| |
 |
|
|
|
|
ARCHIVED
"KIDS OF DISCOVERY"
Camp River Dubois
Lewis & Clark State Historic Site
Route 3 at
Poag Road
Hartford, IL 62048
618-251-5811
Saturday June 13, xx
10 am - 4 pm
Free - donations encouraged
|
| |
Junior volunteers are sought after to join the Corps
of Discovery, but kids of all ages are welcome. These volunteers will be instructed in many of the skills needed by the men of the actual Corps of
Discovery on their historic expedition. This event is a great hands on
learning opportunity and children who participate in each of the activities
are awarded a certificate. |
| |
|
|
Activities vary from year to year.
Activities that visiting children participated in past events included:
 ROPE
MAKING
"Rained last night, very cloudy this morning. Some men work at
making a tow rope out of the Elk skin." Capt. William Clark, Aug.
29-31, 1804. Large quantities of rope were needed by the expedition for
such purposes as securing the boat, cordelling (walking along the
shoreline and pulling the boat with ropes,) and for portaging
(transporting the boat by land past river obstacles.) The ability to make
rope was an essential skill needed for the journey's success. Hands on
rope making with an old-fashioned rope machine was featured at this
demonstration.
 MAP SKILLS
"I drew a map for the purpose of Correcting from the information
which I may get from the Countrey to the NW." Capt. William Clark,
Jan. 7, 1804. To avoid getting lost the men of the Corps of Discovery
used compasses and other navigational skills to determine their location. The Captains
also used scientific
instruments to aid them in creating the maps they brought back of the
Louisiana Territory. Participants at this station used a compass and
follow directions to find landmarks in the field.
 FOOD
"Drewyear (Drouillard) returned with 3 Deer & 5 Turkey
I send
Shields with Mr. Griffeth to purchase me some butter on the other side of the river" Captain
William Clark, Dec. 23, 1803. The
Corps of Discovery subsisted on a large variety of food. Some of the food was brought
with them, including hardtack, "portable soup," and spices.
Other food was gathered by trade or as gifts from the Native American
tribes or local inhabitants they encountered, and by foraging or hunting
game. Period food cooked over an open fire was demonstrated and samples
were
available to taste at this station.
 TEAM SKILLS - PORTAGING
"called the hands aboard and proceeded to a ripple of McKee’s
rock where we were obleged to get out all hands and lift the boat over
about thirty yards, the river is extremely low." Capt. William Clark,
Aug. 30, 1803. Portaging was a necessary skill for the men of the
Corps of Discovery. Unlike today where our rivers are managed by dredging,
flood barriers, and locks and dams, the expedition encountered many
natural obstacles that they had to find ways to get around. It was
necessary for the men to act as a team in order to accomplish the many tasks they needed to
perform. Participants had to use teamwork to move heavy objects in
this demonstration.
 CONSTRUCTION SKILLS
"fixed a place to build huts Set the men to Clearing land
and Cutting logs." Capt.
William Clark, Dec. 13, 1803. During the winters when traveling became
impractical, the Corps of Discovery built small forts such as Camp River
Dubois. Expedition members such as Patrick Gass and John Ordway were
skilled carpenters whose expertise allowed the expedition to build the
necessary shelters to protect the Corps of Discovery from the winter elements.
 MILITARY DRILLS
"The practicing party will in futer (future) discharge only one round each
per day, which will be done under the direction of Sergt. Ordway, all at the
same time and at the distance of fifty yards off hand." Captain
Meriwether Lewis, Feb. 20, 1804. The Corps of Discovery was a military
expedition and drills were common at Camp River Dubois in order to
maintain discipline and to weed out men that Lewis and Clark considered
unfit to make the journey. Participants learned the basics of "left, right,
left" and "about face" at this station.
 DANCING
"a Man arrives from Mr. Hay at Koho (Cahokia); with letters & an invitation to 2
balls (dances) at St. Louis." Capt. William Clark, Feb. 9, 1804.
The Captains of the expedition didn’t spend the entire winter at Camp
River Dubois. In fact Lewis spent most of his time in St. Louis or
Cahokia. The Captains were local celebrities in St. Louis and were much in
demand to attend
many social functions.
 ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION
"he (Drouillard) Saw three Bar on the other side of the
Prairie." Capt. William Clark, Dec. 27, 1804. Documenting new
species of animals and plants was an important part of the Corps of
Discovery’s mission. Overall, the expedition first described 122 animals
and 178 plants. The ability to identify animals and plants also aided the
expedition in gathering food. A variety of furs and animal tracks awaited
identification by visitors at this station.
 FLAGS
"I send you 19 small flags." Captain Meriwether Lewis, May 2,
1804. The Corps of Discovery took with them a number of flags as gifts
to the Native American tribes and as a symbol of the new sovereignty of
the United States over the lands of the Louisiana Purchase. The ability to
display our nation's flag properly and with due respect was considered an
important responsibility of the members of the expedition. The basics of
folding the American flag were demonstrated at this station.
 JOURNALING
"The sergts. In addition to those duties are directed each to keep
a separate journal from day to day of all passing occurrences, and such
other observations on the country etc. as shall appear to them worthy of
notice." Captain Meriwether Lewis, May 26, 1804. The keeping of
journals was one of the primary functions of the expedition. Captains
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, Sergeants Charles Floyd, Patrick Gass,
and John Ordway, and Private Joseph Whitehouse all kept journals which
provide the information used today to determine the experiences of the
Corps of Discovery some 200 years ago. Participants used actual quill
pens and ink wells to record their experiences or write a letter at this
demonstration.
|
|
|
