FIRST - Of the Mountain men - Boeuf Creek, MO
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 38° 35.358 W 091° 09.776
15S E 659996 N 4272802
He left Lewis & Clark and fur trapped the mountains...founded "Colter's Hell" - today's Yellowstone Park
Waymark Code: WM12THQ
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 07/13/2020
Views: 0
County of Marker: Franklin County.
Location of Marker: MO hwy 100, Big Boeuf Creek river access, 2½ miles E. of New Haven
Marker Erected by: Missouri Department of Conservation.
Marker Text:
The Journey of Lewis and Clark
Colter's Landing Access
SCOUTING AND HUNTING ON SHORE
"May the 26th Sattarday 1804. Set out at 7 oClock after a heavy shour of rain. (George Drewyer & John Shields, Sent by Land with the two horses with directions to proceed on one day & hunt the next)...great Deal of Deer Sign on the Bank, one man out hunting".....William Clark
His (John Colter's) veracity was never questioned among us and his character was that of a true American backwoodsman. He was about thirty-five years of age, five feet ten inches in height and wore an open, ingenious, and pleasing countenance of the Daniel Boone stamp. Nature had formed him, like Boone, for hardy endurance of fatigue, privations and perils.
Thomas James, "Three Years Among the Indians and Mexicans", 1846.
Lewis and Clark's adventure went beyond boats on the river. A shore party with hunters on horses ranged a fair distance from the river. Private John Colter and other scouts moved ahead of the boats, warning of hazards, identifying campsites and foraging for game and camp supplies.
The river and times called for extreme adventurers, so Lewis and Clark recruited skilled backwoodsmen. William Clark enlisted strong men who were expert hunters and guides, accustomed to hardship. Selected as one of the nine young men from Kentucky, Colter started out as a boatman, but was more talented as a scout. He became a valued hunter, woodsman and negotiator with the native tribes.
As the expedition returned, Colter went west to join the fur trade, then later worked with Clark to complete the expedition's maps. After becoming one of the first mountain men, Colter returned to Missouri in 1810 and farmed along Boeuf Creek. Colter traveled this creek, hunting and fishing along its banks, near the trails of today's adventurers.
Visit Instructions:As a suggestion for your visit log, please make every effort to supply a brief-to-detailed note about your experience at the Waymark. If possible also include an image that was taken when you visited the Waymark. Images can be of yourself, a personal Waymarking signature item or just one of general interest that would be of value to others. Sharing your experience helps promote Waymarking and provides a dynamic history of your adventures.