A Shortcut
On the morning of July 3, 1806, Lewis and Clark set into motion a dangerous plan to separate, and explore different routes on their return tourney to the Missouri River. As he was both excited and anxious to pursue a rumored shortcut, Lewis wrote:
"I could not avoid feeling much concern on this occasion although I hoped this separation was only momentary."
Lewis arrived in the Missoula Valley with nine men, seventeen horses, five Nez Perce Indian guides and his Newfoundland dog-Seaman. After a near disastrous river crossing, the group spent the night just west of here along Grant Creek. On the 4th of July, Lewis and his men said farewell to their guides and proceeded east along a "well beaten" Indian road. They reached the great falls in only 9 days - a far cry from the 57 days it had taken on their westbound journey the previous year.
After Lewis & Clark
Since ancient times the Salish Indians have called themselves "The People". They routinely visited the Missoula Valley to dig up bitterroots and to fish for trout. Their name for the area translates as "Place of the Small Bull Trout".
In 1805 the Bitterroot Salish offered their friendship, food and horses to the 33 members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Ironically, after the 1855 Hell Gate Council, the tribe was forced to move to the Flathead Indian Reservation (10 miles north of Missoula) by a treaty they did not sign. Over 60 other northwest tribes were sent to reservations that same year.
From the Plaque