Sergeant Floyd Monument - Sioux City, IA
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member plainsdrifter358
N 42° 27.758 W 096° 22.668
14T E 715591 N 4704475
Sergeant Floyd enjoys the honor of having had erected at his gravesite in present Sioux City, Iowa, the most prestigious memorial of the Lewis and Clark explorers.
Waymark Code: WM2NQW
Location: Iowa, United States
Date Posted: 11/27/2007
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member A & W
Views: 138

The 100 ' high stone obelisk memorializes Sgt. Charles Floyd, a member of the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery.


Nine feet square at the base and six feet square at the top and is capped with aluminum connected to copper grounding wires to protect it from lightning strikes. There is an inner concrete core which is four and one-half feet square at the base and three feet square at the top. The bones of Sergeant Floyd were placed in urns and then placed in the concrete core.

Construction of the monument began with the pouring of the concrete foundation on May 29, 1900. Construction was stopped at the 55 foot level in November of 1900 due to weather. On March 28, 1901, construction was continued and the capstone was laid on April 22, 1901. The monument was dedicated on May 30, 1901.

Design was by the U.S. Army Engineers, Captain James C. Sanford and Captain Hiram M. Chittenden with Assistant Engineer Bathurst Smith. The stone is Kettle River sandstone. Total amount of money spent from all sources was $12,600.

The monument was recognized as the First National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of Interior in 1960.

ABOUT Sergeant Charles Floyd
(1782 - 1804)

Floyd was introduced to Meriwether Lewis and the Expedition during their stop in the Louisville, Kentucky area in October 1803. He enlisted into the Army in October 1803. Floyd finished the trip down the Ohio River and up the Mississippi River to the wintering area at Camp Wood River/Camp Dubois, 1803-1804. He was approved as a Sergeant on April 4, 1804 by the Captains and took command of the Second Squad. He is believed to have died from acute appendicitis.
"Must Sees"at this location":
The Monument and view of the river.


Date Waymark Created: 05/30/1901

Do they allow dogs at this location?: Yes, but must be on a leash.

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Visit Instructions:
Visits only will be logged if there is a picture of the individual at the location, with their GPS in hand submitted as proof of the visit or not having a camera, the person making the find must submit a reasonable "proof" of having visited the site. Examples include: Two or three sentence quote from historical/interpretive signage at the location; adequate descriptive language about the location that provides evidence of a visit; verification by another party present at the find; e-mail sent from the location of the waymark.
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