Meriwether Lewis - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

Meriwether Lewis was born in Albemarle County Virginia on August 18, 1774. He was the second of three children of Lucy and John Lewis. Captain Lewis became private secretary to US President Thomas Jefferson. Under Jefferson's direction, Lewis planned an exploration of a route west to the Pacific coast of North America. Lewis invited William Clark to join the expedition, and the two men privately agreed to lead it jointly. In May of 1804 the expedition sponsored by the US Government, and lead by Lewis and Clark started up the Missouri River from a camp near St. Louis. By late fall, the explorers reached what is now North Dakota and spent the winter there. The following spring they continued along the Missouri and in late summer crossed the Rocky Mountains. They obtained horses, supplies, and valuable information from the Indians they met on their journey. Following the Clearwater, Snake, and Columbia Rivers they made their way to the Pacific coast, which they reached in November of 1805. The party spent the winter on the coast of what is now Oregon and began the trip home in March of 1806. The explorers returned along nearly the same route by which they had come, reaching St. Louis in September of 1806 after traveling a total of 8,000 miles. When they returned Jefferson appointed Lewis governor of the Louisiana Territory. On October 11, 1809, while on his way from his St. Louis headquarters to Washington, D.C., Lewis met an untimely and mysterious death at the Grinder House Inn on the Natchez Trace. Most historians believe that Lewis committed suicide. He is buried near the reconstructed Grinder House on the Natchez Trace Parkway, southwest of Columbia, Tennessee.
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Description: Lewis was born in Albemarle County, Virginia (near Charlottesville) to William and Lucy (Meriwether) Lewis. He moved with his family to Georgia when he was ten. At thirteen he was sent back to Virginia for education by private tutors. He had also joined the Virginia militia, and in 1794 was sent as part of a detachment involved in putting down the Whiskey Rebellion. The next year he joined the regular army and served to 1801, at one point as a member of his future associate William Clark's detachment. He achieved the rank of captain before leaving the army. He was appointed as private secretary to President Thomas Jefferson in 1801 and was intimately involved in the planning of the expedition, being sent by Jefferson to Philadelphia to be schooled in map making and other necessary skills. After returning from the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Lewis received a reward of 1500 acres (6 km²) of land and was appointed governor of Missouri; he settled in St. Louis, Missouri. He died of a gunshot wound at a tavern called Grinder's Inn about 70 miles from Nashville, Tennessee, on the Natchez Trace, while enroute to Washington; his wrists had been cut, and he had been shot in the head and chest. Whether his death was from suicide (as is widely believed) or murder (as contended by his family) has never been conclusively determined; however, it was reported that he was extremely depressed and had attempted to jump into the Mississippi River and drown shortly before his death. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meriwether_Lewis Date of birth: 08/18/1774 Date of death: 10/11/1809 Area of notoriety: Historical Figure Marker Type: Monument Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: dawn to dusk Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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