While waiting for the Otoes to arrive at White Catfish Camp near present Bellevue, Nebraska, Clark works on a map and Lewis writes reports for President Jefferson. Pvt. Goodrich catches a channel catfish—likely a species new to science—and four men make oars.
Channel Catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
Permission under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license.
Clark’s Map
I am much engaged drawing off a map, Capt. Lewis also much engaged in prepareing Papers to Send back by a pirogue— Which we intended to Send back from the river Plate [Platte River]—
—William Clark
White Catfish
This evening Guthrege [Goodrich] Cought a white Catfish, its eyes Small & tale much like that of a Dolfin
—William Clark
Oars for the Bateaux
Some rain this morning 4 men went to makeing ores for the Batteaux.—
—Joseph Whitehouse
White Catfish Camp is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Across from White Catfish Camp, on the Nebraska side, the Fontenelle Forest provides trails and Lewis and Clark interpretation.
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).