Jefferson/Beaverhead River near present-day Dillon — John Ordway: August 11, 1805
After breakfast, the party traveled about three miles to a large prairie island they named 3000 Mile Island, marking its distance from the mouth of the Missouri. They hauled canoes over several shallow spots while ascending its left side, observing many geese and ducks. Hunters rejoined them at noon with three deer. The warm day brought troublesome large flies. They passed muddy ponds and marshy prairie filled with abundant beaver channels and lodges. Snow-capped mountains appeared ahead. After covering 14 miles through the wide treeless valley, they camped on a wet bottom on the starboard side.
out hunting, we Set out after breakfast and proceeded on about
3 miles come to a large prarie Island which [is] Three Thousand
miles from wood River or from the Mouth of the Missourie. So
we call it 3000 mile Island, we went up the L. Side of it and were
oblidged to hall the canoes over several shole places. Saw a nom-
Head. This is a famous landmark on the boundary between Madison and
Beaverhead counties, about midway between the forks below and the town of
Dillon above. Beaverhead County, which the party was to enter the follow-
ing day, takes its name from the rock.
1 The record for the day kept by Lewis shows that the party traveled thir-
teen miles, yet the actual advance made was only four land miles.
2 Modern Willow Creek, near the mouth of which the camp of July 30 was
located.
3 Coues locates the camp two miles by land above the Beaver Head.
264 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Aug. 12
ber of geese and ducks in the little pond and on the prarie. one
of the hunters joined us at noon had killed three Deer and two
other a Short distance a head, the day warm the large flys
troublesome, we proceeded on passed Several muddy Sunken
ponds, and low marshy bottom prarie which is wet and soft, the
beaver have made many channels to their ponds & lodges from
the River &.C. they are verry numerous in this valley, more So
than ever we Saw them before, towards evening we came to a
fiew fiew Scattering trees along the Shores but no other but cotton
& willow [and] a fiew Small birch, the valley continues 8 or 10
miles wide & all Smooth low prarie without timber, we saw high
Mountains a head some distance large Spots of Snow on them,
we Came 14 miles this day and Camped on a wet bottom on the
Stard Side.1
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
out hunting, we set out after breakfast and proceeded on about 3 miles, came to a large prairie island which is three thousand miles from Wood River or from the mouth of the Missouri. So we call it 3000 Mile Island. We went up the larboard side of it and were obliged to haul the canoes over several shoal places. Saw a number of geese and ducks in the little pond and on the prairie. One of the hunters joined us at noon, had killed three deer, and two others a short distance ahead. The day was warm and the large flies troublesome.
We proceeded on, passed several muddy sunken ponds and low marshy bottom prairie which is wet and soft. The beaver have made many channels to their ponds and lodges from the river, etc. They are very numerous in this valley, more so than we ever saw them before. Towards evening we came to a few scattering trees along the shores, but no other than cottonwood and willow, and a few small birch. The valley continues 8 or 10 miles wide and is all smooth low prairie without timber. We saw high mountains ahead some distance, with large spots of snow on them. We came 14 miles this day and camped on a wet bottom on the starboard side.
This modernization is AI-generated for accessibility. The original above is the authoritative version.
Entities mentioned in this entry
Auto-extracted from the entry text. Hover any entity for context.
