Saint Louis➤
Gateway Arch National Park commemorates Saint Louis’s role in the westward expansion of the United States. The Lewis & Clark Expedition departed from St. Louis. Situ
In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson signed the Louisiana purchase. The new territory doubled the size of the United States. Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on a mission to explore the new lands. Lewis and Clark set out from Camp Dubois in May of 1804 to establish a route up the Missouri River to the Pacific. They returned to St. Louis in 1806.
Lewis & Clark State Historic Site➤
Lewis & Clark State Historic Site celebrates the famous expedition. The park sits across the river from Saint Louis in Illinois at the approximate site of Camp River Dubois. The Expedition camped and trained there the winter before their departure in May of 1804. Staying east of the Mississippi kept them in US territory until the Louisiana Purchase was finalized in March of 1804
The site’s large Interpretive Center features a 15-minute film, a reconstructed cabin and life-size keelboat. The numerous hands-on exhibits and displays tell the story of how Lewis and Clark sailed up the Missouri River on May 14, 1804. For nearly two and a half years, they navigated the river, explored the new territory and established outposts. They returned to Camp River Dubois on September 23, 1806
The Lewis and Clark State Historic Site opened in 2002. As the Point of Departure, it is the first site on the Lewis and Clark National Trail. Because the rivers have altered course over the past two centuries, the park is actually south of the original camp. That site is now inaccessible.
St. Louis Posts➤
- Gateway Arch
- Gateway Arch Museum
- Peace Medals
- The Old Courthouse
- Mississippi River
- Lewis and Clark Camp River Dubois
- Confluence Tower
- Chahokia Mounds
Location: 1 Lewis and Clark Trail, Hartford, IL
Designation: State Historic Site
Date designated/established: February 22, 2018
Date of my visit: July 14, 2022
I can see how the Louis and Clark expedition created the inspiration and had laid the groundwork for our current day quest of “what’s over the next hill” overland trekking.
We’ve visited Lewis and Clark sites from Virginia to Montana to Oregon but not this one. We’ll definitely visit next time we’re in the area. Interesting post. Thanks.
It’s very nicely put together ❤️
Informative post, T. We will need to go back to St. Louis and check it out!
Thanks! Happy holidays!
Such a great place to visit!
It was! Thanks for reading and commenting 😃
Not having been there, I wonder if the exhibits portray that the expedition would have failed had it not been for the repeated and varied assistance by a number of Indigenous tribes along the way.
There was a fairly large section devoted to that as I recall. The museum at the Arch also devotes a good portion to the contributions of and impact upon indigenous peoples
That’s good to know, thank you for the feedback.
It looks like they did a great job with the exhibits! Thanks for sharing them! Nice shots!
They did! Looks like a good place for grade school field trips
This is a site I would like to see.
It’s well done.😊