The Volcanoes of Lewis and ClarkOctober 1805 to June 1806
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-- The Volcanoes of Lewis and Clark Map of the Journey -- Volcanoes, Basalt Plateaus, Major Rivers, etc. CALENDAR of the Journey -- October 1805 to June 1806 Along the Journey -- Pacific Northwest Maps - Columbia River, Volcanoes, Flood Basalts, Missoula Floods, Geology, etc. The Corps of Discovery -- The Journey of Lewis and Clark About the Reference Materials -- The Journals, Biddle/Allen, DeVoto, Gass, Moulton, Topo Maps, and others USGS Lewis and Clark Links -- Links to USGS Websites highlighting the Lewis and Clark Journey Resources Publications Referenced and Websites Visited |
To the Pacific October 1805 Clearwater and Snake Rivers - Columbia River to The Dalles, Oregon - Columbia River Basalts - Walla Walla - Umatilla - John Day River - Deschutes River - Cascade Locks - etc. |
To the Pacific November 1805 The Dalles through Columbia River Gorge to the Pacific Ocean - Winter Months - Mount Hood - Mount Adams - Columbia River Basalts - Cascade Locks - Bonneville - Beacon Rock - Sandy River - Willamette River - Cowlitz River - etc. |
Heading Home March 1806 Winter Months - Pacific Ocean to Washougal, Washington - Mount Rainier - Mount St. Helens - Mount Hood - Columbia River Basalts - Cottonwood Camp - Sandy River - etc. |
Heading Home April 1806 Willamette River - Washougal to Walla Walla - Mount Rainier - Mount St. Helens - Mount Adams - Mount Hood - Mount Jefferson - Columbia River Basalts - Beacon Rock |
Heading Home May 1806 Overland from Walla Walla - Snake and Clearwater Rivers - Columbia River Basalts - The Rockies |
On October 7, 1805, Lewis and Clark and the "Corps of Discovery" began their journey down the Clearwater River and into the volcanics of the Pacific Northwest. The Corps travelled from the Clearwater to the Snake and down the "Great Columbia", finally reaching the Pacific Ocean on November 15, 1805. Along the journey they encountered the lava flows of the Columbia Plateau, river channels carved by the great "Missoula Floods", and the awesome beauty of five Cascade Range volcanoes. |
Calendar of the Journey |
Along the Journey |
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Website, 2002, USGS/NPS Geology in the Parks Website, 2002, U.S. National Park Service, Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area Website, 2002, U.S. National Park Service, Ice Age Floods Website, 2002, U.S. National Park Service, National Natural Landmarks Program Website, 2002, and U.S. Forest Service, Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area Website, 2002 |
Lewis and Clark and the "Corps of Discovery" |
"take notice of the country you pass through, it's general face, soil, river, mountains, it's productions animal, vegetable, & mineral so far as they may be new to us & also be useful; the latitudes of places ...; the names, numbers, & dwellings of the inhabitants, and such particularities as you can learn of them." -- President Thomas Jefferson - April 30, 1793 |
In 1803,
President Thomas Jefferson commissioned Meriwether Lewis, who along with his friend William Clark, lead an expedition on an epic journey to explore the headwaters of the Missouri River and find an overland route to the Pacific Ocean by way of the Columbia River. The "Corps of Discovery" departed Camp DuBois near Wood River, Illinois, on May 14, 1804, and proceeded up the Missouri River using a keelboat and two "pirogues". After several councils with the Indian Tribes on the lower Missouri River, and the unfortunate death of Sergeant Floyd near present Sioux City, Iowa, the party reached the Knife River Indian Villages, near present Washburn, North Dakota. There they built Fort Mandan and spent a productive winter gathering information about the Indian Tribes and the lands to the west. They also recruited as interpreters, the Frenchman Toussaint Charbonneau and his Shoshoni wife, Sacagawea. In the spring of 1805, the permanent party continued up the Missouri River in the pirogues and dugout canoes. After an arduous portage around the Great Falls of the Missouri, they reached the headwaters of that great river. Now on foot, the party encountered a band of Shoshoni Indians, coincidentally led by Sacagawea's brother Cameahwait. The Shoshoni assisted the expedition by providing horses and a guide to cross the rugged Bitteroot Mountains. After a difficult crossing on what is now known as the Lolo Trail, the party met the friendly Nez Perce Indians. They left their horses with the Indians and once again made canoes.
Navigating down the Clearwater, Snake, and Columbia Rivers, the Corps of Discovery reached the Pacific Ocean in November 1805. The party built Fort Clatsop on the south side of the Columbia River near present Astoria, Oregon, where they spent a cold, rainy winter. In the spring and summer of 1806, the expedition made their way back
across the mountains, explored several major rivers in present day Montana, and made their way back down the Missouri River to St. Louis, arriving on September 23, 1806. The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail is approximately 3,700 miles long, begins near Wood River, Illinois, and passes through portions of Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
-- U.S. National Park Service, 2002, Fort Clatsop National Memorial Website, and Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail Website |
About the Reference Materials |
Main Text Excerpts from:
History of The Expedition Under the Command of Captain's Lewis and Clark, to the Sources of the Missouri, thence Across the Rocky Mountains, and down the River Columbia to the Pacific Ocean, Performed during the years 1805-5-6, By order of the Government of the United States. Prepared for the Press by Paul Allen, Esquire., Vol. II. Published by Bradford and Inskeep, Philadephia, and Abm. H. Inskeep, New York. J. Maxwell, Printer., 1814. ("Biddle/Allen Publication") Online at: Library of Congress/American Memories Website, 2002; Collection from: The First American West: The Ohio River Valley 1750-1820, Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library, and The Filson Historical Society. About the Biddle/Allen publication: Captain Lewis was supposed to have edited the journals for publication, but he met with an untimely death, probably by murder, while traveling through Tennessee in 1809. The task then fell to Clark, who asked the Philadelphia lawyer Nicholas Biddle, to complete the job. Biddle agreed, but soon passed the work on to Paul Allen, a Philadelphia journalist. The journals were finally edited and made ready for publication in 1812, but were not published until February 20, 1814. Originally, an edition of 2,000 was to be printed, but when missing copies were tallied and defective copies weeded out, only 1,417 remained. These sold at six dollars a copy. The Biddle-Allen revision of the Lewis and Clark journals left intact the raw quality of diaries written in the wilderness, retaining their sense of danger and high adventure. -- Excerpt from: Treasures of the University of Delaware Library Additional Quotations and Journey Logs from: The Journals of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, Gary E. Moulton, Editor, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln and London, volumes 5, 6,7, 9, 10, and 11 About the Moulton publications: Dr. Gary Moulton at the University of Nebraska has compiled the first complete set of journals relating to the Lewis & Clark Expedition. The result of this project (beginning in 19__) is a 13-volume set (as of November, 2002) that includes Clark's maps, the Journals of Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, Patrick Gass, Joseph Whitehouse, John Ordway, and Charles Floyd. This set of books are the most accurate copies of the actual journals. Previous versions of the Journals have actually been condensed collections and interpretations of the known journal documents. -- Information courtesy: The Lewis & Clark Expedition Website, 2002 A History of Lewis and Clark Journals:
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To the Pacific October 1805 |
To the Pacific November 1805 |
Heading Home March 1806 |
Heading Home April 1806 |
Heading Home May 1806 |
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