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Among Friends Extras Fall 2008
Second Grade Teacher Marge Dawson fulfilled her dream of crossing the United States on the Lewis & Clark Trail. “Oh, the joy!” stated William Clark when he finally saw the Pacific Ocean. I can say that too, after using the Zekavat Grant to follow my dream of crossing the United States on the Lewis and Clark Trail. President Thomas Jefferson asked Meriwether Lewis to lead an expedition west to find a water route to the Pacific, to befriend and trade with the Indians, and to learn about plants and animals in the west. Lewis then asked William Clark to help lead the expedition. This partnership led thirty five men, along with Touissant Charbonneau, a French fur trader, his Indian wife, Sacagawea, and their infant son, Jean Baptiste, and Seaman, Lewis’s Newfoundland dog. John, my husband and fabulous navigator, along with our GPS traveled the route in three weeks to Fort Clatsop on the Pacific Coast where the Corps of Discovery spent the winter of 1805-06. Highlights for me were visiting Camp DuBois in Illinois where the Corps wintered in 1803-04, and made ready for crossing the Mississippi and heading up the Missouri. The excellent interpretive center confirmed the information I had gathered, and walking through the restored fort set the stage for our trip. I picked up my trail passport, which highlighted the trip and would receive stamps as I visited the various places along the route, which is marked by Lewis & Clark symbols. Seeing the Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin Rivers come together in Montana to form the mighty Missouri was special. Going over Lemhi Pass, now a gravel road, and knowing how hard this was for the Corps, as well as how hungry and cold they were, amazed me. Seeing the fast moving Snake and Columbia Rivers was invigorating and made me feel that we were going to get to the west coast. Cape Disappointment at the mouth of the Columbia River was named by the Corps appropriately for its foggy, damp, cold, and rainy weather.. The Corps moved to the south side of the river to build Fort Clatsop and wintered there before returning the following year to St. Louis. It was a wonderful trip. From Lewis and Clark’s perspective their trip has been compared as equivalent to going to the moon. The Corps was an excellent example of men working together to reach a goal. My admiration for the group continues to soar and has wetted my interest in learning more about Indians, slavery, geology, and the environment. If you would like to read more about the Corps of Discovery, the MFS library has a great collection of books for all ages.
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110 E. Main Street Moorestown, NJ 08057-2949 Phone: (856) 235-2900 |
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