Yellowstone River: Haven for Great Herds of Wildlife -- Livingston MT USA
N 45° 39.690 W 110° 42.025
12T E 523338 N 5056482
Second of two large multi-panel historical markers at this location, this marker is made of three individual historical marker panels at the I-90 rest stop in Livingston MT. This is the waymark for the first panel
Waymark Code: WM17EPE
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 02/08/2023
Views: 0
This is the first of three panels explaining the extensive and significant reports of Lewis & Clark as they explored along the Yellowstone River on their Corps of Discovery Expedition.
The first panel, on the left, reads as follows:
"Captain Clark and the Corps of Discovery on the Yellowstone: Havens for Great Herds of Wildlife
July 24, 1806
"Saw emenc number of Deer Elk and buffalow on the banks. Some beaver...for me to mention or give an estimate of the different Species of wild animals on this river particularly Buffalow, Elk Antelopes & Wolves would be increditable. I shall therefore be silent on the Subject further. So it is we have a great abundance of the best meat."
Clark was admired more for this mapmaking skill than his eloquence with the written word. Yet, on this section of the trip he could barely contain his enthusiasm for the daily wildlife drama. One day after vowing silence on the subject of wild animals, he wrote of. "the emence herds of Buffalow, Elk and wolves which it abounded,...Saw a gang of abut 40 Big horn animals."
Game animals at every turn meant readily available meat, skins for clothing or bullboats and bones for tools. Both the Expedition and the Native Americans who new the terrain well benefrited (sic) from the luxury of so much wildlife within reach.
The bighorn sheep of the prairie - called Audubon's race - are now extinct. Times have changed, yet thanks to the efforts of many Montanans, the free flowing Yellowstone still shelters a profusion of fish and wildlife visible from the highway-from great blue herons nesting in rookeries to white-tailed deer stepping from the shadows of cottonwoods.
Measure of Change
July 21, 1806
"Since I arrived at this Camp also antilops, wolves, pigions, Dovs, Hawks, ravins, Crows, larks, Sparrows, Eagles & bank martins &c. &c."
Clark's journals give us a measure of change over two centuries. The "pigions" were passenger pigeons - now extinct. The other birds listed still find a home in the sheltering, riverside vegetation and banks, Beaver are present, but not "very plenty/" He also described "Silkgrass Sunflower & Wild indigo all in blume" (now called hemp dogbane and milkvetch).
Flowing water through the dry plains is like a slant of sunlight in a rainforest-a welcome gift. As you travel in Clark's footsteps, notice the intensity of life still throwing on the Yellowstone. Listen for the sharp crack of a beaver's tail. Watch for nests of bald eagles, herons and orioles.
Those Tormenting Insects
August 1, 1806
"last night the Musquetors were so troublesom that no one of the party Slept half the night. for my part I did not Sleep one hour. those tormenting insects found their way into My beare and tormented me the whole night. they are not less noumerous or troublesom this morning."
Where there is water, wildlife and summer warmth, mosquitoes will feast. Without bug spray or mosquito netting, Clark and his party suffered. In fact the mosquitos forced him to wait for Lewis down river from their designated rendezvous at the Missouri-Yellowstone confluence.
Can You Identify This Fish?
July 16 1806
one of the men brought me a fish of a species I am unacquainted; it was 8 inches long formed like a trout, it's mouth was placed like that of a Sturgeon a red streak passed down each Side from the gills to the tail."
This strange fish-a mountain sucker was a first for science and is still found on the Yellowstone.
Horse Booties?
What do you do with footsore horsed and no horse shoes? Clark's party stopped east of today's Livingston, killed a buffalo, and fashioned moccasins.
July 16, 1806
"two of the horses was So lame owing to their feet being worn quit Smooth and to the quick, the hind feet was much the worst I had Mockersons made of free Buffalow Skin and put on their feet which Seams to releve them very much passing over the Stoney plains."
[map] Lewis & Clark map of the Yellowstone River [across the bottom of the panel] July 13-18, 1806:)
July 13, 1806
"at 5. P. M I Set out from the head of Missouri at the 3 forks, and proceded on nearly East 4 miles and Encamped on the bank of Gallitines River which is a butifull navigable Stream....The Country in the forks between Gallitins & Madisens rivers is a butifull leavel plain Covered with low grass.... "
July 15, 1806
"The Roche passed out of a high rugid mountain covered with Snow. the bottoms are narrow within the mountains but widen from ½ a m. to 2 ms. in the Vally below, those bottoms are Subject to over flow, they contain Some tall Cotton wood, and willow rose bushes & rushes Honey suckle &c...."
July 18, 1806
"at 11 A. M. I observed a Smoke rise to the S. S. E in the plains towards the termonation of the rocky mountains in that direction (which is Covered with Snow) this Smoke must be raisd. by the Crow Indians in that direction as a Signal for us, or other bands."
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