Landmark "Montbrun Tavern"near Portland Missouri
N 38° 42.603 W 091° 40.516
15S E 615179 N 4285434
The bluffs along the Missouri near Little Tavern Creek are one of the important L&C landmarks along the Missouri River. John Evans and James Mackay presented William Clark a map of their journey that included
this sheltering rock formation "tavern".
Waymark Code: WM9RFH
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 09/24/2010
Views: 19
The Katy Trail State Park parallels the Missouri River journey of the Lewis & Clark Expedition from St Charles,Missouri to Boonville, Missouri. Traveling along it is an excellent way to experience the adventure of the Corps of Discovery.
During the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial a series of 90 signs were placed in publicly accessible sites to tell the story of Lewis & Clark across Missouri.
This sign # 23 at Little Tavern Creek on the north bank of the Missouri River can only be reached by hiking or cycling on the Katy Trail.
I parked my car at the Portland, Missouri KATY Trailhead and Conservation boat access, and then walked east a little over 2 miles to the Little Tavern Creek Bridge. On the way the Missouri River was very near with good vistas of the rushing water, far off hills and the south bank.
Even though it was a hot day, the canopy of trees and vegetation over and around the trail was quite nice as the sun was setting on my journey.
Montbrun Tavern was a well known landmark to Missouri River travelers before and after the Lewis & Clark Expedition headed up the Missouri River in May 1804. The "tavern" or sheltered rock formation was on the map of the Missouri River given Lewis & Clark by explorers James Mackay and John Evans in St. Charles before the Corps of Discovery started up the river. Mackay mapped the Missouri in 1797 after he and Evans had traveled far up the Missouri River for furs and trade with the Indians. The best description of it was provided by Duke Paul in 1832 as is noted on the sign. (See photo gallery closeup)
So, while we know the bluffs along the KATY Trail were the location of this important shelter, we cannot see the 30 feet of protective overhang today or the Indian paintings. They were probably destroyed by blasting to make way for the tracks that were laid for the Missouri-Kansas-Railroad in the 1890s, or when the Corps of Engineers needed rock for levee construction a little latter. It still is an important site to see for the modern explorer interested in the journey of Lewis & Clark.
Despite all that--the bluffs here at Little Tavern Creek are still impressive and so too is the lush growth of vegetation and the canopy of trees that have grown over the trail since the former rail roadbed was made into the KATY Trail State Park.
A good reference for a visit to this portion of the KATY Trail is a pamphlet entitled "Lewis & Clark in Missouri" by the Missouri Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Commission. Another excellent reference is the "Atlas of Lewis & Clark in Missouri by James D Harlan and James M. Denny. Denny was the historian responsible for the bicentennial signage across Missouri.
"Must Sees"at this location":
Look up through all the vines, limbs and vegetation to the limestone bluffs adjacent to the trail proceeding east bound after you cross the Little Tavern Creek, and imagine a 30 ft overhang that existed up until the RR blasted them away in the late 1890s.
Date Waymark Created: 05/29/2004
Do they allow dogs at this location?: Yes, but must be on a leash.
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Visit Instructions:
Visits only will be logged if there is a picture of the individual at the location, with their GPS in hand submitted as proof of the visit or not having a camera, the person making the find must submit a reasonable "proof" of having visited the site. Examples include: Two or three sentence quote from historical/interpretive signage at the location; adequate descriptive language about the location that provides evidence of a visit; verification by another party present at the find; e-mail sent from the location of the waymark.