LEWIS

AND

CLARK EXPEDITION

Wellsburg was the host today to the reeanactors of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. There were two hand-crafted replicas of wooden vessels used by Lewis & Clark to recreate the first leg of the journey from Elizabeth, PA to Louisville, KY.

The reenactors are following the same route that Meriwether Lewis and his early recruits sailed (more accurately, rowed) after buying a 55 foot keelboat in Elizabeth, PA. He used that vessel and two pirogues in his exploration of the Louisiana Territory, west of the Mississippi from May 1804 until September 1806.

Lewis spent most of the winter of 1803 in St Louis, south of the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Meanwhile Clark, with boats and crew, wintered near the confluence of the two mighty waters at Camp DuBois, then in Illinois. In May 1804, Lewis & Clark made rendezvous upstream on the Missouri at St Charles. There, they bought all the tobacco in town, signed on their last two men (Labiche and Cruzatte) and on May 21, 1804 they officially began the Lewis & Clark expedition.

Twenty river-rat historians from St Charles, MO, are sailing down the Ohio River to build awareness of the Lewis & Clark expedition’s bicentennial which the nation will commemorate from 2003 to 2006.

Today this group of reenactors stopped at Pier 12 in Wellsburg. They were met by city officials, groups of adults and children from the local grade schools. These children had a wonderful day, learning history in such an interesting way!

While at the pier, they gave a short demonstration, and answered questions from the audience. ( 1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) Ruby Greathouse from the Brooke County Museum was there in the costume/portraying Mrs. Miller who ran the Ordinary ( where the museum is now located) She is shown in the photo taking with the man that is portraying Meriwether Lewis. (7)

The group then went up to Brooke Cemetery to pay honor with a gun salute at the gravesite of Patrick Gass. ( He was the last living member of this expedition).For more information go HERE.

Eugene Gass Painter, introduced members of the Gass family attending today (8) (9)

Mayor Ernie Jack thanked all who attended this event. (10) The honorary gun salute was given. (11) (12) (13) (14) followed by a song used when one member of the party would be leaving. This song was also used at burials services. Somewhat like we hear "Taps" played now. (15)

When we returned to Pier 12, two of the group answered further questions from the students, and then gave them a detailed demonstration of how they loaded and fired their guns. (16)

The reeanactors boarded the boats, giving three cheers for Wellsburg. (17) (18) (19)

As they passed the Delta Queen that was docked in Wellsburg today, they gave them a gun salute.

A PIROGUE IS A FLAT-BOTTOMED WOODEN BOAT. SOME SAY THE WORD IS A FRENCH DERIVATION OF A SPANISH ADAPTATION OF CARIBBEAN NATIES NAME FOR BOAT. OTHERS CLAIM IT WAS INTRODUCED TO THE EUROPEAN VOCBULARY BY WAY OF DUTCH EXPLORERS OF PACIFIC ISLANDS.

We will watch and wait for this group to come by again in 2003.

For further details you can use the web site www.lewisandclark.net

Or, come to the Wellsburg Library and read the book "The Journal of Patrick Gass".