Missouri River near Big Bend — John Ordway: September 22, 1804
The expedition traveled past timbered shores and high plains where large herds of buffalo grazed. Around 3 o'clock they reached a cedar-covered island, one of the Three Sisters, where trader Regis Loisel had built a fortified cedar trading post in the winter of 1803, used by Sioux who came to trade. Ordway recorded detailed measurements of the fort and noted nearby Indian camps. Drouillard and Shields rejoined the party with two deer and a white wolf, while Colter continued overland with the horse. Clark killed a doe before they camped on the north side at a small creek's mouth.
rise, we passed Some Timber on s. s. high handsome plains on
N.S. (See large gangs of Buffalow on N.S.) about 3 0 Clock we
passed a handsom Ceeder Island on N.S. (one of the 3 Sisters)
where Mr Louisells built a fort and Tradeing house in the winter
1803. 3 it was all built up [of] Ceeder and picketed in with ceeder
about 65 or 70 feet Square with a Sentery Box in 2 angles corners
the pickets is 13^ feet high above Ground, the Tradeing house is
45£ by 32| feet, divided into four equal apartments one for Mer-
chantise one for a common hall, one for peltery &C. 2 peltery
presses, this Tradeing house is built of ceeder high and covered
with hughn [hewed] guttered ceeder, in the winter they cover them
over with Buffaloe hides which answer a Good purpose, the
chimneys built with Stone Clay & Wood their is Indian camps for
a large distance about this place, where the Souix Indians came to
Trade with Mr Louisells opposite to this Island on S. S. G.
Drewyer & Shields joined us had killed 2 Deer & one white
woolf. Colter went on with the horse, we passed a creek Islands of
the 3 Sisters, proceded on passd an Indian camp on S. S. where
we found Some of their ceeder dog poles, they answer us for
Setting poles we are informed that the Indians tie theirs dogs to
these poles and they have to dragg them from one camp to another
loaded with their Baggage &.C. Captain Clark walked a Short
1 Modern Medicine Creek, in Lyman County.
2 The “mock island” is described by Clark as connected with the mainland,
but with the appearance of having been in former times an island. The night’s
camp was made 4| miles above the mouth of Medicine Creek, in Lyman County.
3 On Regis Loisel and his “Fort aux Cedres” see Houck, Missouri, II, 252.
The M. R. C. map shows two islands near the boundary between Lyman and
Stanley counties, the first called Cedar or Dorion Island, and the second Dorion
Island No. 2. The latter was the site of Loisel’s fort, of which Ordway gives
the best description, probably, now extant. Two or three miles above the
island a stream comes in from the south which is still known as Loiselle Creek.
136 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Sept. 23
time on Shore on S. S. & killed a large Doe Deer, we Camped on
N. S. at the mouth of a small creek1 where he joined us.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
At sunrise, we passed some timber on the south side and high, handsome plains on the north side. (We saw large herds of buffalo on the north side.) About 3 o'clock we passed a handsome cedar island on the north side (one of the 3 Sisters), where Mr. Louisells (Loisel) built a fort and trading house in the winter of 1803. It was all built of cedar and picketed in with cedar, about 65 or 70 feet square, with a sentry box in 2 corner angles. The pickets are 13½ feet high above ground. The trading house is 45½ by 32½ feet, divided into four equal apartments: one for merchandise, one for a common hall, one for peltry, etc., and 2 peltry presses. This trading house is built of cedar, high, and covered with hewed, guttered cedar. In the winter they cover them over with buffalo hides, which answer a good purpose. The chimneys are built with stone, clay, and wood. There are Indian camps for a large distance about this place, where the Sioux Indians came to trade with Mr. Louisells (Loisel).
Opposite this island on the south side, G. Drewyer (Drouillard) and Shields joined us, having killed 2 deer and one white wolf. Colter went on with the horse. We passed a creek and the islands of the 3 Sisters, and proceeded on. We passed an Indian camp on the south side, where we found some of their cedar dog poles, which serve us for setting poles. We are informed that the Indians tie their dogs to these poles, and the dogs have to drag them from one camp to another loaded with their baggage, etc.
Captain Clark walked a short time on shore on the south side and killed a large doe deer. We camped on the north side at the mouth of a small creek, where he joined us.
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