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Dear Friends of Lewis & Clark, I gave a talk on "The Mysterious Death of Meriwether Lewis: Murder or Suicide?" at Chadron State College last month. The college was hosting the Newberry Library's "Lewis & Clark and Indian Country" exhibit which is touring America. Coincidentally, in May I will be going to the Newberry Library in Chicago to do further research on the subject of Lewis's death. Lewis may or may not have been murdered, but his reputation has certainly suffered by being linked to his supposed suicide. His life and accomplishments deserve better.
A correction to last month's Proceeding On: the Lewis and Clark statue at St. Louis is near the Eads bridge, not the Martin Luther King bridge. I want to thank the Trail Heritage Foundation for a nice article regarding my website in the April, 2008 of The Orderly Report,
the newsletter of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation.
Feel free to reprint stories and blogs. The LCTHF Badger State Chapter in Wisconsin reprinted my blog on the contradictory burial records relating to Sagawea's daughter Lisette in their April issue. They really put out a good newsletter, filled with interesting articles.
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Retail Orders: It's time to stock up on the Lewis and Clark Road Trips book! Gift shops will receive free ads in our newsletter and website. The links always attract click-throughs.
Planning to travel the trail? Consult our website Trip Planner with links to the websites of over 800 destinations featured in our book.
Kira kira@lewisandclarktravel.com
www.lewisandclarkroadtrips.com Newletter Archives
2007 Meritorious Achievement Award
Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation
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Strange happenings during the 1811-12 New Madrid earthquakes
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 The recent earthquake along the Wabash River fault has reminded people about the great New Madrid earthquakes, the biggest earthquakes in American history, and in the known history of the world. There were 6-10,000 earthquakes at its center for over 5 months, and over 2,000 earthquakes in the general region. The New Madrid fault lies just south of the Wabash fault, and that is why people are nervous.
The Earthquake America Forgot is one of the most unusual and interesting books I have ever read. I bought it at the New Madrid Museum years ago, where omininously there was a seismograph machine recording tremors in the corner of the museum. After the earthquake in southern Illinois, I got the book out to write a blog. The book is so good that I had trouble selecting material.
Tecumseh's Comet and the First Steamboat in the West
Two of the most important events in the time of the earthquakes were the appearance of the Great Comet which was billed as "Tecumseh's Comet," which accompanied the start of Tecumseh's War, which was really the start of the War of 1812; and the first voyage of a steamboat on the western waters. The steamboat passed right through the earthquake, and miraculously escaped. Like Lewis and Clark it included a newborn baby and a dog. Maybe that was the secret for both of their successes. And maybe we won't have another great earthquake until we see the Great Comet, which has an orbit of 3,045 years.
William Clark, FEMA Director
William Clark was the first FEMA director. He wrote a letter requesting federal aid for earthquake victims. Congress granted the aid in 1815, allowing land owners to trade up to 640 acres of damaged land in the earthquake zone for other government land. Large land owners did not take up the offer. The New Madrid certificates were issued from St. Louis, and land speculators swarmed in to buy "worthless" property before the congressional land swap offer was known. But people were smart and they sold their land several times over to eager buyers. More land was sold than was in the entire county. The ensuing court cases were in federal courts for 20 years.
Here is a link to the blog.
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Lewis & Clark in Chicago, Austin & New York
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 Chicago performance: The Infamous Commonweath Theater has opened a play called "Lewis and Clark Reach the Euphrates." Lewis and Clark meet Teddy Roosevelt, Sacagawea, Colin Powell and Donald Rumsfeld while traveling in the wilderness. The play, written by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, Robert Schenckkan, has a "darkly comic" anti-war message.
Austin book talk: The Clare sisters, Liz and Mary, who write under the pen name "Frances Hunter" had a book signing and talk at the BookPeople bookstore on April 26th. They posted a notice in our forum for program presenters, thus both preserving a record of the event and advertising their availability to give programs, a win-win situation. They talked about their research for their award-winning To the Ends of the Earth: the Last Journey of Lewis and Clark and how they uncovered "a nest of corruption at the highest levels of the American military."
New York Lewis and Clark tour: Jerry Garr led a Lewis and Clark tour in New York City on April 26th. He announced there would be a "secret surprise" revealed on the tour, and he has promised he will send us the secret in time for the next issue of Proceeding On. I hope he posts in the program presenters forum, because it sounds very interesting.
Sotheby's Auction: The rare, if not unique, document signed by both Lewis and Clark was taken off the auction at Sotheby's because the anticipated bid range of $80,000 -$120,000 was not met. The highest bid offered was $60,000. They should try again after the HBO Undaunted Courage series airs--probably in 2009.
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Summer school for teachers in June
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Indiana University Southeast, located in New Albany, Indiana across the river from Louisville, Kentucky will hold a three week intensive workshop on Lewis and Clark on June 2-20. Teachers are invited to apply. Stipends are also available for teachers who want to teach in the workshop and earn credit. Home school teachers are also welcome. Getting Lewis and Clark into school curriculumsThis is an opportunity to get together and network with other teachers who want to help develop Lewis and Clark studies for grades K-12. The university has a committment to getting the study of Lewis and Clark into school curriculums nationwide. Two courses will be offered. A history course in the morning is open to history and education students for advanced undergraduate and graduate credit. The afternoon course will focus on teaching methods soundly based on national and state social studies standards. There is a variety of activities, presentations and field trips planned. Instructors are Dr. Carl Kramer and Dr. Claudia Crump, who both have a wide experience with Lewis & Clark studies and activities. Contact: Claudia Crump (812-284-3830) at crump700@cs.com or Carl Kramer (812-284-3830) at cekramer@insightbb.com |
Standing Rock Sioux host dinosaur dig
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The Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in Fort Yates, North Dakota is holding a paleontology field camp, which will combine dinosaur fossil excavation with Dakota/Lakota culture. It is only recently that the tribe has opened up excavation to the general public. Internationally famous dinosaur expert, Dr. Gerald Grellet-Tinner, now at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, is leading the digs. He has taught at UCLA, USC, and is an associate of the Field Museum. Sitting Bull College is co-sponsoring the dig with the tribe, and will offer college credits for participants. There are 3 two week sessions: May 17-31, June 7-21, and July 12-26. Cost is $1200. Contact: Adrienne Swallon (701-854-2025) at Adrienne@srstwater.com or Dr. Gerald Grellet-Tinner (605) 394-5326 at gerald.grellet-tinner@sdmt.edu
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Fort Clatsop statue $5,000 challenge grant
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Providence Seaside Hospital, run by the Sisters of Providence in Seaside, Oregon, has offered a $5,000 challenge grant to cover the costs of restoring the statue of Sacagawea and Pomp back to its original site. The statue was chopped up after it was stolen for its value as scrap metal, but the heads were recovered intact and the other pieces were also recovered. They are still being held in evidence during legal proceedings.
The Sisters date back to 1865 in Seaside, and they value their community heritage. The Lewis and Clark National Park Association has agreed to accept donations. Call Debbie Wilson at (503) 861-4451.
The association is also sponsoring a contest to create another work of art which will not have any salvage value on the metals market.
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Great Falls Center announces new theme for 21st Century & LCTHF annual meeting
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 The Discovery Continues
The Lewis and Clark National Historic Interpretive Center at Great Falls, Montana is celebrating its tenth anniversary on May 4th-5th. The center will be expanding its emphasis on Lewis and Clark to include more exhibits and talks on natural history themes such as minimum impact camping, water quality, global climate change, prairie ecosystems and grizzly bear management. The new theme is called "The Discovery Continues."
Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation Annual Meeting
The center will host the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation's annual meeting this year. Be sure to register before July 1st and get your 25% discount. The conference dates are August 10-13, with pre and post conference tours offered. The foundation has its offices in this magnificent building along the Missouri River where the surrounding "viewshed" is being preserved.
 LCTHF Logo gear is available at Land's End webstore. No minimum order, all sizes and colors of merchandise available and imprinted with the classic two guys logo.
Reader Frieda Meister passed along a link to a visitor's guide for the Yellowstone River route through Montana's Park County, if you are planning to travel by car to the conference from the east. That's the area of Livingston and around Yellowstone National Park.
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First ever 4th grade History Bee at Washburn Center in North Dakota
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 Fourth grade students study North Dakota history, but have not had an opportunity to compete with other schools until now. The North Dakota Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center at Washburn has started an annual Middle Missouri History Bee. The questions were created by a former teacher now on the staff of the center. Five schools sent teams of four students each to the competition which was held on April 18th. Students received ribbons and special awards, including a traveling trophy and got to tour the facility. Funding was provided by the local American Legion Post. The photo by Andrea Johnson is from an article in the Minot Daily News.
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U. S. Army Command and General Staff College gets Lewis and Clark statues
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 The gallery at the new Lewis & Clark Center of the army college in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas has received a gift of statues from the Fort Lewis Chapter of the Association of the U.S. Army. The statues of Lewis, Clark, Sgt. John Ordway and Seaman are 24" replicas of the larger than life size statues at the Capt. Meriwether Lewis Memorial Park outside of Fort Lewis in Washington state. Shown here is Sgt. John Ordway, the senior non-commissioned officer in the Corps of Volunteers for Northwestern Discovery. (Photo by Prudence Siebert) Read more about it in the Fort Leavenworth Lamp.
The Fort Leavenworth Frontier Army Museum is one of the finest military history museums in the country.
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Biddle the Bear receives copyright warning
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Biddle the Bear turns out to be a copyrighted name! An
author wrote a book in 1978 about Biddle the Bear visiting sick
children in a hospital, and she notified me that she holds a copyright. So
we are now selling a "Lewis and Clark Trail Bear."
Our bear has a purpose
In the meanwhile, we may call our own bears whatever we want. They really do add charm to an
otherwise rather staid documentary photo, and eventually we will have
enough great photos to do a website and/or a book. And, of
course, any photos you contribute will be credited and your favorite
places will be immortalized.
 Betty makes a bear quilt and bag
Betty Smallen is a member of our Study Group and an avid quilter. She is also one of our forum administrators. Betty is making special bear carry bags for our bears, and has also just learned how to make an early 1800's authentic pants style by consulting Lewis and Clark Tailor Made and Trail Worn: Army Life, Clothing, & Weapons of the Corps of Discovery by Robert J. Moore and Michael Haynes. (See illustration on right.) Biddle is really a pretty big bear. He wears a size 6X in ready made clothes.
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Jeff City puts memorabilia in aTime Capsule
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 The Jefferson City statue dedication will have a time capsule installed at the Lewis & Clark Monument Trailhead Plaza. Lewis and Clark faithful gathered on the occasion of Thomas Jefferson's 265th birthday on April 13th and had a birthday party and saw the memorabilia that will go into the Time Capsule. The dedication will take place at 5:30 PM on Wednesday, June 4th. Jeff City is the capital city of the state of Missouri. I would like for Bill Stine, who posts in our forums, to tell us what was put in there.
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Major 1790's Indian wars exhibit now at Garst Museum in Greenville, Ohio
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A major new permanent exhibit on the Indian wars, Native American artifacts, and the 1795 Treaty of Green ville opened at the Garst Museum on April 20th. The exhibit consists of a chronological walking tour of 28 displays. The Green Ville cantonment, where Lewis and Clark first met, was a massive fort enclosing 50 acres. Miniature replicas of the fort and the Shawnee Indian Prophet's Town are part of the new displays. Famous names associated with Green Ville's history are: Anthony Wayne, William Henry Harrison, Zebulon Montgomery Pike, Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, Tecumseh, the Prophet, Little Turtle, the Crane, and Blue Jacket. The Garst Museum and Annie Oakley Center also honors the life of Annie Oakley, a native of Greenville, who was the sharpshooter who toured with Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show.
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Please contact me with news, corrections, suggestions; and for how to order autographed copies of Lewis and Clark Road Trips with personal messages. I have decided we all may be a little challenged by PayPal, so if you want to order something directly from me, you can.
Biddle photos by Betty Smallen (pants), Vicki Correia (hat) and Biddle travel photos bySusan Van Haften.
Sincerely,
Kira Gale
River Junction Press LLC
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Lewis and Clark
Road Trips
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The perfect gift for someone planning to travel the trail
Personally autographed copies available
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Lewis and Clark Road Trips: Exploring the Trail Across America by Kira Gale
$29.95, 274 pages, 161 maps, over 400 photos, full color "Reference books do not get any better than this one. It should be on every library shelf in every nook and cranny of America. It should be in the personal library of every Boy Scout, Girl Scout, and 4-H Leader." --John R. Wunder Nebraska HistoryAmazon Affiliate Bookstore |
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.
National Park Service Bookstore Omaha NE
Headwaters Heritage Museum & Gift Shoppe Three Rivers MT
Blackfeet Nation Store Browning MT
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
Skamokawa Center Skamokawa Washington
Garst Museum Greenville Ohio
Appaloosa Museum, Moscow Idaho
Great River Road
Interpretive Center, Ste Genevieve, Missouri
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Gateway 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 |
The Lewis and Clark Trail Bear
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Our Bear
16 inch pot belly bear machine wash & dry
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visits the Jefferson Memorial in D. C.
visits Big Bone Lick in Kentucky
meets George Mason
in D. C.
at the White House
models his new pants
has a new hat
The Buddy Club will hold its first annual meeting in conjunction with the LCTHF meeting at Great Falls
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Proceeding On