IDAHO CHAPTER - March 1998 Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, Inc. LEWIS AND CLARK ON TV

A special one hour edition of Idaho Public Television's Outdoor Idaho will follow the Lewis and Clark Expedition's route through Idaho. It was filmed last summer at events in the Lewiston and Salmon areas as well as other places along the trail. The program airs THURSDAY, MARCH 12 at 8 PM (Mountain Time) and 7 PM (Pacific Time). The program will repeat on SUNDAY at 7 PM and 6 PM. Idaho Public Television describes the program as the re-tracing of the journey through Idaho with a modern day group of explorers. Also check out IPTV's web site for more information: (www. idpt V. state. id. us).

GOVERNOR BATT WANTS PROTECTION OF IDAHO LEWIS & CLARK SITE

Governor Philip E. Batt, in his "state of the state" speech on January 12, announced his support of protecting the Glade Creek campsite along the Lolo Trail in northcentral Idaho. Governor Batt stated: "My administration has endeavored to make other investments in our great out-of-doors, as well...With our tight budgets, we couldn't afford it. But more importantly, we couldn't afford not to, so we found a way. We couldn't risk seeing these facilities [Cascade, Walcott, Big Eddy] lost from the public domain forever. And, in anticipation of the 200th anniversary of Lewis and Clark's incredible expedition, I'm working with Plum Creek Timber Company in order to obtain a showpiece state park on the Lolo Trail, which is one of the best preserved original campsites of the Lewis and Clark party."

In February, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Cormor, in opening remarks at a lecture in Moscow, related her delight in visiting northern Idaho for the first time. She mentioned seeing the Clearwater River and it being on the Lewis and Clark trail. It seems a lot of people are interested in Lewis and Clark as the bicentennial approaches.

UPCOMING IDAHO CHAPTER MEETINGS

Mark your calendars for some exciting upcoming meetings of the Idaho Chapter. On May 30, the chapter will have a joint meeting with the newly organized Washington Chapter in the Lewiston and Clarkston area. The Chapter will also meet during the Foundation's annual meeting in Great Falls the last part of June. On August 1, a chapter event will recognize William Clark's birthday. Mark your calendars for the first weekend in September (Labor Day weekend) as the Chapter will once again host a camp-out along the Lolo Trail. A meeting in the Salmon area is also planned. Details will be forthcoming in fumre editions of the newsletter but mark these dates on your calendar now!

LEWIS AND CLARK 1998 CALENDAR OF EVENTS March 12 & March 15 - OUTDOOR IDAHO, 8PM/7PM April 26-28 - Natl. L & C Bicentennial Council Planning Workshop, Bismarck, ND May 30 - Chapter meeting in Lewiston June 28-July 2 - Annual Foundation Meeting, Great Falls, MT July 4 - Grand opening of Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, Great Falls August 1 - Chapter event, Clark's Birthday September 5-7 - Chapter Camp-out, Lolo Trail TBA - Chapter event in Salmon Gass, as well as pri• skillfully draws upon the other Friday, October 24, 1997 vates Joseph White- five published journals to clarify house and Robert Fra- and supplement Gass' entries. For zier also penned their those who don't want to risk carpal version of the expedi• tunnel syndrome, the journal en• tion. tries themselves will keep your in• For Lewis-Clark details, Sgt. Floyd's journal terest. is rather short as he Gass' version of this grand story died of natural causes of exploration and discovery is the in August 1804, just layman's view without the burden• Gass book can't miss four months into the some logistical and naturalistic in• two and a half year formation that some of the other "The Journals journey. His successor journals provide. ^ to the post of sergeant Stories like an evening spent of Patrick Gass" was Patrick Gass, as flushing prairies dogs out of their edited and elected by the men of Carol Lynn underground tunnels with buckets annotated F\!Rl('kiiASS the expedition (Oddly, MacGregor of water or the excite• by Carol Lynn Gass doesn't even ment of discovering mention this fact in his own jour• that a pelican's mouth MacGregor nal). can hold five gallons Mountain Press The original journals of Lewis, of water are sprinkled Publishing, Clark, Ordway, Whitehouse and^ throughout the daily Missoula, Mont. Floyd all survived and have been' entries. Price: $20 paperback published numerous times. Fra- Equally as fun, for No. pages: 384 zier's journal has never been . j this reader anyway, Reviewed by found and Gass' original manu• was the various ways Mike Venso script has disappeared as well. It used to spell words is believed to have last been in the *• such as "mockersons" hands of David McKeehan who and "musketoes." f you are a serious published Gass' journal in 1807, Lewis and Clark the first report of the expedition. It My favorite part of Ischolar, an armchair has since been republished with the whole book is "Ap- historian or just looking variances in content. x,,^ pendix B" which is a for an adventure story Boise State University adjunct table of hunters and to curl up with this fall, professor and Idaho rancher Carol the game they hunted. the''Journals of Patrick Lynn MacGregor has taken the The editor has painstakingly com• Gass" is well worth its piled a virtual daily list of what the price. Gass journals to a new level with this edition. By reprinting the Corps of Discovery had for dinner It is actually two original 1807 version with McKee- and who shot it. It's quite enter• books. The first half is a han's footnotes, she provides an taining and thought-provoking to reprint of the original accessible version of this fascinat• discover that some days the 33 journals of Patrick ing American story. But the real members of the expedition sur• Gass, a member of the gem in this edition is MacGregor's vived on the daily take of one duck Lewis and Clark Expedition. The Gass, was one of 33 members of hefty collection of superb end or nothing at all. Contrast that second half is the first publication the Lewis and Clark Expedition notes. with the day they feasted on seven of Gass' account book for several that explored the western half of buffalo and one grizzly bear. years of his post-expedition life. Readers will likely find them• If you have never read about the what is now the United States in selves, like I did, with two book• The account book provides 1804-1806. He was also one of sev• Lewis and Clark Expedition, this scholars with some very valuable marks, continuously flipping back may not be the best book for you. en journalists among the Corps of and forth between the journal and information, but casual readers Discovery, as the explorers are However, if you know the story will find a few tidbits worth the end notes. This may sound and are at all remotely interested called. cumbersome, but MacGregor's browsing for as well. The journals of the two captains, in learning more, this book will How many of you knew, for ex• well-researched end notes are satisfy your hunger, capture your Meriwether Lewis and William well worth reading, as Gass' sim• ample, that in 1829, you could get Clark, are the nipst widely recpg- interest and send you to the li• three mackerel for 25 cents or a ple and succinct style at times brary looking for more. 'hized. However, sergeants Charles begs for more information. She gallon of whiskey for cents? Floyd, John Ordway and Patrick For those who want a different Venso is a Tribune photojour- perspective on an often-told tale, nalist. Gass' journals are hard to put down. SIGNS OF THE TIMES _ - -;

The approaching bicentennial of the Lewis University of Portland overlooking the east, which he named—after his president— and Clark Expedition of 1803-1806 has river." Orioff also chairs the National Lewis & Mount Jefferson. inspired the Oregon Historical Society, the Clark Bicentennial Council, which is plan• The first of the six Lewis and Clark Trail signs National Lewis & Clark Bicentennial ning activities across the country to com• is located on Willamette Boulevard in front of Council, the University of Portland, and memorate the two hundredth anniversary of the University of Portland campus, which is neighborhood groups to support the the Corps' opening of the American West. also home to a ten-foot-high bronze placement of special road signs commemo• Leaders from the University Park monument to members of the Expedition. rating the Expedition's journey up the Neighborhood Association (UPNA) secTired a Additional signs are to be found on City of Willamette River. S 1,050 grant from the North Portland Portland and Oregon Department of Crews installed the signs between the St. Enhancement Committee to place the mark• Transportation right of ways on roads John's Bridge and Nonh Ponland's Overiook ers along Willamette and Portland boule• paralleling the Willamette River. One of the neighborhood beginning the first week of vards and Greeley Avenue. "The importance markers will be placed at North Richmond April, in recognition of the 191st anniversary of Captain William Clark's exploration of the and Ivanhoe near the Salazar's Hall building, of Captain William Clark's trip up the lower Willamette River shows how Portland one of the few—and perhaps the only— Willamette from April 2-3, 1806. Clark and had an earlier, Euro-American historical remaining buildings from the 1905 Lewis and Meriwether Lewis led the Corps of Discovery presence than almost any other part of our Clark Exposition. The structure was moved President Jefferson sent west in 1803. The state," UPNA board member Mark from its original northwest Portland site. brown-and-white signs are identical to the Kirchmeier says. Portland city commissioner Jim Francesconi, Lewis and Clark Trail road markers along The Lewis and Clark Expedition left their who oversees the Parks Bureau, asked the Interstate 84 and Highway 30, which show winter camp near Astoria on March 23, Bureau to assist with the placement of a sign how the Expedition paralleled the Columbia 1806, for the return Journey. A few days near Columbia Park on Willamette River that those highways follow. later, Clark learned of the major river Boulevard, saying that "while housing stock, OHS executive direaor Chet Orioff sees the entering the south side of the Columbia, the good schools, and safe streets are indispens• signs as correaing a misconception: "While Multnomah (Willamette). He and approxi• able resources for our city—history is a the public generally associates Lewis and mately seven companions spent April 2 and crucial resource, too, and the Lewis and Clark with the Columbia River, members of 3 exploring up the Willamette. On that trip, Clark Expedition's conneaion to Portland the Expedition also explored the lower Clark became the first Euro-American to deserves to be better known." Willamette River to near the present-day view a snow-capped mountain to the south•

OREGO>: HISTORY MAGAZINE n V.^OM.^ jL>M£-Ju/.r 1997

Page D2 Tuesday. October 21.1997

People Carolus Linnaeus beat

Loose talk Cher for No. 100 spot • Virginia lawyer, architect, farmer Still more than two years to go, but already and statesman Life magazine has picked the 100 most . . ., Thomas Jefferson important people of the millennium. •; (1743-1826), ranked We can imagine the indignation of Seinfeld 10th most important character George Costanza and others of his person of the ilk. ("Howdah those clowns at Life know I millennium by Life won't do something REALLY important magazine, giving before the year 2000?" he'll protest.) .w„i.. Britain ye olde If George does happen to accomplish brushoff: "We hold something even remotely significant — say, these truths to be discovering the cure for compulsive lying — self-evident, that all Thomas we're confident Life can knock out another men are created Edison special issue. Until then, these official results equal...." will stand: Thomas Edison (1847-1931) takes top honors, according to Life. "Because of him, the millennium will end in a wash of bright light rather than in torchlit darkness as it began." I DA l-to ^TPcTl^^l/^ Idaho's historian emeritus can only say thank you i he joke at last week's dedication of enough definitive books almost chummy. He discuss• obsolete, in the same way the auto• of Idaho's new archives building and articles to fill an eight- es historical figures as if he mobile revolutionized transportation Twas that Dr. Merle Wells' memo• page bibliography. knew them. But you have to a century ago. ry would be downloaded if the state The $3 million Merle W. wonder, when listening to Boise vwll remain the capital and ever got enough computer space. Wells building is being built his tales of long ago, largest city, "assuming we presei^ve In naming the building for Wells, near the Old State Peniten• whether all that knowledge the state. People could decide they the state was making history of sorts. tiary. In June, it will become could be turned in a differ• don't need states anymore." State buildings tend to be named the repository of Idaho's offi• ent direction. Idaho is likely to remain Republican, after elected officials or administra- cial documents. Can the man who knows "but who knows? Maybe in 10 years, , tors. Wells is a historian. His knowl• Sounds dull? It isn't. more than anyone about we won't even have poUtical parties." edge of Idaho and Western history "It's wonderful stuff," Idaho's past illuminate its But we will have an archives build• surpasses that of some libraries. En• Austin said. "The manu• future? ing. At its dedication. Wells surprised cyclopedias call him when they need scripts can be anything from "What we learn in history everyone by saying the best speech he information. company records to Oregon is it reflects the knowledge could make was just to say thank you. "He knows the broad sweep of histo• Trail diaries.... The archives are and attitudes of the time," he said. "Everybody knew how much it ry, and he knows the minute brush records of government, from city files "These things are always changing, so meant when he didn't have anything strokes," said Judy Austin, publica• to letters to the governor during the we can't foresee." to say," Historical Society Director tions coordinator for the state Histori• Depression. We have some council That said, he agreed to make some Steve Guerber said. "Usually admin• cal Society. "No one will ever know as minutes with a big comer eaten away educated guesses. To wit: istrators get these honors. It's nice to much about our history as he does." The meeting was on ways to control Historically, Idaho's remoteness see one go to a worker bee." He is nationally renowned, but rats in City Hall." and lack of coal or oil for heavy indus• At 78, Wells works every day. When doesn't act like it. Few would guess The building's name originated try limited its growth. High-tech his building opens for business, the that the unassuming man pedaling a v^^th Gov. Phil Batt, who praised products will allow the state to nar• last vehicle to leave will be a pink bi• pink bicycle with a basket through Wells for "devoting his life to the row the population gap with Oregon cycle. Connector traffic is Idaho's historian preservation and illumination of our and Washington. More ethnic diversi• Tim Woodward's column appears emeritus, a professor with credentials state's past." ty is likely. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. in six college departments and author Wells' relationship with the past is New technologies could make cars Comments, suggestions: 377-6409.

Lewiston Morning Tribune> The Pierce outfitters have crew and others who helped • Scenic route renamed in honor guide the film project for the 00 been invited to the White of Lewis and Clark Bicentennial House to meet President: Clin• White House screening and re• ton Monday as part of a special ception. Travelers will now have the chance to screening of the PBS program, When Barb inquired about retrace the steps of the Lewis and Clark "Lewis & Clark, The Journey of the proper dress for such an expedition on the newly designated Idaho the Corps of Discovery." occasion, a White House aide Northwest Passage Scenic Byways, for• The Opdahls have offered suggested "regular business merly known as Clearwater Canyons. horseback trips along the attire." Idaho Transportation Department Lewis & Clark Trail in the Apparently the aide didn't crews will erect the new signs starting Clearwater National Forest for know their business is on Monday along the 90-mile route, which 12 years. horseback in the mountains. passes through the winding Clearwater Filmmakers Ken Burns and Harlan is going to wear his River Valley from the junction of U.'S. 95 and U.S. 12 near Spalding. • Pierce couple head Dayton Duncan traveled with usual Levis and a sports jacket. the Opdahls prior to and dur• "I'll probably wear a skirt The scenic byway continues south on to the White House ing the filming of their docu• and a Western blouse," said Idaho 13 at Kooskia, following the South PIERCE — Barb and Harlan mentary, which aired Tuesday Barb. Fork of the Clearwater River west to the Opdahl of Pierce will be shak• and Wednesday night on PBS. "It's something I guess I'll Camas Prairie near Grangeville. ing hands with President Bill Duncan called and invited remember for a long time," she The route was renamed in honor of the Clinton in a couple of days. the Opdahls to join the film added. Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. policies of his predecessors and successors. Join us or get out of the way, the Americans said to the Indians, but in fact the Indians could do Ifs unfair to measure histcnical neither. By pushing them ever west, the events by today's standa?-ds, Americans made it impossible for the Indians to bpcome ci\-ilized as they meant the term, and it Stephen S. Rosenfeld u-iites. turned out there was almost no place where the Indians would be out of the way of the onrushing pioneers." How could "'the greatest champion of human Jeflferson had rights in American history" steal land from Indians? Ambrose asks. Jefferson and his contemporaries "would not have regarded the question as valid. In their view, Indian ideas flaws, but also about land ownership were a lot of foolishness. A band of Sauks rode twice a year through a territory as big as an eastern state and claimed it as their own. That land could support thousands had a vision of farms, tens of thousands of settlers. "Anyway, no matter how much compassion Jefferson felt toward the Indians, however badly - . By Stephen S. Rosenfeld he wanted law and order and bureaucratic ,* Washington Post regularity on the frontier, on (the land) question the people, not the government, ruled. ASHINGTON - In his wonderful Americans had but one Indian policy - get out of book on the Lewis and Clark the way or get killed - and it was non-negotiable. expedition, "Undaunted Courage," The only thing that separated Jefferson from the Stephen Ambrose finds an instructive ' settlers was that he wanted to buy the Indians out place for the Indians for whom the achievement rather than drive them out. But that too was Wof Thomas Jefferson's nation-building dream was more rhetoric than reality." a catastrophe. Some may wonder if Ambrose is not dodging No revisionist, Ambrose unapologetically the issue of Jefferson's responsibility by positing a embraces the mission's drama and glory. Not for popular force so strong that it swept the will of a him to convert a historical expedition into a scrupled government aside. I am not up to a contemporary American guiit trip. No judgment on the historical merits. But it does not sentimentalist, he understands that nations are take more than a glance around our made by the force of arms, men and ideas, that contemporary world to see that when the central there are winners and losers. But he is not so authority is not only weak but equivocal and the chauvinistic as to ignore the impact of the white people are determined and able, the latter take men's deeds on a hopelessly overmatched and decisions on their own and force governments to outgunned Indian presence. i come along. I single out the matter not only because ( Jefferson's triggering of the American "mad rush The "'cynical" (.Ajnbrose's word) Indian policy west." as Ambrose calls it, is a fascinating case that Jefferson introduced without serious non- study in the possibilities and perils of historical Indian resistance could not be imagined in our judgment. Works of popular culture always are own time. being measured against the ostensibly higher But it is glib to apply retrospectively the standards of ""history." and Ambrose's book is standards of a modern day with a higher claim to exactly the sort of history against which the public virtue. popular culture needs to be held. Even in retrospect, moreover, those who would fault the Jefferson policy come under a symbolic Lewis and Clark in their voyage of 1804-06 i burden not to avail themselves of the fruits of the depended on Indian good will and generally policy they deplore. This is absurd. It is not treated Indians accordingly. But this did not keep possible to live in America without enjoying the the party from stealing a canoe from a group that immense benefits that Jefferson brought by had aided them, a parficular betrayal that leads reaching out to make the United States a Ambrose to second a colleague's judgment that confinental country. "(t)he essential honesty that distinguished Lewis His vision is the worthier of respect for being and Clark from explorers like 1 Icrnando DeSoto the product not of a cardboard saint but of a and Francisco Pizarro had been tarnished." principled but flawed politician navigating his way In fact, the expedition's true impact went far through the rapids of American politics. beyond theft of a canoe. Accept President What is left is a requirement of regard and Jefferson as the •"Great Chief," Capt. Meriwether solicitude for the Indians' losses, not just in the Lewis, his chosen man. told the Indians he honest writing of history but in the fair treatment encountered, "lest by one false step you should of their descendants - the latter a task that bring upon your nation the displeasure of your remains to be completed. < great father, who could consume you as the fire consumes the grass of the plains." This was the word. Everything else followed. • Stephen S. Rosenfeld writes for the Ambrose writes: "Hypocrisy ran through Washington Post. (Jefferson's) Indian policy, as it did through the