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Dear Friends of Lewis & Clark, This newsletter features two different places on the Lewis and Clark Trail where "empty spaces" are now the focus of local concern; and as National Historic Landmark sites concern all of us. The underlying issues--a coal-fired power plant on the Portage Route around the Great Falls and greater public use of the Gateway Arch grounds in St Louis--are worthy of consideration by the entire Lewis and Clark community.
Kira
kira@lewisandclarktravel.com Visit our website |
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City of St Louis proposes developing Gateway Arch grounds
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 A former U. S. Senator from Missouri, John Danforth, has proposed a major redevelopment of the grounds of the St Louis Arch. His family foundation has paid 2 million dollars for a study of how to revive the riverfront area, shown on the map from the St Louis Post-Dispatch at the end of this article. One suggestion is to allow easier access to the park grounds by putting a three block long plaza, or a "lid", over the sunken lanes of I-70 traffic which lie between downtown St Louis and the Arch grounds.
The riverfront itself floods; the bluff on which the Arch was built is where the original town of St Louis was founded in 1764; as shown above in the composite picture I created for my book.
The "Soul of America" and "Back to the Riverfront"
Fran Mainella, a former director of the National Park Service, says that national parks are "the soul of America" and that "they were never meant to be sold or traded." It would take an act of Congress to change control of the park grounds, and would set a precedent for other development plans for other national park lands.
The other side of the issue is that many American cities have successfully developed their waterfront areas, and "Back to the Riverfront" is a movement associated with the Lewis and Clark Trail. In this case, St Louis already has the Arch grounds which are administered by the National Park Service; but the grounds are a big empty expanse of grass with almost no pedestrian traffic or activities. 2.5 million visitors a year visit the Arch, but have no reason to walk around the grounds. The city of St Louis would like to develop the same kind of successful downtown waterfront park that Chicago has created; Chicago's Millenium Park has an ice skating rink, public sculpture and music concerts on its 24.5 acres. The city of St Louis envisions establishing an aquarium on the 91 acre Arch grounds, as well as other, yet to be determined, public facilities and events.
Bob Archibald on Mayor's Committee
Historian Bob Archibald, the Director of the Missouri State Historical Society, and the Past President of the National Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial, has been appointed to a three member mayor's committee to work on solutions.
Information and Contacts
From the Mayor's Desk: St Louis Riverfront, August 29, 2007
City Leaders Pitch Local Control of Park Grounds by Tim O'Neil and Jake Wagman, St Louis Post-Dispatch, August 29, 2007
Danforth Foundation Report
Danforth to State: Put a lid on it, St Louis Business Journal, May 19, 2006
If you would like to make your opinions heard, you may contact the staff members of the congressional representatives involved:
St Louis U. S. Congressman William "Lacy" Clay Jr.:
St Louis office (314) 383-5240
U. S. Senator Kit Bond: St Louis office (314) 725-4484
U. S. Senator Claire McCaskill: St Louis office (314) 361-1364 |
Dispute over coal-fired power plant on Great Falls Portage Route continues
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Dan Wiley, Chief of Resources Stewardship for the National Park Service's Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, gave a program on the status of the Great Falls Highwood Generating Station conflict to the Mouth of the Platte Chapter of the LCTHF in September. MOP members were interested in learning more about the ongoing and still unresolved dispute over building a coal-fired power plant in the area of the Lower Portage Route, shown in the photo here.
The conflicts pits two branches of the federal government against each other, as the National Park Service is opposing RUS, Rural Utility Service, part of the Department of Agriculture. In July, the Montana Environmental Information Center, the Sierra Club, and other environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the Rural Utility Service. The environmental groups object to the RUS providing billions of dollars in low interest loans for a new group of coal-fired power plants which contribute to global warming. The Highwood Generating Plant on the Lower Portage Route is the first coal-fired power plant that RUS has proposed to fund in many years. Funding will be provided at 75% of its cost, which is as yet undefined. Seven other plants are also being considered. Most of the power generated would be sold as excess power. Highwood/RUS Lawsuit article on MEIC.org website.
The city of Great Falls, which has agreed to provide the other 25% of funding, is prohibited by law from selling electricity to its own residential customers. It has asked the cities of Helena, Missoula and Bozeman to buy the power. All three cities have refused.
Members of the rural electric co-ops involved, also wish they could refuse to participate. The estimated cost of $700 million dollars means that each household will be charged more than $22,000 before it even goes online, according to a story in the Billings Gazette (9/21/2007), "Highwood plant has objectors within co-op membership." The proposed plant would supply more than four times the power currently being used.
 National Historic Landmark Status
The National Park Service has been defending the National Historic Landmark status of the proposed area for the Highwood plant. The Lewis and Clark Portage Route was established as a National Historic Landmark in 1982. It remains one of the few areas on the entire trail in its original condition.
One Month of Agony
In addition, it represents the single most arduous and dangerous place for the Lewis and Clark expedition, and as such, the landscape has enormous heritage value. Sacagawea almost died here at Sacagawea Springs. During a flash flood, William Clark, Sacagawea, her baby Pompey, and her husband, Toussaint Charbonneau almost died here. The entire corps suffered terribly as they hauled their wooden dugout canoes and supplies for one month around the Great Falls of the Missouri River during intense heat and hailstorms. They dragged the dugout canoes on wheels for almost 20 miles over hills covered with prickly pear cactuses.
A Rare 213 Report
The national Advisory Council on Historic Preservation asked the National Park Service to prepare a rarely requested "213 Report" on the impact of the proposed Highwood Generating Station on the Great Falls Portage National Historic Landmark. This 20 page report is available online at the nps.gov/history/NHL archives. Dan Wiley and his staff wrote the report.
In accordance with the National Environmental Protection Act and the National Historic Landmark status, alternative sites for the proposed power station have to be proposed, but RUS has not complied with this requirement. The Advisory Council has requested that RUS carefully review the information and recommendations in the 213 report and reevaluate the preferred alternatives. No reply to this request has yet been made.
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Living history news from around the country
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Three Presidents and Two Captains at Annual Meeting
Reader Allan Van Winkler reminded me how very special the living history presentation was at our Charlottesville annual meeting. Three living history Presidents engaged in dialogue with Captains Lewis and Clark before 250 people, "speaking extemperaneously, with nary a note to refer to. A once in a lifetime event." Allan wrote to Proceeding On. The presenters were William Barker (President Thomas Jefferson); John Douglas Hall (President James Madison); and Dennis Bigelow (President James Monroe); Peyton "Bud" Clark (William Clark); and Bryant Boswell (Meriwether Lewis). Here is a link to a nice interview with Barker:
(New Era Progress, "Mr. Jefferson Visits" Sept. 18, 2007)
Sacagawea Retires to Write Cowboy Poetry
Noted reenactor and award winning author Joyce Badgley Hunsaker has retired from performing living history after nearly three decades of presenting "Sacagawea Speaks" and other characters. Joyce will continue to mentor living history presenters and is enjoying a new found interest in writing cowboy poetry. (Baker City Herald, "Sacagawea Act is History" Sept. 27, 2007)
Clark Reenactor Adds David Thompson to Performances
Ritchie Doyle of Missoula is now performing as famed Canadian explorer David Thompson, kicking off a five year bicentennial commemoration being held jointly in the U. S. and Canada. Thompson explored western Canada and the northwestern United States in 1807-1811. Doyle debuted as Thompson at Missouri Headwaters State Park this month and followed up with a performance at Travelers' Rest State Park. (Missoulian,"Trading Places" Sept 27, 2007)
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"Legacy Trail" feasibility study proposed in Congress by U. S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson
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 The Red House Interpretive Center in Cape Girardeau was the site of a press conference on Sept. 20 called by U. S. Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri. She has enlisted bipartisan support for a bill directing the National Park Service to conduct a feasibility study to extend the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail to include the "Eastern Legacy Trail." Officially the trail, administered by the NPS, now starts at Hartford, Illinois and Wood River Camp. The Trail would be extended to include the Corp of Discovery's Ohio River travels, and preparation for the journey. (Southeast Missourian, "Bill Would Make Lewis, Clark Legacy Trail" Sept. 21, 2007)
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Photo credits: Gateway Arch and portage boat by Betty Kluesner, DESC; Biddle at Lemhi Pass by Vicki Correia; Red House by Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Contact me if you would like to see something featured in this newsletter. If you can suggest stores which might carry the book, I would appreciate an email, and I will follow it up.
Sincerely,
Kira Gale
River Junction Press LLC |
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Lewis and Clark
Road Trips
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2007 Meritorious Achievement Award
Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation
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Lewis and Clark Road Trips: Exploring theTrail Across Americaby Kira Gale
"this outstanding guidebook is necessary for any traveler... for all travel collections" Library Journal
$29.95, 274 pages, 161 maps, over 400 photos, full color Amazon Affiliate BookstoreWebsite Bookstore Featuring the Top Fifty
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Featured Sales Outlets
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If you are selling Lewis and Clark Road Trips, and are not on this list, send me an email. If you want to sell the book, visit our retail orders.
John Heinz History Center Pittsburgh PA
Powell's Store Rare Books Section Lewis and Clark Portland OR
Columbia River Gateway Bookstore Cape Disappointment Ilwaco WA
Fort Clatsop Bookstore Astoria Oregon
Blackfeet Nation Store Browning Montana
Skamokawa Center Skamokawa Washington
Garst Museum Greenville Ohio
Appaloosa Museum, Moscow Idaho
Great River Road
Interpretive Center, Ste Genevieve, Missouri
Jefferson National Memorial Arch, St Louis Missouri
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General Crook House Omaha Nebraska General Dodge House Council Bluffs IowaLewis and Clark Boat House and Nature Center, St Charles MissouriMissouri River Basin Lewis and Clark Center, Nebraska City NebraskaKreycik Riverview Elk and Buffalo Ranch, Niobrara NebraskaDakota Dinosaur Museum Dickinson, North DakotaLog Cabin Visitors' Center Vincennes IndianaCottonwoods Gift Shop, Fort Mandan Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, Washburn North DakotaArt's Sleeping Buffalo Resort Store, Malta MontanaKlein Museum, Mobridge South DakotaPortage Cache Store Lewis and Clark National Historic Interpetive Center Great Falls MontanaSquire Boone Caverns near Historic Corydon, IndianaAtchison Visitor Information Center, Atchison KansasMuseum of the American Quilter's Society, Paducah KentuckyWestern Historic Trails Center, Council Bluffs IowaStore of Discovery, Lewis & Clark State Historic Site, Hartford Illinois |
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| Past Issues of the Newsletter |
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Past issues of the newsletter are available in the Media section of the Lewis and Clark Road Trips website. |
 Biddle the Bear
Will Travel on the Ohio
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Biddle is going on another grand adventure this month, as he will be joining the Discovery Expedition of St Charles on their journey down the Ohio River from Clarksville IN to the Mississippi River in October.
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