Old Toby Monument - Lewis and Clark Trail on Waymarking.com

Old Toby Monument and nearby history signs and about 20 miles north of Salmon, Idaho along U.S. Hwy. 93 at North Fork.
Text of Monument: In commemoration of Old Toby the Shoshone Indian who guided the Lewis & Clark Expedition from the Salmon to the Bitterroot Valley after he had shown Captain Clark that the Salmon River Canyon was impassable. Old Toby served this famous expedition without fee, fame or reward.
A second plaque lists the members of the Lewis & Clark Expedition:
Members of the Lewis & Clark Expedition - August & September 1805
Two Leaders were provided in case of accident to one.
Captain Meriwether Lewis, First Infantry, U.S.A. (private secretary of President Thomas Jefferson)
William Clark, 2nd Lieutenant of Artillery, U.S.A.
Soldiers
Sergeant Patrick Gass, Sergeant John Ordway, Sergeant Nathaniel Pryor, William Bratton, John Collins, John Colter, Reuben Fields, Joseph Fields, George Gibson, Silas Goodrich, Hugh Hall, Thomas B. Howard, Baptiste Lepage, Hugh McNeal, John Potts, George Shannon, John Shields, John B. Thompson, William Werner, Joseph Whitehouse, Alexander H. Williard, Richard Windsor, Peter Wiser
Civilians
George Drouillard (called ‘Drewyer’)-chief hunter, Pierre Cruzatte-head boatman, Francois Labiche-boatman, Toussaint Chaboneau-interpreter, Sacajewea-his Shoshone Indian wife, Little Toussaint Chabonneau-their baby, Old Toby-the Shoshone Indian guide, York-Captain Clark’s servant
Text of Sign #1: “. . . a Small river at the mouth of Which Several families of Indians were encamped and had Several Scaffolds of fish & buries drying we allarmed them verry much as they knew nothing of a white man being in their Countrey, and at the time we approached their Lodges which was in a thick place of bushes -- my guides were behind. - They offered every thing they possessed (which was verry Littl) to us, Some run off and hid in the bushes. The first offer of theirs were Elks tuskes from around their Childrens necks, Sammon, & c. My guide {soon} attempted passifyed those people and they Set before me berres, & fish to eate, I gave a few Small articles to those fritened people which added verry much to their pasification but not entirely as Some of the women & Childn Cried during my Stay of an hour at this place . . .” -- Clark; August 22, 1805
The Main Stem Salmon River and the North Fork met in a series of rapids where salmon entered the smaller tributary to spawn. This was the perfect place to catch them as they attempted to swim up the shallow, narrow creek. Drying racks made of willow were placed on the low banks or on the dry portion of the river bars. Conical brush huts providing shelter for the Indians were placed on the higher river bars in a dense concentration of willow, rose, choke cherry, service berries, Columbia hawthorn and an occasional pine tree. There was very little game i the area, just an occasional elk, deer, bighorn sheep, bird or small mammal to eat when the salmon weren’t running.
Text of Sign #2: “The water is so rapid and the bed of the river so rocky, that goinng by water appeared impracticable; and the mountains so amazingly high, steep and rocky, that it seemed impossible to go along the river by land. . . . we all turned back up the river again, poor and uncomfortable eough, as we had nothing to eat, and there is no game. We proceeded up about 3 miles, and supperless went to rest for the night” - August 24, 1805
Although the Indians he talked with advised against it, Clark decided to determine for himself whether or not it would be feasible to float down the Salmon - or Lewis River as he called it. Clark explored nearly 40 miles of the river before sheer, high cliffs of solid rock and almost continual rapids convinced him the Indians were right. There was no other way west, they would have to go over the mountains.

"Must Sees"at this location": Interpretive signs and monument Date Waymark Created: 10/11/2012 Do they allow dogs at this location?: Don't Know Rate this waymark as to importance:

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Date Logged Log User Rating   10/08/2010 Volcanoguy visited it