Sciences / Plants / Lewis’s Plant Collection

Lewis’s Plant Collection

Specimen Presses

A botanist presses specimens of plants for study and comparison with other specimens of similar species that have been gathered at different times and places, worldwide. Meriwether Lewis knew that his studies in the field would be backed up by the most prominent cabinet—that is, laboratory—botanists of his day.

Among them was to be Frederick Pursh (1774-1820), a German botanist whom Lewis hired at Philadelphia in May of 1807, paying him a total of seventy dollars to assist him in preparing his collection for a planned but never written publication of his own.[1]Jackson, Letters, passim. Pursh examined 124 of Lewis’s specimens, verified or corrected Lewis’s descriptions, wrote many new “diagnoses,” and assigned names to the species that were new to science.[2]It is estimated that seventy or seventy-five specimens were new to science when Lewis collected them. Pursh honored Lewis by naming four new species after him: Linum lewisii (LEE-noom … Continue reading He also painted water colors of thirteen of those, and in 1814 included them all in his two-volume Flora Americae Septentrionalis (FLO-ruh a-MAY-ree-kay sep-TEN-tree-oh-NAL-iss; Plants of North America).

Botanical Collector

A botanical collector like Meriwether Lewis had to begin the process of preserving his specimens as soon as possible after picking them, to forestall wilting and shriveling. The field botanist must place the leaves, stems, flowers, fruits, and roots on sheets of mounting paper with the utmost care and foresight. The whole point is to preserve every specimen in a way that will enable the cabinet botanist to examine minute details that will facilitate the writing of a definitive analysis of each specimen. Immediately, each mount must be covered with a sheet of soft, loose-textured, highly absorbent bibulous (Latin for “drinking”) or “blotter” paper, in order to draw all moisture out of the specimen. In some cases a discreet dissection may be necessary to provide maximum value to the collection. A memorandum is added containing the date and place the specimen was found, perhaps with a very brief description including known uses of the plant, and the collector’s name. Stacks of specimen mounts and blotter papers are weighted down or tied together tightly, then monitored frequently until the drying is complete.

The Corps of Discovery’s Lewis was a conscientious field botanist. The collector must monitor the drying process carefully including daily awareness of ambient temperature and humidity to be sure the specimens remain intact and free from mold or decay and to guard against invading insects. If possible, the specimen must be exposed occasionally to warm sunlight and dry air. This must have been a serious challenge to Lewis under the field conditions he endured from day to day. It certainly was at Fort Clatsop, where the average daily humidity probably ranged from 70 to 90 percent, and it rained all but six days between their arrival at the coast and their departure on 23 March 1806. In short, until the specimens are deposited in a secure collection facility known as a herbarium, botanizing is a tedious, time-consuming procedure which demands close, periodic attention.

Sensory Observations

Even on the toughest days of the expedition, Lewis somehow found time to observe plants along the way. However, his major periods of systematic work evidently were at Fort Mandan, Fort Clatsop, and Long Camp.

The total number of specimens he collected is not known, but it is certain that all those he acquired between Fort Mandan and the Great Falls of the Missouri were destroyed when high water in the spring of 1806 flooded the underground cache where they had been stored. Some more went astray after the expedition was over; others were eventually destroyed by beetles. For many years the collection was scattered and generally ignored. Not until 1896 were most of the known sheets assembled in one collection at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, and not until 1966 was it subjected to a comprehensive, detailed study.[3]That study, still a major milestone in the literature, is Paul Russell Cutright’s Lewis and Clark, Pioneering Naturalists (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1969).

Also, we don’t know precisely what methods or materials Lewis used to preserve plant specimens. He might have used presses such as the one pictured here on the previous page, or else books of blotting paper and blank sheets. We do know that all the existing specimens have been remounted at some time in the past two hundred years, and that of the 226 botanical sheets now in the Lewis and Clark Herbarium at the Academy only 34 have their original labels in Lewis’s handwriting.

The process of pressing specimens preserves only the outlines, textures and skeletal structures of plants, so Lewis also took pains to write notes about their colors and tactile qualities, and often the aromas and flavors. Thus it is possible, by reading his often minutely detailed journal entries about plants, to appreciate the full scope and intensity of his concentration, the breadth of his awareness, and depth of his curiosity.

Meriwether Lewis made every step of the journey with all of his senses working all of the time. So, of course, did his co-captain and their men, so far as we can tell. The lessons of the Lewis and Clark Expedition are less about adventure, conquest, or commerce, than about concentration and awareness. These are particularly important values to cultivate in this age when most of us are artificially over-stimulated during almost every moment of our waking hours.

Related Pages

    July 30, 1804

    Council Bluff arrival

    Council Bluff, Fort Atkinson, NE The expedition arrives at a bluff where they intend to meet with the Otoe Nation. J. Field kills a badger which Lewis preserves for President Jefferson.

    Bitter Cherry

    Prunus emarginata

    by

    Lewis collected a specimen of bitter cherry, Prunus emarginata, while at Long Camp on 29 May 1806 and described it on 7 June 1806. He wrote that “the natives count it a good fruit”.

    October 2, 1804

    Caution Island

    Above Willow Creek Bay, SD As they proceed up the Missouri River, the men expect an attack from the Lakota Sioux. The hunters are called in and all men are on guard. Lewis prepares three plant specimens.

    May 29, 1806

    The Snake River fishery

    At a village of salmon fishers, Pvt. Robert Frazer trades his razor for two Spanish dollars. At Long Camp, Lewis describes the short-horned lizard and prepares four plant specimens—all new to science.

    August 4, 1804

    Moses Reed is missing

    SW of Modale, IAThe expedition travels fifteen miles up the Missouri, the captains record yesterday’s speech to the Otoes, and Moses Reed, who had headed back to the previous night’s camp to retrieve his knife, does not return as expected.

    Glacier Lilies

    Erythronium grandiflorum

    by

    glacier lily

    Because it appears in the Rockies at the edges of receding snowbanks it has also earned the name glacier lily. Lewis’s specimen, collected 15 June 1806 on the Clearwater River, was the one used by Pursh to describe the species.

    September 27, 1805

    Falling trees for canoes

    Clearwater Canoe Camp, ID Five work parties start chopping down five large ponderosa pine trees and canoe-building begins. Colter returns with one of the two lost horses and some deer meat. Lewis botanizes.

    October 16, 1804

    "Goat" hunting

    Above Beaver Creek, ND The expedition struggles fourteen river miles passing countless sandbars. They see the Indians killing pronghorns, and the Indians make merry the greater part of the night. Elsewhere, the Hunter and Dunbar Expedition sets out.

    July 27, 1804

    Leaving White Catfish Camp

    Omaha, NE The boats are loaded and the flotilla proceeds on to present-day Lewis and Clark Landing in Omaha, Nebraska. A knee is cut, mosquitoes rage, and Lewis adds several plants to his collection.

    July 13, 1804

    Favorable winds

    West of Corning, MO After a stormy evening, favorable winds push the boats over twenty miles against the Missouri River current. Lewis collects a specimen of white sage.

    June 5, 1806

    Long Camp grasses

    A Nez Perce man reports that he was unable to cross the Bitterroot Mountains due to snow and toddler Jean Baptiste is given a new medical treatment. Lewis describes Long Camp area grasses and plants.

    August 27, 1806

    Hunting on the Big Bend

    Big Bend of the Missouri, SD The expedition nearly runs out of meat, and stops to hunt as the boats go around the Big Bend of the Missouri, also known as the Grand Detour. Lewis prepares an indigo specimen and walks on shore, but over-exerts himself.

    September 19, 1804

    The Sioux Pass of the Three Rivers

    Lower Brule, SD Setting out early, the winds are favorable and the hunting good. Clark explores the Sioux Pass of the Three Rivers, a place where different tribes can meet in peace.

    April 16, 1806

    "Great Mart of all this Country"

    Clark crosses the river to trade for horses and calls The Dalles of the Columbia the “Great Mart of all this Country.” At Fort Rock, the men make saddles, Lewis botanizes, and Cruzatte plays the fiddle.

    July 20, 1804

    Drouillard is sick

    Weeping Water Creek, NE-IA The expedition continues up the Missouri River. Because Drouillard is sick, Pryor and J. Field hunt on shore this day. Lewis collects specimens of purple prairie clover and white prairie clover.

    May 30, 1804

    Another fourteen miles

    Lost hunter Joseph Whitehouse and his boat and crew of engagés join the main group late at night. In the morning, Clark records the incident. Lewis collects a specimen of River-bank grape, Vitis riparia.

    July 15, 1804

    Treeless plains

    Nemaha, NE After waiting for the Missouri River fog to lift, the expedition sets out at 7 am. Lewis’s chronometer stops, and he collects a specimen of hedge bindweed.

    May 29, 1804

    A lost hunter

    The expedition spends most of the day at the mouth of the Gasconade River drying goods and waiting for Joseph Whitehouse to return from a hunting trip. Lewis prepares a plant specimen of Golden Seal.

    August 10, 1806

    Sketches of the River Rochejhone

    Little Muddy and Tobacco Garden, ND While waiting for Lewis to catch up, Clark works on his maps of the Yellowstone River. Lewis has his men repair the boats while he botanizes. In the afternoon, rains begin, leather-making operations cease, and they move a few miles closer to Clark’s camp.

    The Bitterroot Plant

    Lewisia rediviva

    by

    Flathead Salish, Kutenai, Shoshoni, and Nez Perce people all regard the bitterroot with solemn reverence. No other root may be harvested until the elder women of the tribe have conducted the annual First Roots ceremony.

    Echinacea

    Prairie coneflower, E. angustifolia

    by

    Justified by the ethnobotanical record, the captains went to unusual lengths to preserve and document echinacea. Most—if not all—the Tribal Nations encountered along the Missouri River used the plant to treat snakebites in the manner described by the two captains.

    May 22, 1804

    Trading with Kickapoo hunters

    After a very rainy night, the expedition sets out at 6 am, travels 18 miles, and camps near the mouth of the Femme Osage River in present-day Missouri. They trade with some Kickapoos for four deer.

    The Woodlands

    Repository of plant specimens

    by , ,

    Lewis sent plant specimens to William Hamilton who cultivated them in his garden at The Woodlands outside of Philadelphia.

    June 16, 1804

    Unwanted passengers

    The men use ropes to pull the barge against a current full of roiling sand making camp near present Waverly, Missouri late in the day. Clark says that the mosquitoes and ticks are numerous and bad.

    June 1, 1804

    Mouth of the Osage

    After a hard day, the expedition stops at the mouth of Osage River where the captains make celestial observations late into the night. Lewis also collects a specimen of wild ginger, Asarum canadense.

    June 1, 1806

    Clarkia and rough wallflower

    Clark mentions a plan to divide forces after reaching Travelers Rest, and Drouillard is sent to find Nez Perce men to guide them. Lewis discusses the Clarkia flower and prepares two more plant specimens.

    Native Tobacco

    Nicotiana quadrivalvis

    by ,

    Lewis mentioned two species of tobacco, possibly Nicotiana quadrivalvis and N. rustica—a Mexican species called Aztec tobacco—that the Arikara cultivated.

    April 19, 1805

    Grounded by winds

    The wind being high, the captains decide to remain another day at their present camp below present Williston, North Dakota. Lewis describes the area’s beaver and collects a specimen of creeping juniper.

    May 27, 1804

    Gasconade River

    The flotilla meets two trading parties coming down from Omaha and Osage villages. At evening camp near the mouth of the Gasconade River in present Missouri, arms and ammunition are inspected.

    August 10, 1804

    First survivor

    Below Blackbird Hill, NE The boats sail 22½ miles up the Missouri River and encamps within view of Blackbird Hill. Lewis collects the earliest plant specimen that survives today, field horsetail.

    Camas

    Camassia quamash

    by ,

    William Clark, pushing on in advance of the hungry men of the Corps, came upon two adjacent Indian villages totaling about 30 lodges on Weippe Prairie. They gave him and his six hunters “roots in different States, Some round and much like an onion which they call quamash.”

    August 17, 1804

    News of Indians and deserters

    Fish Camp, Homer, NE François Labiche returns ahead of Drouillard’s party and informs the captains that Indians and the deserter Moses Reed will arrive soon. A prairie fire is set as a signal to any nearby Indians.

    June 25, 1806

    Jerusalem Artichoke Camp

    The expedition follows the Northern Nez Perce Trail to Hungery Creek. The captains fear the Nez Perce guides have left them, and Sacagawea gathers roots resembling the Jerusalem artichoke.

    Black Chokecherry

    Prunus virginiana var. melanocarpa

    by

    This variety of the common chokecherry gave Lewis his decoction of simples and was the subject of his botanical scrutiny.

    September 8, 1804

    Truteau's old trading house

    West of Pickstown, SD Winds are favorable and the boats make seventeen miles passing Jean Baptiste Truteau’s old trading house. They are now entirely within present-day South Dakota, and George Shannon is still missing.

    June 14, 1804

    Gobbling snakes

    The morning is foggy as the boats leave the Grand River, and they make only eight miles up the Missouri. They meet four traders loaded with furs, and Drouillard hears snakes that gobble like turkeys.

    May 25, 1804

    Last 'White' village

    The expedition reaches La Charrette—the last settlement of “white people on this River . . . .” Here the captains meet trader Régis Loisel who shares valuable information about where they are going.

    October 4, 1804

    Turning around

    Forest City, SD The day begins by dropping back three miles to the start of a better river channel. Various Indians on the shores are avoided, and camp is across from an abandoned Arikara village.

    April 14, 1806

    Romantic scenes

    In a calm stretch below present Lyle, Washington, Lewis enjoys romantic scenes and a drier climatic zone; and he prepares four plant specimens. The captains are encouraged to see residents with horses.

    October 18, 1804

    Passing the Cannonball

    Fort Rice, ND Shortly after starting up the Missouri, they meet two traders who had recently been robbed. The two turn around and travel with the expedition. In passing the Cannonball River, a ‘cannon ball’ rock is selected for a new anchor.

    September 5, 1804

    No Preserve Island

    No Preserve Island, NE-SD After making 13¾ miles up the Missouri, the boats stop early at No Preserve Island. There, they make a new cedar mast for the barge. Lewis describes the bull snake and adds two plant specimens to his collection.

    September 21, 1804

    Camp washes away

    Below Joe Creek Bay, SD During the night, the men barely escape as the sandbar they are camping on washes into the river. Lewis preserves several plant specimens.

    April 12, 1805

    Little Missouri River

    Early in the day, a crumbling bank threatens the red pirogue. They spend most of the day at the Little Missouri River and see beaver, empty Assiniboine camps, creeping juniper, and wild onions.

    Bearberry

    Kinnikinnick, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

    by ,

    Lewis and Clark sometimes called it kinnikinnick, sometimes sacacommis. At Fort Clatsop on 29 January 1806, he described this useful plant.

    October 1, 1804

    The Cheyenne River

    Little Bend Rec. Area, SD Upon reaching the Cheyenne River, Lewis and Clark meet fur trader Jean Vallé who tells them about that river. They notice the ash tree leaves are turning color, and Lewis adds three plant specimens to the collection.

    Buffaloberry

    Shepherdia argentea

    by

    Lewis collected buffaloberry specimens which were new to science and Clark had them in a delightful tart. Native Americans had been eating the bright red berries for generations.

    November 1, 1805

    Describing the Watlalas

    North Bonneville, WA The day is cold as most of the men move baggage and canoes around the Cascades of the Columbia. Clark describes Upper Chinookan Watlala Indians living in the area.

    September 4, 1804

    Shannon still missing

    Niobrara River, NE The barge’s sail is hoisted in a strong wind and the mast breaks. After eight miles, the expedition stops at the Niobrara River to explore, hunt, and look for signs of George Shannon who has been missing several days.

    Frederick Pursh

    Cataloger of expedition plants

    by

    During the winter of 1807-1808, Pursh lived at the home of Bernard McMahon in Philadelphia. Here he worked on the drawings and descriptions of Lewis’s western plants.

    The Osage Orange

    Maclura pomifera

    by ,

    Its oak-strong, hickory-tough wood made powerful, reliable hunting bows. Early French explorers and traders translated its Indian name into bois d’arc,–”wood for a bow,” which was easily anglicized into “bodark.”

    May 6, 1806

    Three Coeur d'Alenes

    The expedition spends most of the day at the Potlatch River—their Colter’s Creek. Lewis meets three Coeur d’Alene Indians, and Clark gives medical aid. They eventually move to another Nez Perce village.

    Cous

    Lomatium cous

    by

    William Clark first mentioned the root cous on 1 November 1805, saying that native people living near the future Bonneville Dam site traded beads to obtain it from people up the Columbia River. To Clark, it was “cha-pel-el bread.”

    October 1, 1805

    Burning out the canoes

    Clearwater Canoe Camp, ID The men employ the Indian method of hollowing out logs with fire. Clark prepares goods to trade for food, and Lewis preserves a plant specimen.

    Academy of Natural Sciences

    Home of the Herbarium

    by

    The Academy’s monumental collection of scientific specimens includes the Lewis and Clark Herbarium, consisting of most of the botanical specimens the Expedition brought back East.

    August 27, 1804

    Yankton Sioux visitors

    Yankton, SD After a prairie fire is set to signal the Sioux to come council, a Yankton man and two boys arrive. Drouillard fails to find Shannon who failed to return from a hunting trip.

    September 2, 1805

    Leaving the Indian road

    North Fork Salmon River, ID When the Corps leaves the Indian road, they must cut their own trail through brush and a “dismal swamp.” The horses stumble and fall as they cross rocky hillsides.

    May 10, 1804

    First plant specimen

    At winter camp on the present Wood River in Illinois, the enlisted men are ordered to carry 100 lead balls for their rifles. In St. Louis, Lewis collects the expedition’s first plant specimen.

    September 12, 1804

    Troublesome Island

    Troublesome Island, SD The boats go through a bend full of islands and shallow, braided channels causing the barge to nearly turn over. They then head up the wrong side of a large island and must turn back. Lewis botanizes.

    Elkhorn

    Clarkia pulchella

    by ,

    The plant’s common names include elkhorn, ragged robin, pink fairy, and deerhorn. In the spring of 1807 Lewis turned over his plant specimens to Frederick Pursh, who gave this flower the scientific name Clarkia pulchella

    July 18, 1804

    Geology and botany

    Below Nebraska City As they travel, Clark remarks on the region’s geology and Lewis collects another plant specimen. At camp, a stray Indian dog is fed, and in Washington City, the Secretary of War prepares to send an Osage delegation home.

    Lewis as Botanist

    "No regular botanist"

    by

    This interview with botany Professor James Reveal recorded at Packer Meadow near Lolo Pass analyzes the botany of Lewis.

    July 1, 1806

    Plan to divide forces

    Travelers’ Rest, MT The captains describe the plan to divide forces, each taking a different route the Knife River villages. The Nez Perce guides agree to show Lewis the “Road to the Buffalo,” and he prepares several plant specimens, all new to science.

    May 17, 1806

    Lewis's wet chronometer

    After a wet night, the day continues with rain at Long Camp and snow in the hills at present Kamiah, Idaho. Lewis prepares a lily plant specimen, and they hope to cross the Rocky Mountains soon.

    Serviceberry

    Amelanchier alnifolia

    by

    Everybody liked the abundant serviceberry fruit—the Lemhi Shoshones were living on them, the enlisted men “regaled themselves,” and Lewis was the first to collect a specimen for science.

    June 15, 1806

    The Small Prairie

    The men gather horses, and the expedition leaves the Weippe Prairie at 10 am. After lunch at last year’s Pheasant Camp, they continue to the Small Prairie on a slippery trail cluttered with fallen trees.

    April 15, 1806

    Return to Fort Rock

    While paddling up the Columbia, the 33 members see many horses but are unsuccessful in trading for any. They encamp at Fort Rock at present The Dalles, Oregon. Lewis prepares four plant specimens.

    August 2, 1804

    The Otoes arrive

    Council Bluff, Fort Atkinson, NE At sunset near present-day Fort Atkinson, Nebraska, Otoe Indians arrive. Many guns are fired, hands are shaken, and Lewis and Clark exchange gifts of tobacco and food for watermelons.

    June 16, 1806

    Return to Horsesteak Meadow

    On the Northern Nez Perce Trail, fallen trees slow progress while deeper and deeper snowbanks appear. They encamp where Clark had shot a stray horse last fall. Lewis prepares two plant specimens.

    November 16, 1805

    A break in the weather

    Station Camp near Chinook, WA A break in the weather enables the main party to dry gear and for Clark to make celestial observations. Lewis botanizes, hunters find some success, and Gass reflects on reaching the end of their voyage.

    January 20, 1806

    Five new plant specimens

    Fort Clatsop, OR Lewis prepares five new plant specimens and describes roots eaten by local Indians. The captains worry about the rate at which they are going through their supply of elk meat.

    May 7, 1806

    Over Angel Ridge

    The expedition crosses the Clearwater River and climbs present Angel Ridge where they see the “spurs” of the Rocky Mountains still covered in snow. They camp at “Musquetoe” Creek.

    Douglas in the PNW

    Following Lewis and Clark

    by

    Douglas recognized landmarks from Vancouver’s and William Clark’s maps as soon as he sighted Cape Disappointment at the Columbia River’s fearsome bar. The collector continued to name familiar sentinels as he moved inland including “Mount Jefferson of Lewis and Clarke.”

    Pin Cherry

    Prunus pensylvanica

    by

    Before signing off in his last journal entry, Lewis had to botanize one last time. He concludes with an accurate description of the pin cherry, Prunus pensylvanica.

    September 1, 1804

    Leaving the Yankton Sioux

    Bon Homme Island, NE-SD The expedition leaves Pierre Dorion and the Yankton Sioux behind. They pass cliffs of white chalk and camp on Bon Homme island, now inundated behind Point Gavins Dam. Several catfish are caught and Lewis collects another plant specimen.

    Benjamin Smith Barton

    First curator of the plant collection

    by

    Important for the history of the scientific accomplishments of the expedition, its first plant specimens were consigned to Barton’s care. Here began the disassembling of the collection, and his promised volume on natural history was never written.

    April 1, 1806

    Exploring the 'Quicksand' River

    At Provision Camp, Pryor’s detachment explores the Quicksand River—the present Sandy in Oregon. Visiting Indians of various Nations warn of no food upriver, and no salmon for another month.

    August 25, 1804

    Visiting Spirit Mound

    Spirit Mound, SD The captains take a large party to explore Spirit Mound. Instead of finding devils, they suffer from excessive heat and witness birds eating swarms of flying ants.

    September 2, 1804

    Passing Bon Homme Island

    Springfield, SD The boats navigate around a large island that some name Elk Island for the number of that animal they killed there. They describe unusual sand ridges which appear to be Indian fortifications, and Lewis botanizes.

    May 8, 1806

    An argument about horses

    On the Camas plains high above the Clearwater River, Twisted Hair and Cutnose argue about the expedition’s horses. Lewis describes the Nez Perce methods of extracting foods from the ponderosa pine.

    August 1, 1804

    A botanist's field day

    Council Bluff, Fort Atkinson, NE Clark prepares a peace pipe anticipating that the Otoes will soon arrive for a council. Two men search for lost horses and others search for the Otoes. Neither are found.

    September 18, 1804

    Coyote specimen

    Above Chamberlain, SD The boats struggle to make seven miles up the Missouri. Specimens are made from a coyote and two plants.

    Prickly Pears

    One of nature's greatest pests

    by

    “The prickly pear is now in full blume,” he wrote on a mild early-summer day in 1805, “and forms one of the beauties as well as the greatest pests of the plains.”

    Biscuitroots

    Nature's grateful vegetable

    by

    Columbia plateau biscuitroots: “one of the grateful vegetables” by naturalist Jack Nisbet. An Indian food source for thousands of years.

    Western Spring Beauty

    Claytonia lanceolata

    by

    On 25 June 1806, on the branch of Hungery Creek where they “nooned it,” Sacagawea brought the captains “a parcel of roots” that Lewis immediately recognized as the kind Drouillard had given him ten months earlier.

    June 3, 1804

    Mosquitoes and ticks

    At the mouth of the Osage, mosquitoes and deer ticks vex Clark, and Lewis collects a specimen of ground plum. Late in the day, the boats move up to the mouth of the Moreau east of present Jefferson City.

    June 9, 1806

    Falling river, rising hopes

    At Long Camp, everything is ready for tomorrow’s move to Weippe Prairie. The falling river gives hope that the mountain snows have melted, and Lewis collects a Varileaf Phacelia specimen—new to science.

    Beargrass

    Xerophyllum tenax

    by , ,

    Tall stalks with large white inflorescences

    There is a great abundance of a species of bear-grass which grows on every part of these mountains,” wrote Lewis on 15 June 1806. “It’s growth is luxouriant and continues green all winter but the horses will not eat it.”

    June 12, 1806

    The beautiful Weippe Prairie

    At Weippe Prairie in present Idaho, the expedition waits for the Bitterroot Mountain snow to melt. The warmer weather brings mosquitoes and camas blooms. Lewis collects two more plant specimens.

    June 10, 1806

    Leaving Long Camp

    After a nearly 6-week stay at Long Camp waiting for mountain snows to melt, the expedition travels to the “quawmash flatts”—Weippe Prairie, Idaho. Lewis botanizes and taste-tests Columbian ground squirrel.

    October 3, 1804

    Mice problems

    Sutton Bay, SD After a cold, rainy morning, the expedition waits for the wind to subside before heading up the Missouri. They discover that mice are eating their corn, paper, and cloth. Lewis adds specimens to his plant collection.

    Wild Ginger

    Asarum canadense

    by ,

    Lewis reported that a specimen of this plant “was taken the 1st of June at the mouth of the Osage River; it is known in this country by the name of the wild ginger.”

    Oregon Grapes

    Berberis aquifolium

    by

    In his journal for 12 February 1806, Lewis described the plant that now goes by the name Berberis aquifolium, which he had first noticed in the vicinity of the Cascades of the Columbia River, about 145 miles from the ocean.

    September 15, 1804

    The White River

    Oacoma, SD Gass and Reubin Field spend the night twelve miles up the White River. Lewis adds three plant specimens to his collection, and Casa Calvo urges his Spanish superiors to stop the expedition.

    November 17, 1805

    A disappointing cape

    Station Camp near Chinook, WA Having explored Cape Disappointment, Lewis returns to Station Camp without finding any trading ships. Despite his report of a very bad road, several men volunteer to go there with Clark tomorrow.

    July 9, 1805

    Sinking the iron-framed boat

    White Bear Islands, MT The iron-framed boat is finally put into the river where it remains while a storm blows over. They find it too leaky and the boat is sunk to make it easier to disassemble. The captains initiate a plan to build two new dugout canoes.

    September 3, 1805

    The Lost Trail

    Lost Trail Divide, ID-MT The expedition climbs the Continental Divide near present-day Lost Trail Pass. The weather is a mix of rain, snow, and sleet, and after dark they lay down “wet hungry and cold.”

    May 20, 1806

    Snow and violent rains

    Labiche brings in a mule deer and reports snow in the higher plains. The men have traded all their brass buttons for food, and Lewis prepares a specimen of Wilcox’s beardtongue, Penstemon wilcoxii.

Notes

Notes
1 Jackson, Letters, passim.
2 It is estimated that seventy or seventy-five specimens were new to science when Lewis collected them. Pursh honored Lewis by naming four new species after him: Linum lewisii (LEE-noom loo-WEE-see-eye; Lewis’s wild flax), Mimulus lewisii (MIM-oo-luss loo-WEE-see-eye; Lewis’s monkey flower), Philadelphus lewisii (fill-uh-DELL-fuss loo-WEE-see-eye; Lewis’s syringa–si-RING-guh); and Lewisia rediviva (reh-dee-VEE-vuh; bitterroot).
3 That study, still a major milestone in the literature, is Paul Russell Cutright’s Lewis and Clark, Pioneering Naturalists (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1969).

Discover More

  • The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Day by Day by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2018). The story in prose, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
  • The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery (abridged) by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2003). Selected journal excerpts, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
  • The Lewis and Clark Journals. by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 1983–2001). The complete story in 13 volumes.