![Photo: Exterior view of the USDA/Forest Service’s Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center located at Giant Springs just outside Great Falls, Montana. This is a truly an outstanding facility located near the site of the expedition’s Upper Portage Camp and a “must visit” for anyone following the expedition’s travels through the region.](thumbAstoria0029.jpg) |
The opening ceremony for the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial
Commemoration National Signature Event was held at Fort Stevens, Oregon
(near the town of Warrenton) on Veterans Day. The ceremony was intended
to honor all of our nation's veterans, regardless of branch of service,
as well as the Soldiers that made up the Lewis and Clark expedition.
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![Photo: Another view of the USDA/FS Historic Trail Interpretive Center, which is located on Giant Springs Road off River Drive (Routes 89/87) just outside Great Falls. Lewis and Clark camped near here are they prepared their canoes for an overland trip in order to bypass the Great Falls of the Missouri River. There, at the beginning of the Rocky Mountains, within a few miles the river levels dropped hundreds of feet in frothing, seething, torrents of water and foam that prevented the explorers from continuing their westward journey until calmer waters could be located.](thumbAstoria0026.jpg) |
The extremely wet weather did not deter a large
crowd from coming out to see the VIPs who made up the official part
of the opening ceremony. The dignitaries included the Governors
of Washington State and Oregon, members of the Oregon legislature,
the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and
The Adjutant Generals of the Washington State and Oregon National
Guard.
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![Photo: Jeffersonian uniform items on display at the Historic Trail Interpretive Center. One of the tremendous things about this interpretive center is that visitors can actually “try on” replicas of the uniforms that the Lewis and Clark expedition wore.](thumbAstoria0023.jpg) |
Musical entertainment was provided by the Oregon
National Guard's 234th Army Band and the Washington State National
Guard's 133rd Army Band.
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![Photo: Additional Jeffersonian Army uniform items on display in the main lobby. Most of the expedition’s dress uniforms, however, had deteriorated to the point of being virtually unusable by this time. Even if they had still possessed their original clothes, the members of the expedition would not have worn those items while hauling heavy portage wagons across the Montana landscape in the 100 plus degree heat of Montana in June – July 1805.](thumbAstoria0025.jpg) |
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jim Powell treats the crowd
to a rendition of Lee Greenwood's "Proud to be an American".
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![Photo: This is what Lewis and Clark experienced when conducting the portage. Their canoes, loaded down with their remaining supplies, were mounted on hand fashioned wheeled carriages and were then pulled or pushed overland.](thumbAstoria0019.jpg) |
Reenactors in the garb of Jeffersonian Army Soldiers
were present at the opening ceremonies. The mix of Native American
clothing and military garb accurately reflect the deteriorating
condition of the expedition's military wardrobe.
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![Photo: The strain on the faces of the expedition’s members as they haul a heavy canoe carved out of a tree trunk up a steep slope is accurately captured in this Interpretive Center exhibit.](thumbAstoria0021.jpg) |
Another view of Jeffersonian Army reenactors portraying
members of the Lewis and Clark expedition.
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![Photo: Close up of the rear of the same canoe which also shows a portion of the hand made wheeled carriage. The expedition did not haul all of their canoes over the eighteen mile route; instead they carried an experimental iron framed boat with them to the “Lower Portage Camp” which they planned to use in lieu of additional canoes for their journey further westward. The Red and White Pirogues had already cached above the falls to await the expedition’s eventual return.](thumbAstoria0022.jpg) |
Another reenactor also portrayed Captain William
Clark's manservant York.
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![Photo: Some of the expedition’s members sensibly wore as little as possible during the portage in order to preserve their remaining garments and also to avoid heat exhaustion.](thumbAstoria0016.jpg) |
The reenactors at the opening ceremony did not confine
themselves to the Lewis and Clark expedition, but also portrayed service-members
from all of America's past conflicts. Here we see a World War I "Doughboy"
(right) and a Soldier who fought in Cuba during the Spanish-American
War. |
![Photo: The Department of the Interior’s Corps II Traveling Exhibit on display at Great Falls, MT.](thumbAstoria0017.jpg) |
Members of the multi-Service color guard (US Army,
US Air Force, US Navy and US Coast Guard) prepare to present the
Service Flags, State Flags, and National Colors at the Fort Stevens
opening ceremony. Several members of the Lewis and Clark Fife and
Drum Corps, dressed in Jeffersonian Army musicians' uniforms, can
be seen immediately to the rear of the color guard. The corps is
one of America's few all-youth corps, with members ranging in age
from 10 - 18. The young musicians play replica fifes and rope-tension
drums used during the Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries. Their
uniforms are red wool coats and bearskin crested hats, patterned
after those of US Army field musicians of the period 1804 - 1810.
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![Photo: The Montana Army National Guard is providing a detail of soldiers to assist the DOI personnel with erecting, manning, and tearing down the traveling display as it makes it way across the state.](thumbAstoria0018.jpg) |
Another view of the multi-Service color guard.
The flags are arranged in precedence, with the National Colors to
the right of the line, followed by the State flags and Service flags
in order to seniority. Absent from the color guard is the US Marine
Corps Flag, which is senior to all other Service flags with the
exception of the US Army.
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![Photo: The Montana Army National Guard has their own historical display that accompanies the traveling exhibit for the purpose of providing visitors with additional insights into the past accomplishments of American citizen soldiers.](thumbAstoria0028.jpg) |
Salute batteries were arrayed on both the Washington
State and Oregon sides of the Columbia River to commemorate the opening
ceremony. In this photo you can see the Oregon saluting battery which
was composed of three modern 105mm howitzers and one Napoleon Brass
12-pounder of Civil War vintage on the rampart of Fort Stevens. |
![Photo: Interior of the Montana Army National Guard exhibit tent.](thumbAstoria0033.jpg) |
The gun crew of the Napoleon Brass 12-pounder goes
through the motions of preparing to fire a blank charge.
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![Photo: Exterior of the Montana Army National Guard exhibit tent.](thumbAstoria0031.jpg) |
Close up view of the reenactors who were representing
a Civil War era Federal artillery crew during the opening ceremony
of "Destination - The Pacific".
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![Photo: Prickly pear cactus – something you did not want to step on while wearing moccasins and hauling a canoe across the Montana landscape. Yet it happened almost every day during the month long portage and the men were continually pulling its quills from the soles of their feet.](thumbAstoria0034.jpg) |
Soldiers of the Oregon National Guard,
to include members of the 1st Battalion, 162nd Infantry, 41st Separate
Infantry Brigade (Enhanced) provided logistical support to the opening
ceremonies.
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![Photo: Terrain typical of the Montana landscape that the expedition hauled its canoes across.](thumbAstoria0036.jpg) |
Company B of the 52nd Engineers (Oregon Army National
Guard) also had several pieces of the equipment they use on display
on the grounds of Fort Stevens during the opening ceremonies. |
![Photo: Reenactors from the Montana Honor Guard established a replica campsite at the Lower (downstream) Portage Camp situated several miles south of modern day Great Falls.](thumbAstoria0037.jpg) |
Spectators stand as the color guard makes it way
forward. Presentation of the colors was followed immediately afterward
by a rendition of the National Anthem by the former Miss America of
2002, Katie Harman.
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![Another view of the replica encampment at the Lower Portage Camp.](thumbAstoria0038.jpg) |
A view of the Washington State coastline near Cape
Disappointment, located about five miles south of Long Beach, WA.
The expedition ventured as far north as Cape Disappointment, named
by an English seafarer in 1788, in search of natural harbors and anchorages
that could shelter trading vessels from storms. |
![Photo: One of the Montana Honor Guard’s replica canoes with hand-carved wheeled carriage.](thumbAstoria0039.jpg) |
Can you imagine paddling a open wooden canoe for
thirty miles in these rough waters? The Lewis and Clark expedition
did, traveling from Fort Clatsop, Oregon back up the Columbia River
to cross over at a narrower point than its turbulent five mile wide
mouth before traveling back down the Columbia along the Washington
State shoreline to reach Cape Disappointment. |
![Photo: Close up of the opposite side of the canoe and carriage.](thumbAstoria0039_A.jpg) |
A view of Dismal Nitch where a great storm forced
the expedition to hunker down for five days (November 10 - 14, 1805)
on the Washington State shoreline one mile east of the mouth of the
Columbia River. This must have been especially frustrating to Meriwether
Lewis as he had already sighted the Pacific Ocean. This site is located
along Highway 101 approximately one mile west of the present-day Astoria-Megler
Bridge. |
![Another view of the front axle of the carriage.](ThumbAstoria0040.jpg) |
Members of the Lewis and Clark Fife and Drum Corps
at Long Beach, WA.
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![Photo: Lewis and Clark’s “Air Rifle” - it is shown here disassembled into three basic components – stock (air reservoir), barrel and receiver, and air pump.](ThumbAstoria0041.jpg) |
A Corps of Engineers employee portrays a member of
the Lewis and Clark Expedition at the National Park Service Corps
II traveling exhibit at Long Beach, WA.
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![Photo: Bow view of the assembled frame of the “iron boat” that Lewis and Clark hoped to use for the remainder of their trip to the Pacific Ocean rather than carve out two new canoes at the Lower Portage Camp.](thumbAstoria0042.jpg) |
Two Corps of Engineers reencators introduce spectators
to the intricacies of nineteenth century dancing. One reenactor is
portraying Private George Gibson, a river hand enlisted by Lewis and Clark
who also possessed considerable musical talents. The Lewis and Clark
journal frequently make mention of Private Cruzatte playing his fiddle
at the end of a tiring day to help lift the morale of his fellow Soldiers. |
![Photo: Walt Walker of the Montana Honor Guard demonstrates how the expedition attempted to cover the experimental iron framed boat with animal hides laid atop thin strips of wood.](thumbAstoria0043.jpg) |
Private George Gibson, dressed in the uniform of a new
recruit, playing his fiddle for the spectators in the Corps II portable
exhibit hall known as the "Tent of Many Voices".
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![Photo: A close up view of how the expedition hoped to construct a “hull” for the iron framed boat.](thumbAstoria0044.jpg) |
Some of the spectators at the Long Beach, WA event
try their hand at nineteenth century style dancing.
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![Photo: Another perspective of the iron frame boat looking from bow to stern. As you can see for yourself, it was much longer than most people supposed.](thumbAstoria0045.jpg) |
Private George Gibson, along with his able assistant,
pose for photographs with their fans after the music has ended.
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![Photo: The Great Falls fairgrounds also hosted a number of indoor Lewis and Clark displays, to include one manned by dedicated members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.](thumbAstoria0046.jpg) |
The Oregon Army National Guard had a display tent
at the Long Beach, WA Lewis and Clark commemorative event.
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![Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees garbed in period clothing at the Great Falls fairgrounds exhibit. The gentleman dressed in gray and black is wearing the uniform of a newly recruited member of the expedition while the other is dressed as engagé Pierre Cruzatte.](thumbAstoria0047.jpg) |
The Army National Guard display tent featured information
on the Lewis and Clark expedition as well as citizen soldiers throughout
our nation's history.
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US Army Corps of Engineers
reenactors belonging to "Captain Lewis' Company" begin
a long day of fatigue duty at their encampment in Long Beach.
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A view of the Salt Works employed by the Lewis and
Clark expedition to boil seawater in order to obtain salt used to
cure meat and for trading purposes with neighboring Native American
tribes. This kiln, which was reconstructed on the site of the original,
is located in the present day town of Seaside, Oregon. The stone
kiln seen here is located about 30 minutes by automobile from Fort
Clatsop, which translates to a trek of several days by the Lewis
and Clark expedition.
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The Salt Works were established on 3 January 1806
and remained in operation until 20 February 1806. During that period,
the three members of the expedition detailed as "saltmakers"
succeeded in obtaining four bushels of salt.
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Another view of the Salt Works. The actual site
was established in 1900 by the Oregon Historical Society using oral
history accounts from Native American tribes who lived in the area
at the time of Lewis and Clark.
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How did the members of the Lewis and Clark expedition
live while they were building Fort Clatsop? Here you can see an
example of the canvas tentage used as shelters by the enlisted men.
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One of the members of the expedition is seen here
using a specialized tool to scrape fur from a pelt that will be
used to make new clothing.
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Another view of the tentage used by the Lewis and
Clark expedition while they were building Fort Clatsop. This temporary
camp is located in the Lewis and Clark National Forest about fifty
yards from the actual site of Fort Clatsop.
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Several reenactors are busily engaged building a
new smokehouse for the Corps of Discovery to store meat brought
in by hunting parties.
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The replica of Fort Clatsop, which was originally
built in 1955, burned to the ground on 8 October 2005. It is scheduled
to be rebuilt beginning in December 2005. Until then, members of
the National Park Service and academia are conducting an archeological
dig on the site hoping to find several more artifacts from the Lewis
and Clark expedition.
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Archeologists searching for artifacts at Fort Clatsop.
The concrete foundations, barely visible in the background, were
laid in 1955 when the replica was built. The real Fort Clatsop did
not have any concrete foundations as it was constructed entirely
of wood.
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Another view of the ongoing archeological dig at
Fort Clatsop.
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