Fort Mandan, ND Several men prepare to build canoes for the journey up the Missouri River. The two pirogues are moved to the shade of fort’s north wall to prevent them from drying out and cracking.
Moving Boats
Sunrise over the Icy Missouri
Courtesy U.S. National Park Service, Missouri National Recreational River.
a beautiful pleasant Morning. we fixed Skids under the Barge So as to have hir lay Safe without takeing any Injury. moved the 2 perogues [pirogues] along the N. Side of the line of huts So as to keep the Sun from cracking them.—
—John Ordway
Preparing for New Canoes
16 men Got their tools in order to make 4 perogues 4 men destined to make each perogue. the commanding officers mean to leave the Barge here in the Spring . . . .
—John Ordway
Making a Map
I commence a Map of the Countrey on the Missouries & its waters &c. &c—
—William Clark
Weather Diary
State of the Ther. at rise
Weather Wind at Thermt. at 4 oCk. P.M. Weather Wind at 4 oCk. P.M. River 26 [above 0] fair S E 36 [above 0] fair E fall ½ in. got the Boat and Perogues on the bank.
—Meriwether Lewis[1]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “State of the River at
Fort Mandan is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. The North Dakota Department of Parks and Recreation manages a modern reconstruction and the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center located at US Hwy 83 and ND Hwy 200A.
Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. A unit of the National Park System, the site is located at 564 County Road 37, one-half mile north of Stanton, North Dakota. It has exhibits, trails, and a visitor center.
Notes
| ↑1 | To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “State of the River at rise” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations. |
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Experience the Lewis and Clark Trail
The Lewis and Clark Trail Experience—our sister site at lewisandclark.travel—connects the world to people and places on the Lewis and Clark Trail.
Discover More
- The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Day by Day by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2018). The story in prose, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
- The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery (abridged) by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2003). Selected journal excerpts, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
- The Lewis and Clark Journals. by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 1983–2001). The complete story in 13 volumes.
This page was funded in part by the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, U.S. National Park Service.
This site is provided as a public service by the
Lewis and Clark Trail Alliance
with cooperation and funding from the following organizations:
- Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
- Montana Committee for the Humanities
- Idaho Governor's Lewis and Clark Trail Committee
- The Capital Gallery (Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation)
- Yellowstone Public Radio
Unless otherwise noted, journal excerpts are from The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, edited by Gary E. Moulton, 13 vols. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1983-2001).