History has well documented the Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery departing from Camp River Dubois on May 14, 1804. This marked the Corps’ westward journey toward the Pacific Ocean. However, the beginnings of the Lewis & Clark expedition occurred seven months earlier, on October 14, 1803, in tiny Clarksville, Indiana, at the Falls of the Ohio. It was here that Meriwether Lewis arrived from Washington, D.C., and met with William Clark. This site along the Ohio River commemorates that meeting with statues of the two leaders.
After the Louisiana Purchase, the Corps of Discovery was formed by President Thomas Jefferson and tasked with exploring trade routes along the Missouri River to the Pacific Northwest and the Pacific Ocean. Jefferson was eager to have the region mapped, establish contact with Native peoples for trade and peaceful relations, gather scientific data on the area’s flora, fauna, and geological features, and secure the territory for the United States before European powers could claim it.
Jefferson named his personal secretary, U.S. Army Captain Meriwether Lewis, as expedition leader. Lewis then chose his friend William Clark as co-leader, despite Clark holding the Army rank of second lieutenant. Clark was referred to as “Captain” and treated as an equal commander throughout the expedition.
The Corps of Discovery’s initial recruits were selected by Clark and consisted of men from the Louisville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Indiana, areas. These men formed the core of the Corps and made up about one-third of the expedition. While Clark was selecting men for the arduous journey, Lewis was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, overseeing the construction of a keelboat during the summer of 1803. Lewis and his crew sailed the boat down the Ohio River, arriving in Clarksville on October 14, 1803. One unusual member of Lewis’s crew was Seaman, a Newfoundland dog purchased by Lewis.
On October 26, 1803, the Corps sailed down the Ohio River toward St. Louis, Missouri, where Clark established Camp River Dubois at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. The Corp wintered there before finally departing westward on the Missouri River on May 14, 1804. The expedition numbered more than 45 men, along with Seaman. Lewis joined the group in nearby St. Charles, Missouri.
The expedition reached the Pacific Ocean in November 1805. On March 23, 1806, the Corps began its journey east, returning to St. Louis on September 23, 1806. Finally, on November 5, 1806, the expedition returned to its starting point at the Falls of the Ohio.
Despite terrible hardships, near starvation, and the loss of only one man, the expedition was considered a major success. The United States strengthened its claims to the Pacific Northwest, detailed geographic information and maps were produced, and biological data on more than 200 plant species and 120 animal species were recorded. While peaceful contact was made with many Native American tribes, the expedition also paved the way for westward expansion and the forced relocation of many Native peoples.
Visiting this site also allows visitors to explore the Falls of Ohio State Park interpretive center and the nearby Rosie the Riveter statue, both of which are featured on Atlas Obscura.