The expedition waits for the rain to stop before they venture from the dry shelter of various St. Charles houses. Towards evening, they arrive at Fort Belle Fontaine, a military cantonment and Indian trade factory built after the expedition left St. Louis in 1804.
Only a Day Away
by Yellowstone Public Radio[1]Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © … Continue reading
Fort Belle Fontaine Arrival
Provided by the U.S. Army.
Re-enactors from the “Discovery Expedition of Saint Charles portray the arrival of the Corps of Discovery at the US military post called the Belle Fontaine Cantonment on the Missouri River, at the end of their expedition.”[2]Saint Louis, MO Signature Event – “Currents of Change” Corps of Discovery, United States Army, https://history.army.mil/LC/Explore/Currents_Change/captions.htm, accessed 19 June … Continue reading
Rainy St. Charles Morning
This morning being very wet and the rain Still Continueing hard, and our party being all Sheltered in the houses of those hospitable people, we did not [think?] proper to proceed on untill after the rain was over, and continued at the house of Mr. Proulx. I took this oppertunity of writeing to my friends in Kentucky &c.
—William Clark
Belle Fontaine Salute
on towards evening we arived at Bell fountain a Fort or cantonement on South Side which was built since we ascended the Missouri & a handsome place . . . . the Company of Artillery who lay at this fort fired 17 Rounds with the field peaces the most of our party was Quartered in the Canonment . . . . a number of these Soldiers are aquaintances of ours &C.
—John Ordway
U.S. Indian Factory
at this place there is a publick Store kept in which I am informed the U. S have 60000$ worth of indian Goods
—William ClarkSeveral flat Boats are built at this place.
—John Ordway
Weather Diary
State of the weather at Sun rise Course of the wind at Sun rise State of the weather at 4 oClock Course of wind at 4 P. M rain after thunder lightning & rain S cloudy after rain S at St Charles the raine commencd about 9 P. M and was moderate untill 4 A. M when it increased and rained without intermition untill 10 A M: Some Thunder and lightning about daylight. it Continued Cloudy with Small Showers of rain all day. we arived at the Mississippi
—William Clark[3]To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is not presented and some abbreviations have been spelled out.
Today, the St. Charles Historic District is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service.
Fort Belle Fontaine is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Located about twenty miles north of St. Louis on the Missouri River, this historic site is now a St. Louis County Park with several buildings and a stone staircase from its current location on a bluff down to the original location on the river.
Notes
| ↑1 | Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © 2003 by Yellowstone Public Radio. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | Saint Louis, MO Signature Event – “Currents of Change” Corps of Discovery, United States Army, https://history.army.mil/LC/Explore/Currents_Change/captions.htm, accessed 19 June 2019. |
| ↑3 | To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is not presented and some abbreviations have been spelled out. |
Experience the Lewis and Clark Trail
The Lewis and Clark Trail Experience—our sister site at lewisandclark.travel—connects the world to people and places on the Lewis and Clark Trail.
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.
This page was funded in part by the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, U.S. National Park Service.
This site is provided as a public service by the
Lewis and Clark Trail Alliance
with cooperation and funding from the following organizations:
- Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
- Montana Committee for the Humanities
- Idaho Governor's Lewis and Clark Trail Committee
- The Capital Gallery (Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation)
- Yellowstone Public Radio
Unless otherwise noted, journal excerpts are from The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, edited by Gary E. Moulton, 13 vols. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1983-2001).