Mast Creek - Lewis and Clark, Missouri River, North Jefferson, MO
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 38° 35.382 W 092° 10.743
15S E 571496 N 4271566
"...past a creek on the south side....no name for it but I cal it Rich Land Creek.... a butiful a peas of Land as ever I saw...." Charles Floyd.
Waymark Code: WM3RPC
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 05/12/2008
Views: 6
Missouri Department of Conservation.
Map entices you to "Trace the Route of Lewis and Clark - See How the River has changed."
Area is across the Missouri River from the State Capitol, Jefferson City.
This area is very devastated from the floods of 1993. virtually bare ground.
Lewis and Clark History of the area:
"June 4th, Monday, 1804
Set out the Clear morning 2 miles Byouer Stersman Let the Boat Run under a lim and Broke our mast off 3 miles past a Creek on the South Side Called mast creek {on S Side no name for it but I cal it Rich Land Creek at} a butifull a peas of Land as ever I saw...."
Charles Floyd
When Lewis and Clark arrived in this area, the landscape was vastly different, but so was the Missouri River. The banks of the river were covered with a variety of trees, from ash to walnut.
The trees were tall and so close to the bank that as the keelboat attempted to go under, the mast snapped. Navigating the river was a difficult task and hanging limbs were more obstacles to avoid. Later in the journey, the variety of trees did provide cottonwood for a new mast, as well as ash wood for oars.
Early pioneers found the Missouri River wandering across a floodplain, often a mile wide, and very shallow compared to the channel you see today. Starting in the 1900s, many muddy banks were armored with rocks to help navigation and flood control. Long rock arms called dikes trained or pushed many small channels into a single main stream. Large trees now stand high on the riverbanks, far above where they once grew.