key figure

John Thompson

Clark praised him as "a valuable member of our party." He served the entire journey without significant incident and was among the most quietly dependable members of the Corps.

Key figure

Kakawissassa (Crow at Rest)

Leading civil chief of the first Arikara village. Among the Arikara chiefs who patiently explained they did not want any alcohol because "it turned people into fools."

Key figure

Le Borgne (One Eye)

The powerful principal chief of the Hidatsa-proper who initially scoffed that his warriors could handle Lewis and Clark's soldiers like "so many wolves." He generally favored British traders over Americans.

Lemhi Shoshone

A band of Eastern Shoshone led by Cameahwait (Sacagawea's brother) near the Lemhi Pass on the Continental Divide. Their trade of horses was absolutely essential to the expedition's ability to cross the Rocky Mountains in August 1805.

Mandan

Sedentary agricultural people living in earth lodge villages along the Missouri River in present-day North Dakota. The expedition built Fort Mandan near their villages and spent the winter of 1804-05 among them. The Mandan provided food, shelter, and critical geographic information, and it was here that Charbonneau and Sacagawea joined the expedition.

Key figure

Nathaniel Hale Pryor

A cousin of Sergeant Charles Floyd, Pryor led the First Squad of six privates during the expedition. Lewis praised him as one of the most capable men on the journey. After the expedition, he served in the War of 1812, became a fur trader, and eventually settled among the Osage Nation.

Nez Perce

The Nez Perce people of present-day Idaho saved the expedition from starvation when the Corps descended from the Bitterroots in September 1805, feeding them roots and dried fish. They helped build canoes, watched the expedition's horses, and provided guides.

Key figure

Old Toby

A Lemhi Shoshone guide hired in August 1805 to lead the expedition over the treacherous Bitterroot Mountains via the Lolo Trail. His knowledge of mountain passes was critical to the Corps' survival during the most difficult overland portion of the journey. He departed without collecting his pay after guiding them to the Nez Perce.

Omaha

A Siouan-speaking people of the eastern Great Plains in present-day Nebraska. They had been devastated by smallpox and warfare with the Teton Sioux. Pierre Cruzatte was half Omaha.

Otoe-Missouria

Two allied tribes that held the expedition's first formal council with Native Americans on August 3, 1804, at "Council Bluff" near present-day Fort Calhoun, Nebraska.

Key figure

Peter Weiser

Served reliably throughout the expedition. Afterward worked for fur trader Manuel Lisa, returning to Montana in 1807. He traveled alone through western Idaho during winter 1807-1808; the Weiser River in Idaho now bears his name.

Key figure

Pierre Cruzatte

Half French and half Omaha, Cruzatte was recruited for his expert skills as a Missouri River boatman and his fiddle playing, which provided entertainment and facilitated diplomacy with Native peoples. Blind in one eye and nearsighted in the other, he accidentally shot Meriwether Lewis while hunting elk in August 1806.

Key figure

Pierre Dorion Sr.

A French-Canadian who had lived among the Yankton Sioux for over twenty years. Lewis and Clark hired him as their Sioux language interpreter. He facilitated the critical diplomatic councils with the Yankton Sioux and later escorted a Yankton delegation to meet President Jefferson.

Key figure

Reubin Field

One of the "Nine Young Men from Kentucky," Reubin was among the Corps' finest hunters. During the encounter with the Blackfeet on July 27, 1806, he fatally stabbed a warrior through the heart while defending the expedition's weapons and horses.

Key figure

Richard Windsor

Best remembered for a harrowing incident on June 7, 1805, when he nearly fell from a 300-foot cliff along the Missouri River. Lewis, who was on the same narrow trail, talked him through the crisis. A reliable hunter throughout the expedition.

Key figure

Robert Frazer

Joined the permanent party on October 8, 1804 after Moses Reed's expulsion. He kept a journal and created a map of the expedition route that, while crude, provided an early cartographic record. His journal manuscript was lost.

Seaman

A large Newfoundland dog purchased by Lewis in Pittsburgh for $20. Seaman accompanied the expedition for its entire duration, serving as a hunter, guard against grizzly bears and buffalo, and valued companion. The only animal to complete the entire trip.

Shoshone

Sacagawea's people. The Lemhi Shoshone's trade of horses was absolutely essential to the expedition's survival and ability to cross the Rocky Mountains in August 1805.

American Badger

Taxidea taxus · Mammal

Lewis and Clark described the badger as "an animal of the Civit genus" inhabiting the open plains of both the Columbia and Missouri River regions.

American beaver

Castor canadensis · Mammal

Nearly wiped out by the fur traders that followed the Corps, beaver are again plentiful throughout North America.

American Bison

Bison bison · Mammal

While the American bison was already known to science, Lewis and Clark documented the vast herds of the Great Plains in unprecedented detail. The first signs were noted near Boonville, Missouri, on June 6, 1804,...

American bistort

Polygonum bistortoides · Plant

Found in western mountains, natives ate the root of this plant either raw or cooked, and ground dried seeds into flour.

American Crow

Corvus brachyrhynchos · Bird

Listed among the "Birds most Common" by Clark, the American crow was a familiar presence in woodlands and river bottoms along the route.

American goldfinch

Spinus tristis · Bird

American Goldfinch are common in the East. Based on location, Lewis likely noted the pale subspecies along the Marias.

American White Pelican

Pelecanus erythrorhynchos · Bird

On August 8, 1804, the expedition encountered a flock of several hundred white pelicans on a sandbar about two miles north of the mouth of the Little Sioux River. Lewis shot one and conducted meticulous...

Aromatic aster

Symphyotrichum oblongifolium · Plant

Very similar to the familiar New England aster, this species has glands on its surface which emit an aroma when crushed.

Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus · Bird

Bald eagles were frequently sighted fishing along the Missouri and Columbia Rivers throughout the expedition journey.

Bear grass; western turkey-beard

Xerophyllum tenax · Plant

Bear grass leaves were widely traded west of the Rockies for constructing ornaments, and watertight baskets and hats.

Bighorn Sheep

Ovis canadensis · Mammal

Joseph Field became the first expedition member to see a live bighorn sheep on April 26, 1805, during a reconnaissance up the Yellowstone River. On May 25, 1805, Drouillard killed the first specimen, which Lewis...

Species

Bigleaf maple

Acer macrophyllum · Plant

Collected near cascades of Columbia River on both west and east passage. Lewis incorrectly called it a large “ash” tree.

Black cottonwood

Populus balsamifera ssp trichocarpa · Plant

Black Cottonwood found from Rockies to Columbia Plateau. Lewis noted leaves between Plains and Eastern species in width.

Black-billed Magpie

Pica hudsonia · Bird

The black-billed magpie was first encountered on September 17, 1804, near the mouth of the White River in South Dakota. The expedition captured four magpies, and one survived the long journey from Fort Mandan to...

Black-tailed Prairie Dog

Cynomys ludovicianus · Mammal

The prairie dog was among the most celebrated discoveries of the expedition. Clark described a "Village of Small animals" on September 7, 1804, in present-day Boyd County, Nebraska. The men spent hours trying to dig...

Species

Blue bunch wheatgrass

Pseudoregneria spicata · Plant

Lewis collected three new grasses on same day, providing only general location notes. All are important range species.

Brewer's blackbird

Euphagus cyanocephalus · Bird

Lewis noted many large and small blackbirds at Great Falls. May have included this common bird of the Northern Plains.

Brittle opuntia

Opuntia fragilis · Plant

No cactus was purposely collected, though they plagued the men everywhere on the plains. This with hook-tipped spines.

Broad-leaved gum-plant

Grindelia squarrosa · Plant

Gummy secretions fill flower buds before opening, used for respiratory ailments. Widespread and weedy throughout range.

Broadleaf arrowhead

Sagittaria latifolia · Plant

Staple food from Celilo Falls to Columbia Estuary. Large numbers harvested by many tribes from Wappato (Sauvie) Island.

Bullsnake

Pituophis catenifer sayi · Reptile

Lewis and Clark killed and described a bullsnake on August 5, 1804, on the bank of the Missouri River in present-day Harrison County, Iowa. Lewis noted it had no poison teeth and described its characteristic...

Bullsnake, Say's pine snake

Pituophis catenifer sayi · Reptile

Lewis provided a complete description of this species. He even reported the name came from its “bellowing” like a bull.

California Condor

Gymnogyps californianus · Bird

Lewis and Clark observed California condors on at least nine occasions along the lower Columbia River from October 1805 to April 1806, and once in the Rocky Mountains. Clark first recorded seeing the species on...

Camas

Camassia quamash · Plant

The Nez Perce introduced Lewis and Clark to camas on September 20, 1805, at Weippe Prairie in Idaho, after the expedition's harrowing crossing of the Bitterroot Mountains. The starchy bulbs were a staple food of...

Canada Goose

Branta canadensis · Bird

Canada geese were a constant presence along the rivers, providing food for the Corps especially when the birds were flightless during molting season.

Carolina parakeet

Conuropsis carolinensis · Bird

Seen by Corps along Missouri in some numbers as far as Omaha. Declined rapidly through 1800s, species extinct by 1914.

Channel Catfish

Ictalurus punctatus · Fish

On July 24, 1804, near present-day Bellevue, Nebraska, Private Goodrich caught a channel catfish. Clark described it as having "eyes Small & tale much like that of a Dolfin." The channel catfish was commonly encountered...

Chinook Salmon

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha · Fish

Lewis and Clark first encountered massive runs of chinook salmon near the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers in mid-October 1805. Clark was confused by the enormous numbers of dead salmon lining the riverbanks,...

Clark's Nutcracker

Nucifraga columbiana · Bird

Clark first observed this distinctive bird on August 22, 1805, along the Lemhi River in east-central Idaho, while scouting a possible route across the Bitterroot Mountains. He initially described it as a "new species of...

Clustered elkweed

Frasera fastigiata · Plant

This plant was collected on the Weippe Prairie just before crossing the Lolo Pass; Lewis gave no further description.

Columbian black-tailed deer

Odocoileus hemionus columbianus · Mammal

Seen north of Cape Disappointment, Clark noted this coastal subspecies of Mule Deer differed markedly from common deer.

Common matchweed; broomweed

Gutierrezia sarothrae · Plant

The common names for this species come from its use. Branches were bound to make brooms; infusions to treat snakebites.

Common nighthawk

Chordeiles minor · Bird

Nighthawks and Whip-poor-wills were thought the same species until early 1800s. Lewis made distinction in his journals.

Common Poorwill

Phalaenoptilus nuttallii · Bird

The common poorwill was among the Great Plains birds described for the first time by Lewis and Clark. This nocturnal bird, related to the eastern whippoorwill, is remarkable as the only bird known to enter...

Common Raven

Corvus corax · Bird

Ravens were a common sight in the western territories, frequently listed alongside hawks and crows in Lewis's daily bird observations.

Coyote

Canis latrans · Mammal

Lewis and Clark provided the first detailed descriptions of the coyote for Western science, calling it a "prairie wolf" or "small wolf." Clark first mentioned the animal on August 12, 1804, noting a smaller wolf...

Buffalo Chase, Mouth of the Yellowstone

George Catlin, 1832–1833

George Catlin's Buffalo Chase, Mouth of the Yellowstone depicts a group of mounted Plains hunters pursuing bison across open prairie near the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers. The composition centers on a hunter…

Bull Dance, Mandan O-kee-pa Ceremony

George Catlin, 1832

Catlin's painting depicts the central public day of the Mandan O-kee-pa, the four-day ceremony held annually in the earth-lodge villages on the upper Missouri. In the foreground, eight male dancers move in a circle around…

Captain William Clark Meeting Indians of the Northwest

Charles Marion Russell, 1897

Russell's painting shows Captain William Clark in a moment of formal encounter with a group of Northwest Indians, likely Chinookan or Salish peoples encountered during the expedition's passage through the Columbia River drainage in late…

Cliffs of the Upper Colorado River, Wyoming Territory

Thomas Moran, 1882

Moran's canvas shows a stretch of eroded sandstone cliffs rising above a curve of the Colorado River in what was then Wyoming Territory. The composition places the river in the middle ground, leading the eye…

Fort Clark on the Missouri

Karl Bodmer, 1834

Bodmer's view of Fort Clark looks across a wide, snow-flecked bottomland on the upper Missouri River toward the small American Fur Company post, which sits on a low bluff above the water. The fort itself—a…

Fort Union, Mouth of the Yellowstone River

George Catlin, 1832

Catlin's view shows the American Fur Company's Fort Union, completed in 1828 at the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers in what is now western North Dakota. The painting presents the post from a…

Indians Discovering Lewis and Clark

Charles Marion Russell, 1896

Russell's painting presents the encounter from the Native perspective, a compositional choice that distinguishes it from most expedition imagery of its era. Mounted Plains Indian scouts occupy the foreground on a rise of open prairie,…

Junction of the Yellowstone River with the Missouri

Karl Bodmer, 1833

Bodmer's aquatint shows the broad flat confluence where the Yellowstone River empties into the Missouri in what is now western North Dakota, near the Montana border. The composition is dominated by sky and water, with…

Landscape with Buffalo on the Upper Missouri

Karl Bodmer, 1833

Bodmer's watercolor depicts a stretch of the Upper Missouri River with a small herd of bison in the middle distance, set against the eroded bluffs and sediment terraces characteristic of the river's course through present-day…

Lewis and Clark at Three Forks (mural detail)

Edgar Samuel Paxson, 1912

Paxson's painting depicts Sacagawea at the Three Forks of the Missouri River in southwestern Montana, the headwaters formed by the confluence of the Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin rivers. The Shoshone woman stands as a central…

Lewis and Clark Meeting the Flatheads at Ross' Hole

Charles Marion Russell, 1912

Russell's mural shows the encounter between the Lewis and Clark expedition and the Salish (then commonly called Flathead) people on September 4–5, 1805, in the Bitterroot Valley of present-day Montana, at a spot the captains…

Mah-to-toh-pa, Four Bears, Second Chief in Full Dress

George Catlin, 1832

Catlin's three-quarter-length portrait shows Mah-to-toh-pa (Four Bears), second chief of the Mandan, in formal regalia. The subject faces the viewer directly, painted against a plain, atmospheric ground that throws the figure forward. He wears a…

Mato-Tope, A Mandan Chief

Karl Bodmer, 1833–1834

Bodmer's portrait shows Mato-Tope (Four Bears), second chief of the Mandan, in full regalia. The figure stands in three-quarter view, his face painted with vertical stripes and a yellow hand mark across the mouth signifying…

Meriwether Lewis

Charles Willson Peale, 1807

Charles Willson Peale's portrait shows Meriwether Lewis from the chest up, turned slightly to the viewer's right against a plain dark background. Lewis wears civilian dress: a dark coat over a high-collared white shirt and…

Meriwether Lewis (Profile Portrait)

Charles de Saint-Mémin, c. 1803–1807

This small engraving by Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin presents Meriwether Lewis in strict left profile, a format the artist used for nearly all his American sitters. Lewis appears bust-length against a plain ground,…

Mih-Tutta-Hangkusch, A Mandan Village

Karl Bodmer, 1833

Bodmer's view of Mih-Tutta-Hangkusch shows the principal Mandan village on the west bank of the Missouri River in present-day North Dakota. The composition is structured around the cluster of domed earthlodges that rise from the…

Pehriska-Ruhpa, Moennitarri Warrior in the Costume of the Dog Dance

Karl Bodmer, 1834

Bodmer's full-length portrait shows Pehriska-Ruhpa, a Hidatsa (Moennitarri) warrior, in the ceremonial regalia of the Dog Society, one of the men's military and dance associations of the upper Missouri tribes. The figure stands frontally, arms…

Pipestone Quarry on the Coteau des Prairies

George Catlin, 1836

Catlin's painting depicts the red pipestone quarry on the Coteau des Prairies in what is now southwestern Minnesota, a site sacred to numerous Plains tribes as the source of the soft red stone used for…

Snags (Sunken Trees) on the Missouri

Karl Bodmer, 1833

Bodmer's watercolor depicts a stretch of the Missouri River cluttered with snags—the partially submerged trunks and root masses of fallen cottonwoods that lodged in the riverbed and presented the gravest navigational hazard on the upper…

The Interior of the Hut of a Mandan Chief

Karl Bodmer, 1833–1834

Bodmer's aquatint shows the cavernous interior of an earth lodge belonging to a Mandan leader on the upper Missouri River. The composition centers on a hearth where smoke rises toward an opening in the domed…

The Lewis and Clark Expedition

Thomas Mickell Burnham, c. 1850

Burnham's oil composition presents the Corps of Discovery as a small group of figures within an expansive western landscape. The painting groups Lewis, Clark, and several members of the party in the middle distance, with…

The Rocky Mountains, Lander's Peak

Albert Bierstadt, 1863

Bierstadt's monumental canvas presents an idealized panorama of the Wind River Range in present-day Wyoming, with the snow-capped summit of Lander's Peak rising at center-right above a chain of secondary ridges and a glacial valley.…

The White Castles on the Upper Missouri

Karl Bodmer, 1833

Bodmer's aquatint depicts a stretch of the Missouri River in what is now north-central Montana, where erosion of the white sandstone bluffs produced formations resembling fortifications, ruined towers, and walled cities. The composition frames the…

William Clark as Governor of Missouri Territory

Chester Harding, c. 1820

Harding's full-length portrait shows William Clark in middle age, depicted in formal civilian dress rather than military uniform, signaling his transition from frontier soldier to territorial administrator. Clark stands in a three-quarter pose against a…

1792 Contract Rifle (Expedition Primary Rifle)

The primary long arm of the Corps of Discovery was not, as long believed, the Model 1803 Harpers Ferry Rifle, but rather the 1792 Contract Rifle — a Pennsylvania-style, single-shot,…

Equipment

Battle Axes (Shields's Fort Mandan Manufacture)

During the winter of 1804-1805 at Fort Mandan, expedition blacksmith John Shields and fellow smith Alexander Willard devised an ingenious economy: they cut a burned-out stove into small squares and…

Blunderbusses (Pirogue-Mounted)

Two blunderbusses were mounted on swivel pivots on the sterns of the two pirogues (large open boats) that accompanied the keelboat upriver. A blunderbuss is a short, heavy smoothbore firearm…

Buffalo Hide Shield

Buffalo hide shields were among the most important defensive weapons and spiritual objects of the Plains nations. Made from the thick hide of a buffalo bull’s hump or neck —…

Bullet Molds

Fifteen pairs of bullet molds were obtained at Harpers Ferry Arsenal, one for each rifleman. These were scissor-type iron molds that clamped together to form a spherical cavity. Molten lead…

Equipment

Clark's Elegant Fusil

Clark brought what the expedition journals describe as “an elegant fusil” — a lightweight gentleman’s sporting smoothbore. A fusil (from the French) was a lighter, more refined version of a…

Clark's Squirrel Rifle

William Clark brought a personal small-caliber rifle of .36 caliber, commonly known as a “squirrel rifle.” These were light, accurate Pennsylvania-style long rifles designed for small game hunting and target…

Coup Stick

The coup stick was a ceremonial weapon unique to Plains Indian warfare, used to “count coup” — the act of touching an enemy in battle without killing him, which was…

Espontoon (Spontoon)

The espontoon was a traditional officer’s polearm, a descendant of the pike, carried as both a symbol of rank and a functional weapon. It featured an elaborate spear-like head, often…

Girandoni Air Rifle

The Girandoni air rifle was arguably the most significant weapon of the entire expedition, serving more as a diplomatic instrument than a weapon of war. Designed by Italian-Tyrolean watchmaker and…

Indian Peace Medal (Jefferson)

The Indian peace medals carried by Lewis and Clark were among the most important diplomatic tools of the expedition, second only to the air rifle in their impact on Native…

Keelboat Swivel Gun

A small naval cannon mounted on a swivel in the bow of the keelboat (the 55-foot vessel that carried the expedition up the Missouri River from May 1804 to April…

Kentucky/Pennsylvania Long Rifle

Several members of the Corps of Discovery carried personal Kentucky (or Pennsylvania) long rifles, the iconic frontier weapon of early America. These rifles were known for their exceptional accuracy at…

Lance / War Spear

War lances were prestige weapons carried by prominent warriors and military society leaders among the Plains nations. Unlike bows and clubs, which were primarily practical weapons, the lance was often…

Lewis's Fowling Piece

Lewis brought a personal fowling piece — an extra-long smoothbore shoulder gun used primarily for bird hunting. Fowlers were common sporting arms of the era, with long barrels (typically 42-48…

Model 1795 Springfield Musket

The Model 1795 was the first standard U.S. military musket, closely copied from the French Charleville Model 1763/66 that had been imported during the American Revolution. Since there were approximately…

Model 1799 Horseman's Pistols

In 1803, Lewis requisitioned a pair of horse pistols from the Schuylkill Arsenal in Philadelphia. These were large-caliber, single-shot flintlock pistols designed to be carried in saddle holsters. Using the…

Native Tomahawks (Traditional and Trade)

The tomahawk existed in two broad categories during the Lewis and Clark era: traditional stone-headed versions (a shaped stone lashed to a wooden handle) and European-manufactured trade versions (iron or…

Northwest Trade Gun (Fusil)

By the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Northwest trade guns were the most common firearms among Native peoples of the Upper Missouri and beyond. Lewis described the tribes…

Officers' Swords

Both Lewis and Clark carried swords as commissioned officers, though the exact pattern each carried is unknown. The 1787 U.S. regulations called for iron or steel mounted sabers of 36…

Plains Indian Bow and Arrows

The bow and arrow remained the primary ranged weapon of most Native American nations encountered by the Lewis and Clark Expedition, even as trade guns became increasingly available. The short,…

Plains Indian War Club

War clubs were among the most important weapons and status symbols of the Northern Plains nations encountered by the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Styles varied widely among nations: the Sioux…

Pocket Pistols with Secret Triggers

On May 21, 1803, Lewis purchased a pair of pocket pistols from Robert Barnhill’s gun shop at 63 North Second Street in Philadelphia for $10. The surviving receipt reads: “Bot.…

Powder Horns and Shot Pouches

Each of the 15 riflemen was issued a powder horn and shot pouch. The powder horn was a hollowed-out cow or ox horn, sealed at both ends, with a measuring…

Treaty with the Chickasaw, 1805

Land cession by the Chickasaw. Region: Tennessee and Alabama (Portions Of). Covering 13 counties across TN. Present-Day Tribes Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma Citations Fogelson 492-94 Tiller 611

Treaty with the Chippewa et al., 1805

Land cession by the Chippewa, Delaware, Munsee, Ottawa, Potawatomi, Shawnee, Wyandot. Region: Ohio. Covering 9 counties across OH. Present-Day Tribes Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma Bad River Band of…

Treaty with the Delaware et al., 1804

Land cession by the Delaware, Miami, Piankishaw. Region: Indiana. Covering 13 counties across IN. Associated dates: 1804-08-18, 1804-08-27, 1805-08-21. Present-Day Tribes Delaware Nation, Oklahoma Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Peoria Tribe…

Treaty with the Delaware et al., 1805

Land cession by the Delaware, Eel River, Miami, Potawatomi, Wea. Region: Indiana. Covering 12 counties across IN. Present-Day Tribes Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Oklahoma Delaware Nation, Oklahoma Forest County Potawatomi Community,…

Treaty with the Sauk and Fox, 1804

Land cession by the Sauk and Fox. Region: Illinois 1 and 2, Missouri 1 and 2, Wisconsin 1 and 2. Covering 43 counties across IL, MO, WI. Associated dates: 1804-11-03,…

Council with the Oto and Missouri Nations

Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, 1804

At this first council, Lewis and Clark established the diplomatic protocol they would follow throughout the expedition: raising the American flag, delivering a speech about the “Great Father” in Washington,…

Council with the Teton Sioux at Bad River

Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, 1804

The encounter began with a council on September 25, 1804, where communication was hampered by the lack of a competent Sioux interpreter. After distributing gifts, tensions escalated when warriors seized…

Court Martial Proceedings of the Expedition

Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, 1804

Military discipline was essential to the expedition’s survival, and Lewis and Clark maintained a formal court martial system throughout the journey. Private Moses Reed was found guilty of desertion in…

Lewis's Astronomical Observations and Calculations

Meriwether Lewis, 1804

Lewis was trained in celestial navigation by Andrew Ellicott and Robert Patterson before the expedition. Using a sextant, chronometer, and artificial horizon, he recorded observations of the sun, moon, and…

Lewis's Description of the Great Falls of the Missouri

Meriwether Lewis, 1805

Lewis wrote: “I wished for the pencil of Salvator Rosa or the pen of Thompson, that I might be enabled to give to the enlightened world some just idea of…

Lewis's Descriptions of New Animal Species

Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, 1806

Among the most notable species described were the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) — which nearly killed several expedition members — the pronghorn antelope, the black-tailed prairie dog (live specimens…

Lewis's Descriptions of New Plant Species

Meriwether Lewis, 1806

Lewis received botanical training from Benjamin Smith Barton at the University of Pennsylvania before the expedition. Throughout the journey, he collected and described specimens including Lewis’s monkey-flower (Mimulus lewisii), bitterroot…

Lewis's Letter to Jefferson from Fort Mandan

Meriwether Lewis, 1805

This letter accompanied the keelboat returning from Fort Mandan with a crew of soldiers, traders, and the Arikara chief. Lewis described the expedition’s encounters with Native nations, the geography of…

Private Whitehouse's Journal

Joseph Whitehouse, 1804

Two versions of Whitehouse’s journal exist: an original rough journal and a later paraphrased version that Whitehouse apparently prepared for publication (which never occurred). The journal provides unique observations about…

Sergeant Floyd's Journal

Charles Floyd, 1804

Floyd’s journal is the shortest of the expedition journals, ending abruptly as his illness worsened. His entries record the daily progress up the Missouri, encounters with the Oto and Missouri…

Sergeant Gass's Journal (Published 1807)

Patrick Gass, 1807

Gass’s account was published as “A Journal of the Voyages and Travels of a Corps of Discovery” in 1807. As the expedition carpenter, Gass provided unique details about the construction…

Sergeant Ordway's Journal

John Ordway, 1804

Ordway’s journal is particularly valuable because it covers the entire expedition without the gaps found in Lewis’s journal. It documents daily routines, hunting results, weather observations, and events in camp…

The Journals of Lewis and Clark

Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, 1804

Lewis and Clark each maintained separate journals, though Lewis’s entries are notably absent for long periods (leading to enduring speculation about what he was doing during these gaps). Clark was…

Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center Museum

Features Lewis and Clark exhibits alongside Native American history and Columbia River Gorge natural history. Includes a Telly award-winning geology film and extensive artifact collection.

Fort Atkinson State Historical Park

Site of “Council Bluffs” where Lewis and Clark held their first council with Native Americans — the Otoe-Missouria Nation — on August 3, 1804. Features a replica fort with living…

360° capture 1.5 mi away

Fort Mandan Historic Site

Full-size replica of the fort where the Corps of Discovery spent the winter of 1804-1805. Here Sacagawea and Toussaint Charbonneau joined the expedition, and Jean Baptiste Charbonneau was born.

Kaw Point Park

10-acre park at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri rivers where the expedition camped June 26-29, 1804. Features a memorial to all area Native tribes and interpretive signage.

Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site

Preserves the remnants of Hidatsa and Mandan earth lodge villages where Lewis and Clark engaged in extensive trade and diplomacy. Includes Awatixa Xi’e, the village where Sacagawea lived before joining…

Lewis and Clark Boat House and Museum

Riverfront facility at the historic launching point of the expedition from St. Charles. Features replicas of the keelboat and pirogues used by the Corps of Discovery.

360° capture 2.0 mi away

Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center

Premier National Park Service interpretive center featuring 25,000 square feet of exhibits including a two-story diorama of the portage around the Missouri’s five great falls. Ranger-led programs and living history…

Missouri Headwaters State Park

National Historic Landmark where the Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin rivers merge to form the Missouri River. This is where Sacagawea was captured by a Hidatsa war party as a child.

Missouri River Basin Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center

12,000 square foot facility on a 79-acre wooded bluff above the Missouri River. Unique for its focus on the Captains’ scientific accomplishments and the natural history discoveries of the expedition.

Nez Perce National Historical Park

Encompasses 38 sites across four states commemorating the Nez Perce people who provided crucial assistance to Lewis and Clark in September 1805, saving the starving expedition.

Nearest 360 · 18 mi Satellite · Esri

Sacajawea Interpretive, Cultural & Educational Center

71-acre park commemorating Sacagawea, her people the Agaidika (Lemhi Shoshone), and the Lewis and Clark expedition. Features an interpretive center, outdoor school, and one-mile interpretive trail.

Sacajawea State Park

267-acre park at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia rivers where the expedition camped October 16, 1805. Features the Sacajawea Interpretive Center and Confluence Project art by Maya Lin.

Sergeant Floyd Monument

100-foot sandstone obelisk honoring Sergeant Charles Floyd, the only expedition member to die during the journey (August 20, 1804). His remains are sealed in the monument’s concrete core.

Sioux City Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center

Nearly 20,000 square foot cultural complex near the Sergeant Floyd Monument, offering free admission and programs exploring the expedition’s journey through the Missouri River valley.

Nearest 360 · 5.6 mi Satellite · Esri

Spirit Mound Historic Prairie

One of few sites where Lewis and Clark are known with certainty to have stood (August 25, 1804). Sacred to the Omaha, Sioux, and Otoe peoples, who believed it was…

Travelers' Rest State Park

The only archaeologically verified Lewis and Clark campsite in the nation. Physical evidence includes a mercury-tainted latrine, fire hearths, and lead musket ball fragments.

Joseph Gravelines

Joseph Gravelines is mentioned several times in Clark’s journal. While he had been living with the Arikaras since around 1790 (DeMallie et al.), on October 8, 1804, Clark complemented Gravelines as a ‘man well versed in the language of the nation,’ referring to the Arikaras. Gravelines then briefed...

Joseph LaLiberte: Deserter of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Teaser: Despite only a brief mention in the Lewis and Clark journals, LaLiberté’s departure from the expedition demonstrates another facet of the challenge that the Corps of Discovery faced during their western trek. Joseph LaLiberté – Deserter One of the more obscure individuals mentioned in the...

Lewis and Clark and the Sioux: Diplomacy on the Missouri

An analysis of the diplomatic encounters between the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the various Sioux divisions along the Missouri River, with emphasis on the tense confrontation with the Teton Sioux.

Lewis and Clark on the Great Plains: A Natural History

A comprehensive study of the wildlife and ecosystems encountered by Lewis and Clark during their passage through the Great Plains, correlating journal entries with modern biological knowledge.

Paul Primeau

Teaser: While little is known about Paul Primeau, glimpses of him are found in other records. Interestingly, Primeau’s story continues after his death, and there is considerable confusion regarding his final resting place. Paul Primeau Paul Primeau was mentioned little in the journals of Lewis and...

Article

Sergeant Charles Floyd's Death: Was It Really Appendicitis?

A medical analysis of the symptoms and circumstances surrounding the death of Sergeant Charles Floyd, the only member of the Corps of Discovery to die during the expedition.

The Baltimore Connection: Lewis & Clark's Curiosities

The untold story of how Lewis and Clark's scientific specimens traveled 4,500 miles from Fort Mandan to Baltimore aboard the ship Comet in 1805, passing through Fort McHenry and Fell's Point before reaching President Jefferson at the White House.

The Bitterroot Crossing: The Most Perilous Passage

A narrative and analytical account of the expedition's harrowing September 1805 crossing of the Bitterroot Mountains along the Lolo Trail, considered the most dangerous segment of the entire journey.

The Experiment on the Missouri: The Keelboat and Lewis and Clark

A detailed study of the keelboat used by the Lewis and Clark Expedition on the Missouri River, examining its design, construction, and critical role in transporting the expedition's supplies.

The Mandan and Hidatsa on the Upper Missouri: An Archaeological and Historical Analysis

A combined archaeological and historical study of the Mandan and Hidatsa villages along the upper Missouri River that served as the expedition's winter quarters in 1804-1805.

The Nez Perce and the Lewis and Clark Expedition

A Nez Perce perspective on the arrival and stay of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in Nez Perce territory, incorporating tribal oral histories and cultural context.

The Salish People and the Lewis and Clark Expedition

A tribal perspective on the Lewis and Clark Expedition's encounter with the Flathead Salish people in September 1805, presenting oral traditions and alternative interpretations of the meeting.