County of marker: Franklin County
Location of marker: Miller St. & Front St., John Colter memorial Shelter, New Haven
Date marker erected: 2003
Marker erected by: Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
Marker text:
In 1804-06, Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led about 40 soldiers and boatmen on an epic journey. President Thomas Jefferson commissioned this "Corps of Discovery" to find a route to the Pacific Ocean through the newly acquired Louisiana territory. Along the way, they mapped the land, recorded its resources, and contracted with native inhabitants.
The landscape has changed since Lewis and Clark explored it: rivers have been damned, forests cut over, prairies plowed under, and roads built to the horizon. Although remnants of wilderness still exist, imagine this land as Lewis and Clark first saw it two centuries ago.
The United States purchased the Louisiana territory -- more than 830,000 square miles -- from France in 1803. President Jefferson selected Meriwether Lewis (far left) to lead an expedition there.
With Jefferson's permission Lewis asked his friend and former commanding officer, William Clark to be co-leader. Although opposite in temperament, they worked harmoniously throughout the two year journey.
Time line on map overlays the outbound and return, I will list text right to left for outbound and left to right for return
Lewis left Washington, D.C. - July 5, 1803
Lewis acquired arms from Harper's Ferry Arsenal - July 8, 1803
Lewis gathered supplies in Pittsburgh - July - August, 1803
Clark joined Lewis at Louisville, Kentucky - October 14, 1803
Left Camp Wood (winter quarters 1803-04) - May 14, 1804
First Council with Indians - August 3, 1804
Sgt Floyd died here - August 20, 1804
Confronted by Teton Sioux Indians - September 25-28, 1804
Built Fort Mandan (winter quarters 1804-05)
First Arrived at Great Falls of the Missouri - June 13, 1805
Purchased horses from Shoshone Indians August 3, 1805
Built canoes with help from Nez Perce Indians - September 26, - October 7, 1805
Arrived at mouth of Columbia River - November 15, 1805
Built Fort Clatsop (winter quarters 1805-06) started return trip - March 23, 1806
Expedition split - July 3, 1806
Clash with Black Feet Indians - July 27, 1806
Captain Lewis accidentally shot - August 11, 1806
Lewis and Clark rejoined - August 12, 1806
Arrived St. Louis - September 23, 1806
NOTE from Outspoken1: "Timeline Category Requirement: If the timeline is split or divided on several different plaques or other media, but still the same timeline in the same general location, that will count only as one Waymark." The issue is that while there are two timelines in this shelter, they both deal with the same topic - The Lewis and Clark Expedition. Colter's timeline is still part of the expedition and the Timelines category asks that similar timelines in the same vicinity are considered one Waymark. Both these timelines are in the same shelter. Colter did return using a separate route after the encounter with the Black Feet Indians (which is also recorded in this timeline), but he was part of the expedition, thus these are two timelines of similar nature. That being said, the experiences to Colter do warrant a separate Waymark.