Corps of Discovery II retraces Lewis & Clark History

eware all you modern day river boaters - history is about to repeat itself. Members of the Discovery Expedition of St. Charles, Missouri will be coming up river in the next few days.


	Discovery Expedition of St. Charles' replica keelboat is heading up the Missouri River to the Omaha and Blair Nebraska area.

They will be traveling in hand-crafted boats that are replicas of those used by the original corps 200 years ago. You should recognize them immediately as they will be piloting a 91/2-ton keelboat and two smaller pirogues. The crew themselves will be dressed in 19th-century Army uniforms so they won't be hard to miss either.


	Re-enactors bring 200 year-old history to life.

The expedition left St. Charles on May 14th and have been traveling up the Missouri River ever since. They are expected to arrive in the Omaha area next week.

Visitors may get a closer look at the boats and visit with the re-enactors during their encampment at the Dodge Park Marina next Thursday, July 29th.

The next stop will be at the Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge during the Corps of Discovery Festival at Fort Atkinson Historical Park in Fort Calhoun, NE. The festival, a national signature event, will take place from July 31st through August 3rd.

Highlights of the Nebraska Lewis & Clark Bicentennial
Commemoration Corps of Discovery Festival
July 31 - August 3, 2004
Hours: Sat: 10am - 6pm; Sun: 12pm - 6pm; Mon & Tue: 10am - 4pm

Activities designed for all ages and levels of interest will be held at a site near Fort Atkinson State Historical Park in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska. Located on US 75, one mile east of Fort Calhoun and nine miles north of Omaha, this 26-acre site will include living history encampments of the Corps of Discovery and Native Americans who will bring the early 1800s to life with historically accurate shelter, clothing and daily activities. Live music and dance performances featuring period appropriate performers will be held on two stages.

The main stage will feature a wide variety of nationally known Native American musicians, dancers, storytellers and educators including Dallas Chief Eagle, Brulé, Kevin Locke Trio and Jerome Kills Small. Descendants of the American Indians who participated in the first tribal council, the Otoe-Missouria tribe will have a major role in the Corps of Discovery Festival. Tribal members will offer presentations on the history, culture and traditions of the tribe throughout the four-day event in the Otoe-Missouria Circle.

A second stage will feature Lewis and Clark era music including the 2nd Annual Pierre Cruzatte Fiddle Contest. The fiddle was one of the few instruments that the Corps of Discovery brought with them along the trail and continues to be popular today. Also performing will be the all-youth Lewis and Clark Fife and Drum Corps, the Plain Label String Band and the Round House Band.

Further contributing to the 1800s atmosphere, the festival will include a small 1830-1840s Lakota village depicting tribal life on the Great Plaines and a Rendezvous Camp that will recreate the life of 1830s traders. The encampment will include demonstrations of hide-tanning, muzzle loading, blacksmithing and other skills. Traders and crafters will also be on-site selling reproduction period wares such as metal works, pottery, leatherwork, beads and moccasins.

A large, air-conditioned tent will house an educational stage featuring a variety of nationally recognized Lewis and Clark experts including Dr. James P. Ronda, Dayton Duncan, Dr. Gary Moulton, Mary Gunderson and Matthew Sitting Bear Jones. After their presentations, the authors will be signing copies of their books, which will be for sale at the Washington County Historical Association Tent.

Children will be able to participate in hands-on activities to help them understand the hardships faced by the explorers and the wonder of their discoveries. By combining the expertise of the Fontenelle Nature Association, the Omaha Children's Museum and the Omaha Theater Company for Young People, the children's activity tent will be a busy and exciting place.

Visitors will also be able to step on board and take tours of a Butch Bouvier keelboat replica.

Reverse side of the new Lewis and Clark commemorative nickel.

On Monday August 3rd at 10:15 a.m., onboard the keelboat replica, Commissioner Ron Hull will participate in the U.S. Mint launching of a new commemorative Lewis and Clark nickel.

Free shuttles will be available to transport guests of the Corps Of Discovery Festival to and from the neighboring Lewis & Clark events: Fort Calhoun's First Council Festival, Corps of Discovery II (Blair stop only) and the Discovery Expedition of the St. Charles, Missouri at Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge. Shuttles will leave and return every 20 to 30 minutes from the main parking lot.

Click HERE for FESTIVAL SITE MAP

Other local events celebrating the bicentennial include the Corps of Discovery II Trail Stop at Lewis & Clark Landing in Omaha starting Saturday July 24th until Tuesday, July 27th. This is a mobile exhibit commemorating the Lewis & Clark exploration and is being presented by the National Parks Service.

The River City Star will offer cruises on July 27th to celebrate the date when William Clark came ashore in this area for the first time. For more information, visit their website at: rivercitystar.com

There are many other events taking place at communities which were built along the Missouri River over the next several weeks. For a complete listing of these events, please go to: lewisandclarkne.org.

If you miss catching a glimpse of the Discovery Expedition II, you will still have an opportunity to view the boat replicas and visit with the re-enactors at Cottonwood Marina in Blair, NE (mile marker 651) on August 6 & 7th as they camp out & stop for supplies before they continue their route to the Pacific Ocean.