Mouth of Kansas River — John Ordway: June 28, 1804
On June 28, 1804, Ordway went hunting and walked about a mile, discovering a fine cool spring flowing from the hills that he considered the best water he had encountered in the region. Several party members hunted, taking four deer, and Reuben and Joseph Field killed a young wolf, bringing another back to camp to tame. One man reported seeing buffalo up the Kansas River. The expedition recorded their location at 38°31'13" north latitude, with the Missouri River measuring 500 yards wide at this point near the mouth of the Kansas.
I went out hunting. 1 miles & passed a fine Spring Running
from under the hills I drank hearty of the water & found it the
best & coolest I have seen in the country. Several of the party
went hunting & [killed] 4 Deer R. & J. Fields killed a young woolf
& brought one home to camp for to Tame, one man saw Several
buffelow up the Kansas River, this is 3665 Miles from mouth of
Missouris. The Latitude 38° 31m 13s North the width of the M.
here is 500 yds wide
1 Now Big Blue Biver. It runs north through Jackson County to the Mis-
souri about thirty miles east of Kansas City. On the M. B. C. map this is
called Little Blue Biver, while Big Blue Biver is farther west, flowing through
the outskirts of Kansas City.
2 The Kansas Biver drains the greater part of the state of Kansas. White-
house writes “Biver de-Caugh,” the similarity of which to the modern Kaw,
sometimes used as an alternative name for Kansas, is evident.
3 On the site of Kansas City, Mo.
4 “we determine to delay at this Place three or four Days to make observa-
tions & recruit the party.” Clark.
6 According to the distances shown on the M. B. C. map the mouth of the
Kansas is 392 miles above the mouth of the Missouri.
90 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [June 29
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
I went out hunting. After 1 mile I passed a fine spring running out from under the hills. I drank heartily of the water and found it the best and coolest I have seen in the country. Several of the party went hunting and killed 4 deer. R. and J. Fields killed a young wolf and brought one home to camp to tame. One man saw several buffalo up the Kansas River. This is 3665 miles from the mouth of the Missouri. The latitude is 38° 31m 13s North. The width of the Missouri here is 500 yards wide.
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