Great Falls of the Missouri — John Ordway: June 15, 1805
The party set out at the usual hour and pushed through some of the most violent rapids they had encountered, passing high bluffs and cliffs on both sides of the Missouri. At midday they stopped at the mouth of a small tributary on the south side, naming it Strawberry River (modern Highwood Creek), where two hunters killed two deer and the bottoms yielded chokecherries, gooseberries, and yellow currants. The hot afternoon brought more rapids that nearly swamped a canoe. They camped below a difficult rapid, having made 12 hard miles by towline, and sent a man ahead to find Captain Lewis at the falls.
out at the usal hour & proceeded on passed through the rapidest
water I ever saw any craft taken through, passed high bluffs &
clifts on each Side, at noon we halted at the mouth of a Small
River on the Lard Side, which we named Strawberry River3 as
their is a Great many vines about it. it is a handsom rapid Stream.
Small bottoms of cotton timber on it. 2 hunters went a Short
distance up the branch & killed 2 Deer, wild or choke cherrys
Goose berrys & yallow currents abound in these bottoms, the
afternoon verry warm we proceeded on passed redish bluffs
on each side of the River, & clifts of blackish rocks in some
places, passed over some rapids where the waves came over the
canoe which I was in and I expected everry moment to have filled,
in the evening we came to a bad rapid which we concluded to
camp below it all night as we would be too late gitting through.
So we Camped on the Stard. Side4 one man Sent up to the falls
for Cap1 Lewis &. C. the wood Scarse. we Came 12 miles to day
by exerting ourselves as much as possable with the towing line to
the best advantage.
1 In Chouteau County, seven miles, by Clark’s measurements, above Fort
Benton.
2 In Chouteau County, seven miles below the mouth of Highwood Creek.
3 So named in the journals of Gass and Whitehouse, but Shields Creek (after
a member of the expedition) according to Clark. It is modern Highwood Creek,
which enters the Missouri from the south twenty-five miles above Fort Benton.
4 Five and three-fourths miles above Highwood Creek.
232 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [June 16
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We set out at the usual hour and proceeded on. We passed through the most rapid water I have ever seen any craft taken through, and passed high bluffs and cliffs on each side. At noon we halted at the mouth of a small river on the larboard side, which we named Strawberry River, as there are a great many vines about it. It is a handsome, rapid stream with small bottoms of cottonwood timber on it. Two hunters went a short distance up the branch and killed two deer. Wild or chokecherries, gooseberries, and yellow currants abound in these bottoms.
The afternoon was very warm. We proceeded on, passing reddish bluffs on each side of the river, and cliffs of blackish rocks in some places. We passed over some rapids where the waves came over the canoe I was in, and I expected every moment to have it filled. In the evening we came to a bad rapid, which we concluded to camp below for the night, as we would be too late getting through. So we camped on the starboard side. One man was sent up to the falls for Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) and company. Wood was scarce. We came 12 miles today by exerting ourselves as much as possible with the towing line to the best advantage.
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