Lewis & Clark on the Great Plains Timeline
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Page 8 • 2004 Lewis and Clark on the Great Plains 2004 • Page 9 LLeewwiiss aanndd CCllaarrkk oonn tthhee GGrreeaatt PPllaaiinnss TTiimmeelliinnee FFrroomm NNeebbrraasskkaa CCiittyy,, NNeebbrraasskkaa ttoo PPiieerrrree,, SSoouutthh DDaakkoottaa ARIKARA July 19, 1804 – In the vicinity of Nebraska City, Nebraska. Clark, in for the boy grew up to be the famous “Struck By The Ree”, Chief of the pursuit of an elk, ascends a hill and discovers the “bound less Prairie”. SOUTH Yankton Tribe. “Struck By The Ree’s” monument is located in Greenwood, South Dakota. Lake Oahe DAKOTA July 20, 1804 – Near Nebraska City, Nebraska. Clark’s observation of TETON SIOUX the “parched prairies” was noted. As the Corps traveled through the Great September 7, 1804 – Corps camp was at “the Tower,” four miles Plains it was understood that fires were ecologically important wherever Oahe Visitor Center SANTEE SIOUX southeast of the Nebraska/South Dakota border on the Nebraska side, grass growth was abundant to prevent secondary growth. They were set near Lynch, Nebraska. The men investigated a prairie dog town, PIERRE by lightning or accidentally by humans, or often Indians set fires SANTEE SIOUX 29 described it for science and captured a prairie dog. This captured prairie BIG BEND purposely for signaling or for improving grazing. Lily Park dog survived the trip in the keelboat to Fort Mandan, wintered over and Bad River Confluence/Teton Council site Akta Lakota Museum Lower Brule YANKTON SIOUX returned back down river to Washington DC for President Jefferson. TETON SIOUX TETON CHAMBERLAIN SIOUX• July 24, 1804 – For several days the Corps stayed at a site they called 90 Lewis and Clark Information Center “Camp White Catfish”, near modern day Bellevue, Nebraska. Clark September 10, 1804 – The camp was on Pocahontas, or Towhead Island, Lower Brule, SD – Lewis and Clark copied a map, while Lewis readied letters for President Jefferson; Visitor Center Spirit Mound State Park now inundated by Lake Francis Case. On Cedar Island Clark found the potentially they wanted to send this material back eastward with a few of Lower Brule Buffalo Lewis and Clark Lake Missouri National IOWA fossil remains of the backbone, teeth and ribs of an ancient sea-dwelling the men, but decided against it. Many of the men were hunting, although Interpretive Center Lake Francis Case YANKTON Recreational River Sioux City, IA – Lewis and Clark – creature called a plesiosaur, 45 feet long. Some of the vertebra apparently SIOUX SIOUX CITYAll American Adventure Murals game was scarce. Those who fished were more successful and caught PONCA are now in the Smithsonian Institute. catfish, from which the name of the camp was derived. Sergeant Floyd Monument/Interpretive Center Niobrara State Park SANTEE • SIOUX Y ANKTON Ponca September 11, 1804 – Near Platte, South Dakota. After being separated State Park Blackbird Lewis and Clark State Park July 30, 1804 – Present SIOUX Visitor Center Hill from the party for more than two weeks, Private George Shannon re-joins day Fort Calhoun, WINNEBAGO IOWA the keelboat. Shannon, the youngest member of the party at age 19, had MILEAGE CHART PONCA OMAHA Nebraska, Fort Atkinson OMAHA 80 gotten lost on the prairie and run out of bullets. He had gone 12 days State Historical Park. PAWNEE without eating, except for some wild grapes and a rabbit, which he shot FROM TO APPROX. NEBRASKA DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge Joseph Fields shoots a MILEAGE Fort Atkinson State Historical Park OTOE-MISSOURIA using a piece of stick in place of a bullet. badger. This is the first Nebraska City, NE Bellevue, NE 40 miles OMAHA COUNCIL BLUFFS zoological specimen Bellevue, NE Omaha, NE 11 miles Bellevue, NE – National Omaha Riverfront Trail Western Historic Trails Center September 12, 1804 – In the vicinity of Platte, South Dakota. A Lewis preserved by Lewis on Omaha, NE Council Bluffs, IA 4 miles Children’s Art Wall Lewis and Clark Monument and Clark discovery – the sharp-tailed grouse. Although they never gave a the expedition. Lewis Council Bluffs, IA Fort Calhoun, NE 25 miles • full description of the grouse, they sent a live specimen to Jefferson from skinned and stuffed the Fort Calhoun, NE Missouri Valley, IA 20 miles Nebraska City, NE – Lewis Fort Mandan in April 1805. The Grouse did not survive the trip. badger and sent it back and Clark Interpretive Center Missouri Valley, IA Onawa, IA 38 miles Steamboat Trace Trail to Jefferson. Lewis Onawa, IA Sioux City, IA 38 miles • September 14, 1804 – In the vicinity of Chamberlain, South Dakota. describes this specimen Indian Cave State Park 29 First scientific description of the pronghorn, called by Lewis and Clark as Sioux City, IA Elk Point, SD 21 miles IOWA OTOE-MISSOURIA as a “carniverous Elk Point, SD Vermillion, SD 16 miles SAC and FOX a “goat”. anamal, it’s eye are Vermillion, SD Yankton, SD 26 miles small black and Yankton, SD Wagner, SD 67 miles August 15, 1804 – Near Macy, Nebraska, of Sergeant Floyd. Three Privates were in contention for Sergeant status, September 16, 1804 – Near present day Chamberlain, South Dakota. The piercing.” Wagner, SD Mitchell, SD 64 miles AKA Fish Camp. Clark and Company Patrick Gass, William Bratton, and George Gibson. Gass received the Corps encamp to dry their provisions after 3 days of rain. Lewis Mitchell, SD Chamberlain, SD 70 miles caught “318 fish of different kind.” highest number of votes and was installed as Sergeant of the 2nd Squad. documents: “Vast herds of buffaloe deer, Elk, and Antilopes were seen August 1, 1804 – Chamberlain, SD Fort Thompson, SD 19 miles feeding in every direction as far as the eye of the observer could reach.” Present day Fort Fort Thompson, SD Pierre, SD 66 miles August 18, 1804 – Near Homer, Nebraska. August 23, 1804 – One mile southeast of Vermillion, South Dakota. A The jackrabbit, antelope, mule deer, black-billed magpie and coyote were Calhoun, Nebraska, Fort This was Capt. Lewis’ 30th birthday. A wide variety of wildlife was sighted on this day; Joseph Field killed the the first detailed descriptions recorded for science by Lewis and Clark. Atkinson State court martial was held for Pvt. Moses B. expedition’s first buffalo. Four living magpies were sent to Jefferson in April 1805, only one of Historical Park, they waited for Indian chiefs to arrive for a council. This Reed, who had deserted and was tracked which arrived alive. was William Clark’s 34th birthday, and he recorded “This being my birth down, captured and returned to camp. He was expelled from the August 24, 1804 – Newcastle, Nebraska – Ionia Volcano. Clark recorded: day I order’d a Saddle of fat vennison, an Elk fleece and a bevartail to be permanent party and ordered to return to St. Louis from the Mandan “Those bluffs appear to have been lately on fire”. As late as 1877, scientists September 20, 1804 – The Corps was in Hughes County, South Dakota, cooked and a Desert of Cheries, Plumbs, Raspberries currents and grapes villages in the spring – in addition, he had to run the gauntlet four times believed that the bluff was a true volcano caused to erupt when the flooding in the Grand Detour or Big Bend of the Missouri area. The men could of a Supr quality. 3 Deer and an Elk killed to day The Indians not yet through. The Otoe chiefs thought this punishment harsh until Reed’s Missouri River poured water onto molten rock in subterranean caverns. By walk easily across the narrow land areas between the bends in the river. arrived. a Cool fine eveninge Musquetors verry troublsom, the Praries great offense was explained to them. An evening meeting was held with 1900, investigations proved that the eruptions were due to the hear of Clark noted: “I walked on Shore . Saw numbers of Buffalow and Contain Cheres, Apple, Grapes, Currents, Raspberry, Gooseberry the Otoe chiefs, followed by a dance which lasted until 11 p.m. An extra oxidation of damp pyritiferous and carbonaceous Carlile shale on fresh Goats, I saw a Hare and believe he run into a hole in the Side of a hill . Hastlenuts and a great vairety of Plants and flours not common to the U S gill, a 1/4 of a pint, of whiskey was issued to each man. exposures provided by the rapid erosion of the river bluffs. None of those Goats has any Beard, they are all Keenly made and is What a field for a Botents [botanist] and a natriless [naturalist]”. butifull.” August 20, 1804 – Near Sioux City, Iowa. The only member of the August 25, 1804 – Lewis & Clark, along with a small group walked to August 3, 1804 – Present day Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, Fort Atkinson Corps of Discovery to die on the expedition, Sgt. Charles Floyd Spirit Mound, seven miles north of Vermillion, South Dakota, said by September 23, 1804 – Encamped near “Ruebens Creek” present State Historical Park ( Council Bluff site). After breakfast, Lewis and succumbed to what is now believed to have been appendicitis. Even if the Indians to be a place of evil or mischievous spirits. “. in an emence Medicine Creek, South Dakota. Lewis & Clark are informed by three Clark gave out peace medals to the Otoe and Missouri chiefs. members of the expedition had known what his malady was, there was Plain a high Hill is situated, and appears of a Conic form, and by the young native boys, that a band of “Tetons” are camped at the next creek. nothing they could have done for him. Sgt. Floyd died on either the different nations of Indians in this quarter is Suppose to be the residence They present the boys with a twist of tobacco with directions to their August 8, 1804 – In the vicinity of Little Sioux, Iowa (above the mouth Nebraska or the Iowa side of the river; his body was then taken upriver to of Deavils.