Journal entry · July 20, 1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — John Ordway: July 20, 1804
John Ordway · Missouri River approaching the Platte · Thwaites Vol. Quaife 1916
The place today: Missouri River approaching the Platte
this morning, we Set out at Sun rise. Serg* Pryor & J° Fields
went on Shore with the Horses. George Drewyer Sick, we passed
a fine spring runing out of a high clift of Rocks consisting of lime
Stone and Iron oar little above we passed weeping water creek
or the creek which Cryes,4 Cap4 Clark & R. Fields went on Shore
after Breakfast, passed praries on both sides of the Missouris,
passed handsome high praries all along the east Side, passed
Several runs Cap* Clark found an excelent Spring on the South
Side near a small pond in Site of the River we passed Several
Islands & Sand bars and camped5 on the South Side under a high
hill prarie which appeared beautiful. J° Fields killed 2 Deer to
day & brought them in.
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The NPS atlas for this night
right shore, 2 mi NW of McPaul, IA, in KA; NE (location uncertain, per NPS)
NPS campsite reconstruction (Bergantino)
About 14.9 miles of travel mapped this day (NPS’s reconstruction of the course)
From the NPS Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Park Atlas, mirrored here on September 21, 2026. This copy is not authoritative; NPS remains the system of record. About the mirror
Terrain360 · the place today
Missouri River approaching the Platte in 360°
10 frames across 1.6 mi of the route around this location
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