Camp River Dubois!

What Is Camp River Dubois?

This was the staging area and launching point of the Corps of Discovery, starring Meriwether Lewis and William Clark!

What Makes It Historical?

On May 2, 1803, France sold the United States all of its territory west of the Mississippi River for the sum of $11,250,000! There was just one concern: no one really knew what Thomas Jefferson had bought, or even if the Constitution allowed it! There were other factors to consider, like where Louisiana territory ended and Spanish/British territory began, but like a kid at Christmas, the president didn’t want to wait too long to open his new present!

After recruiting Messrs. Lewis and Clark, the president ordered them to be ready to row as soon as the final paperwork was done. On August 31 of that year, they floated their newly completed barge down the Ohio River from Pittsburgh to St. Louis, arriving on December 11. From there, they had to make the most of the winter to be ready for exploring at a moment’s notice! While Mr. Lewis spent time in St. Louis, gathering supplies and intelligence, Mr. Clark focused on training their crew. They’d need to load and unload, hunt, and work as a team! For that reason, they didn’t spend the winter in an existing fort but built their own where the Wood River (Rivière du Bois) flowed into the Mississippi, calling this Camp River Dubois!

Finally, on May 14, 1804, the Voyage of Discovery set off into the unknown! Cheered on by throngs of onlookers, the barge and two support vessels, with a team of 45, made their first sun-scorched, bug-bitten, current-carried strokes from the eastern shore of the Mississippi into the Missouri, averaging 15 miles per day into the history books!

How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?

Volunteer at Camp River Dubois!
Become a member of the Lewis & Clark Society of America!
Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!