Winter at Fort Clatsop

November 25, 1805

November 25, 1805

Having decided to winter on the Columbia River’s southern shore, they leave Station Camp. With Mt. St. Helens in view, they paddle upriver and encamp near Pillar Rock where the river narrows.

November 27, 1805

November 27, 1805

Unable to continue due to high winds and waves, they are forced to take shelter on a narrow isthmus—present Tongue Point near Astoria, Oregon. Everyone is wet and disagreeable.

December 30, 1805

December 30, 1805

At Fort Clatsop, the journalists appear happy to see the sun, and Clark enjoys a sumptuous dinner of fresh elk tongue and marrow bones. With the fort’s pickets and gates completed, overnight guests are banned from the fort. Clark lists…

January 3, 1806

January 3, 1806

Clatsop villagers come to Fort Clatsop to sell whale blubber and dogs. Lewis finds the latter “an agreeable food”. Two men are sent to fetch long-overdue Pvts. Willard and Weiser from the salt works.

January 8, 1806

January 8, 1806

From Clark’s Point of View above Ecola, Clark’s group enjoys the “grandest and most pleasing prospects”. At Ecola, Tillamook Indians trade a little whale blubber, and Pvt. McNeal’s life is threatened.

February 8, 1806

February 8, 1806

All three sergeants are dispatched to bring into Fort Clatsop the various elk killed on previous days. By day’s end, they all complete their missions. Lewis describes the salal plant.

Station Camp/McGowan

November 16, 1805 · Columbia · Mile 10.5

Cape D- McKenzie Head

November 18, 1805 · Columbia · Mile 2

Carlson Landing

November 25, 1805 · Columbia · Mile 25

Settlers Point/Svenson

November 26, 1805 · Columbia · Mile 20

Tongue Point

November 27, 1805 · Columbia · Mile 18

Clark: November 15, 1805

November 15, 1805 · William Clark

November 15th Friday 1805 Rained all the last night at intervales of Sometimes of 2 hours, This morning it became Calm & fair, I prepared to Set out at which…

Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 15, 1805

November 15, 1805 · Patrick Gass

and clear off, but the river remained still rough. So we were obliged to continue here until about 1 o’clock, when the weather became more calm, and we loaded and…

Clark: November 16, 1805

November 16, 1805 · William Clark

November 16th Satturday 1805 a fine morning cool the latter part of the night, I had all our articles of every discription examined, and found much wet, had all put…

Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — John Ordway: November 16, 1805

November 16, 1805 · John Ordway

went out a hunting, we put our baggage out to dry. towards evening the hunters all except one returned to Camp had killd four Deer and a number of geese…

Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 16, 1805

November 16, 1805 · Patrick Gass

pretty high. We could see the waves, like small mountains, rolling out in the ocean, and pretty bad in the bay. LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION © 175 CHAP. XVI. E…

Clark: November 17, 1805

November 17, 1805 · William Clark

November 17th Sunday 1805 a fair cool windey morning wind from the East. every tide which rises 8 feet 6 Inches at this place, comes in with high Swells which…

Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 17, 1805

November 17, 1805 · Patrick Gass

hunters went out. About noon they all came in: but the hunter who remained out last night did not return. He had killed 2 deer and the other men brought…

John Ordway: November 18, 1805

November 18, 1805 · John Ordway

more of the party set out in order to go down and see the passiffic 1 Baker Bay. The camp for the next ten days was near the southeast, or…

Patrick Gass: November 18, 1805

November 18, 1805 · Patrick Gass

and 10 men went down to Cape Disappointment, to get a more full view of the ocean; and 3 went out to hunt. In the course of the day we…

Clark: November 19, 1805

November 19, 1805 · William Clark

November 19th Tuesday 1805 began to rain a little before day and Continued raining untill 11 oClock I proceeded on thro emencely bad thickets & hills crossing 2 points to…

Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 19, 1805

November 19, 1805 · Patrick Gass

of the hunters went out. About 1 o’clock the natives, who, had been with us some time, went away; and at 4 another party of the same nation came, and…

Clark: November 20, 1805

November 20, 1805 · William Clark

Novr. 20 Wednesday 1805 Some rain last night despatchd. 3 men to hunt Jo. Fields & Cotter to hunt Elk & Labich to kill some Brant for our brackfast The…

Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 20, 1805

November 20, 1805 · Patrick Gass

remained at our camp; and Capt. Lewis gave one of them a medal, as he ranked as a chief in the nation. One of the men went out to hunt…

Clark: November 21, 1805

November 21, 1805 · William Clark

November 21st Thursday 1805 a Cloudy morning most of the Indians left us, The nation on the opposit Side is Small & Called Clap-soil, Their great chief name Stil-la-sha The…

Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — John Ordway: November 21, 1805

November 21, 1805 · John Ordway

tude of Hailys bay or at our Incampment at the point above is 46° 19′ 11^ Min North, the Natives value their Sea otter Skins verry high, our officers being…

Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 21, 1805

November 21, 1805 · Patrick Gass

LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION _ 179 the natives left us. The wind blew so violent to-day, and the waves ran so high, that we could not set out on our…

Clark: November 22, 1805

November 22, 1805 · William Clark

Novr. 22nd Friday 1805 Some little rain all the last night with wind, before day the wind increased to a Storm from the S. S. E. and blew with violence…

Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 22, 1805

November 22, 1805 · Patrick Gass

we were not yet able to set out; the wind blew very hard from the south, and the river was rougher than it has been since we came here. At…

Clark: November 23, 1805

November 23, 1805 · William Clark

November 23rd Saturday 1805 The Cloudy and Calm, a moderate rain the greater part of the last night, Sent out men to hunt this morning and they Killed 3 Bucks,…

Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — John Ordway: November 23, 1805

November 23, 1805 · John Ordway

Several men went out a Short time a hunting and killed 3 Deer and 21 fowls, a number of Savages visited us &C.

Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 23, 1805

November 23, 1805 · Patrick Gass

more calm. Some of the men went out to hunt and some to mend the canoe which had been split in the storm yesterday. The natives still stay with us,…

William Clark: November 24, 1805

November 24, 1805 · William Clark

Janey in favour of a place where there is plenty of Potas. Cp. L & [Clark] Proceed on to morrow & examine The other side if good hunting…

John Ordway: November 24, 1805

November 24, 1805 · John Ordway

Several men went out a hunting we put out our baggage to air. The Columbian River at this place is three miles 660 yards wide. Some of two nations of…

Patrick Gass: November 24, 1805

November 24, 1805 · Patrick Gass

As this was a fine clear day, it was thought proper to remain here in order to take some observations, which the bad weather had before rendered impossible. The latitude…

Clark: November 25, 1805

November 25, 1805 · William Clark

November 25th Munday 1805 a fine day Several Indians Come up from below, we loaded and Set out up the river, and proceeded on to the Shallow Bay, landed to…

Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 25, 1805

November 25, 1805 · Patrick Gass

with a white frost. We loaded our canoes and proceeded on: * Geographers have stated that the Columbia enters the ocean in latitude 46° 18 north. The difference is therefore…

Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — John Ordway: November 25, 1805

November 25, 1805 · John Ordway

canoes in the River [and] loaded up. our officers bought two more sea otter Skins of the natives, we then Set out and came about 9 miles up the River…

Clark: November 26, 1805

November 26, 1805 · William Clark

November 26th Tuesday 1805 Cloudy and Some rain this morning at daylight wind blew from the E N. E, we Set out and proceeded on up on the North Side…

Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 26, 1805

November 26, 1805 · Patrick Gass

wet; but we set out early, went about a mile and then crossed the river; passing in our way several islands. Immediately after we crossed we came to a small…

Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — John Ordway: November 26, 1805

November 26, 1805 · John Ordway

eairly went about one mile then crossed the River and went down along the the South Shore passed Several Islands, halted at a village of the Clatsop nation, they gave…

Clark: November 27, 1805

November 27, 1805 · William Clark

November 27th Wednesday 1805 Some rain all the last night & this morning at day light 3 Canoes and 11 men Came down with roots meat, Skins &c. to Sill,…

Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 27, 1805

November 27, 1805 · Patrick Gass

coasted round, and turned a sharp cape about a mile; when we found the swells running so high that we had to halt, unload our canoes and haul them out…

Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — John Ordway: November 27, 1805

November 27, 1805 · John Ordway

dians came from the village to trade their wapetoes roots with us. we went on across a bay then turned a cape & where we could perceive a considerable of…

Clark: November 28, 1805

November 28, 1805 · William Clark

November 28th Thursday 1805 Wind Shifted about to the S. W. and blew hard accompanied with hard rain all last night, we are all wet bedding and Stores, haveing nothing…

Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 28, 1805

November 28, 1805 · Patrick Gass

the hunters went out, but had no luck. It rained all day; and we had here no fresh water but what was taken out of the canoes as the rain…

Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — John Ordway: November 28, 1805

November 28, 1805 · John Ordway

the N. West. Several men went out to hunt but killed nothing hard rain all day.3

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.

Chinook

A powerful trading people who controlled commerce at the mouth of the Columbia River. Led by Chief Comcomly, they were skilled diplomats who viewed the Corps as another potential trading partner. The Chinook Jargon trade language was widely used throughout the region.

Clatsop

A Chinookan people on the southern shore of the Columbia River estuary. The expedition built Fort Clatsop in their territory and wintered there from December 1805 to March 1806. Chief Coboway was consistently hospitable.

Coboway

Principal chief of the Clatsop tribe. Lewis wrote he "had been much more kind and hospitable to us than any other Indian in this neighbourhood." The expedition left Fort Clatsop to Coboway when they departed in March 1806.

Comcomly

A prominent Chinook leader and power broker on the lower Columbia River. A skilled diplomat and trader, he met Lewis and Clark in 1805. He later became a key figure in the Pacific fur trade.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Silas Goodrich

The Corps' most accomplished fisherman, Goodrich regularly supplied the expedition with fresh fish throughout the journey. At the Great Falls, he caught large numbers of cutthroat trout that supplemented the Corps' diet and provided Lewis with specimens for scientific study.

Thomas Howard

From Massachusetts. Court-martialed in February 1805 for climbing the Fort Mandan wall after hours rather than using the gate, potentially compromising the fort's security. Completed the entire journey.

Tillamook

A Salishan-speaking people of the northern Oregon coast encountered during the winter at Fort Clatsop. Clark's whale-blubber trading party visited a Tillamook village in January 1806.

William Bratton

One of the "Nine Young Men from Kentucky," Bratton served as hunter, blacksmith, and gunsmith. In spring 1806 he was incapacitated by a severe back ailment until a Native American sweat lodge treatment cured him. He later served in the War of 1812 at the Battle of New Orleans.

William Werner

Had a fight with John Potts at Camp Dubois during preparation and was convicted of being absent without leave. Despite disciplinary issues, he completed the full journey to the Pacific and back.

American Mink

Neogale vison · Mammal

Lewis and Clark described the mink at Fort Clatsop, noting it was identical to eastern mink and that Native women used its pelt as clothing.

American red squirrel

Tamiasciurus hudsonicus · Mammal

Not to be confused with Richardson’s ground squirrel, this subspecies of Red Squirrel may also be called a “chickaree.”

Blue huckleberry

Vaccinium membranaceum · Plant

This is the most important huckleberry in the Pacific Northwest. A feast marked the annual migration to the berry areas.

Bonaparte's gull

Chroicocephalus philadelphia · Bird

Lewis noted 3 gull species at Fort Clatsop, the smallest (mostly white with some black on head) may be Bonaparte’s Gull.

Bushy-tailed Woodrat

Neotoma cinerea · Mammal

Lewis described the bushy-tailed woodrat in detail at Fort Clatsop on February 27, 1806, noting it as a species "new to science." The animal resembled a standard rat but had distinctively large ears and a...

Canada jay (Pacific)

Perisoreus canadensis obscurus · Bird

Lewis described the coastal subspecies of Gray Jay as a “smaller corvus with…white breast” and a habit of stealing meat.

Chinook licorice; seashore lupine

Lupinus littoralis · Plant

Lewis knew this species only as an edible root at Fort Clatsop. It was one of six species of roots obtained by trade.

Columbian sharp-tailed grouse

Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus · Bird

Columbian sharp-tailed grouse subspecies found in sagebrush areas of Columbia Plateau. Lewis described at Fort Clatsop.

Douglas's squirrel

Tamiasciurus douglasii · Mammal

Lewis found this active “small brown squirrel…a beautiful animal.” John Muir later said they were “enchanting to watch.”

Eulachon

Thaleichthys pacificus · Fish

On February 24, 1806, Clatsop chief Coboway brought the first eulachon to Fort Clatsop, marking the beginning of the annual spring run of this important food fish. Lewis drew a detailed likeness of the fish...

Eulachon, candle fish

Thaleichthys pacificus · Fish

Large winter runs of fat eulachon were an important source of oils for native diets. Species now declining in Columbia.

Evergreen huckleberry

Vaccinium ovatum · Plant

No specimen exists, but Lewis described the evergreen blueberry at Fort Clatsop. It is only found west of the Cascades.

Glaucous-winged gull

Larus glaucescens · Bird

Lewis noted 3 gull species at Fort Clatsop, the “light brown” bird may have been a juvenile of an uncertain species.

Grand fir

Abies grandis · Plant

Described at Fort Clatsop. Large canopy tree of western coniferous forests, now commercial grown for Christmas trees.

Greater white-fronted goose

Anser albifrons · Bird

Lewis described and sketched the Pacific subspecies of white-fronted goose. All nest in Arctic and winter along coasts.

Lesser Canada goose; Cackling Goose

Branta hutchinsii leucopareia · Bird

This Cackling Goose subspecies breeds on the Aleutian Islands and winters on the Pacific NW coast in small numbers.

Lodgepole pine

Pinus contorta · Plant

Fires trigger seed release from cones, forming dense stands of tall, slender trees well suited for use as tepee poles.

Mountain Beaver

Aplodontia rufa · Mammal

Lewis described this unusual rodent in 1806 at Fort Clatsop, noting that it was "about the size of a squirrel" with soft-looking fur. The Chinook and Clatsop peoples called the animal a "sewelel." Despite its...

Mountain Goat

Oreamnos americanus · Mammal

Lewis and Clark never saw a live mountain goat during their expedition, despite hearing numerous accounts from Native peoples about "white buffaloe or mountain sheep of the snowey hights" in the Bitterroot Mountains. They did...

Mountain Quail

Oreortyx pictus · Bird

Lewis described the mountain quail on March 3, 1806, near the Columbia River in the Cascade Range of Oregon, providing the first scientific description of the species. Reubin Field killed a bird "of the Quail...

Northern fulmar

Fulmarus glacialis · Bird

Lewis’s sketch of its distinctive nostrils clearly shows the Pacific subspecies of Northern fulmar which nest in Arctic.

Oregon Bobcat

Lynx rufus fasciatus · Mammal

Lewis described the Oregon subspecies of the bobcat while at Fort Clatsop during the winter of 1805-1806. He noted it was similar to the wild cats of the eastern states but differed in coloring and...

Oregon Ruffed Grouse

Bonasa umbellus sabini · Bird

Lewis described the Oregon ruffed grouse at Fort Clatsop on February 5, 1806, when Reubin Field returned from a hunt with "a phesant which differed but little from those common to the Atlantic states." Elliott...

Pacific loon

Gavia pacifica · Bird

Juvenile and nonbreeding adult loons look very similar among species, leaving the species described by Lewis uncertain.

Pacific Tree Frog

Pseudacris regilla · Reptile

Lewis and Clark encountered the Pacific tree frog in the Pacific Northwest during their winter at Fort Clatsop in 1805-1806. This small frog, distinctive for its loud "ribbit" call, is the most commonly heard frog...

Pileated woodpecker

Dryocopus pileatus · Bird

Pileated woodpeckers were known to Lewis from the east. He did not remark on larger size of the western subspecies.

Raccoon

Procyon lotor · Mammal

Lewis noted that Pacific Northwest tribes used deadfalls and snares to trap raccoons, whose skins were fashioned into robes.

Red false mallow

Sphaeralcea coccinea · Plant

Shamans chewed leaves and stems into a paste and spread on arms to protect from burns. Used to treat burns of others.

Red fox

Vulpes vulpes · Mammal

Several subspecies of red fox were seen along the route, including the great-tailed fox of the Columbia Plateau.

Red-necked grebe

Podiceps grisegena holbollii · Bird

Lewis’s description likely Red-necked Grebe. Sighting hindered by possible similar species, all in nonbreeding plumage.

Ruffed grouse

Bonasa umbellus · Bird

The Oregon subspecies of Ruffed Grouse occurs west of the Cascades. Lewis noted the brighter red birds at Fort Clatsop.

Salal

Gaultheria shallon · Plant

Lewis collected the salal specimen on January 20, 1806, at Fort Clatsop, and wrote a detailed description on February 8, 1806. He had previously mistaken it for a species of laurel. The Chinook and Clatsop...

Sitka Spruce

Picea sitchensis · Plant

Lewis and Clark encountered massive Sitka spruce trees along the Pacific coast in November-December 1805 while searching for lumber to build Fort Clatsop. Patrick Gass wrote that it "rives better than any other species" and...

Starry Flounder

Platichthys stellatus · Fish

Lewis and Clark encountered the starry flounder in the Columbia River estuary during their winter at Fort Clatsop. This flatfish, distinctive for its star-shaped tubercles on its body, was a common species in the coastal...

Townsend's chipmunk

Neotamias townsendii · Mammal

Although Lewis gave few details, the common “ground squirrel” reported at Fort Clatsop is likely Townsend’s chipmunk.

Townsend's mole

Scapanus townsendii · Mammal

Lewis mistakenly described a mole at Fort Clatsop as the same as in the East. It is both a different species and genus.

Clark's Manuscript Map of 1810

William Clark, 1810

Clark's manuscript map of 1810 is a hand-drawn cartographic document covering the trans-Mississippi West, executed in ink on paper. It traces the courses of the Missouri, Yellowstone, Columbia, Snake, and their major tributaries, along with…

Lewis and Clark on the Lower Columbia

Charles Marion Russell, 1905

Russell's watercolor depicts the Corps of Discovery's encounter with Chinookan peoples along the lower Columbia River. In the foreground, a large dugout canoe carrying Native paddlers approaches from the left, its occupants raising hands in…

Map of Lewis and Clark's Track (1814)

William Clark (cartographer), Samuel Lewis (engraver), 1814

The 1814 "Map of Lewis and Clark's Track, Across the Western Portion of North America" is an engraved map that synthesizes the geographic information gathered during the Corps of Discovery's 1804–1806 expedition. It depicts the…

Mount Hood, Oregon

Albert Bierstadt, 1869

Bierstadt's "Mount Hood, Oregon" presents the 11,250-foot stratovolcano rising above the forested Cascade foothills, its snow-covered peak catching light against a sky banked with cloud. The composition follows the artist's standard formula for his major…

Mount St. Helens, Columbia River, Oregon

Albert Bierstadt, 1889

Bierstadt's painting depicts Mount St. Helens rising in the distance above the Columbia River, its snow-covered cone catching light against a sky of broken clouds. The foreground occupies the lower third of the canvas with…

Puget Sound on the Pacific Coast

Albert Bierstadt, 1870

Bierstadt's canvas shows a storm-battered stretch of the Pacific Northwest coast, with breaking surf in the foreground, a beached or foundering vessel listing on the rocks, and shadowy figures of Native fishermen working among the…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

Scalping Knife / Hunting Knife

Every member of the Corps of Discovery carried a large knife that served as an all-purpose tool for butchering game, preparing food, cutting wood, making repairs, and self-defense. These “scalping…

Tomahawk (Trade and Military)

Tomahawks were among the most ubiquitous and versatile tools carried by the Corps of Discovery. Each member was issued a tomahawk or hatchet that served as a weapon, tool for…

Treaty with the Piankishaw, 1805

Land cession by the Piankishaw. Region: Illinois 1. Covering 14 counties across IL. Present-Day Tribes Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma

Clark's Letter to Brother Jonathan Announcing Return

William Clark, 1806

Clark wrote to Jonathan from St. Louis on September 23, 1806, the day of their triumphant return. His letter provided personal details about the journey that he would not have…

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…

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 Announcing the Expedition's Return

Meriwether Lewis, 1806

Writing from St. Louis, Lewis summarized the expedition’s key findings: “In obedience to your orders we have penetrated the Continent of North America to the Pacific Ocean.” He described the…

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…

Cape Disappointment Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center

Perched on a 200-foot cliff where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. Tells the complete story of the expedition’s journey from St. Louis to the ocean through murals, timeline…

Fort Clatsop — Lewis and Clark National Historical Park

Full-scale replica of the winter encampment where the Corps of Discovery stayed from December 1805 to March 1806. Features ranger-led programs, living history demonstrations, and a museum with expedition artifacts.

The Chinook People and the Lewis and Clark Expedition

An ethnohistorical study of the Lower Chinook peoples encountered by Lewis and Clark at the mouth of the Columbia River, examining their trading culture and the impact of early contact.