November 4, 1803
Uniontown, Kentucky
Near this date, the expedition passes an Ohio River settlement near present Uniontown, Kentucky. Fellow river traveler Thomas Rodney describes the area’s harbor, white settlers, and Native deer hunters.
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November 3, 1803
Henderson hazards
On or near this date, the expedition passes Henderson, Kentucky. The town and river hazards in the area leave an unfavorable impression with contemporary traveler Thomas Rodney.
November 2, 1803
Pvt. Lepage enlists
On or near this date, the boats pass the Green River where the “Scuffletown” tavern attracts many Ohio river men. Pvt. Lepage enlists in the “corps of volunteers for North West Discovery”.
November 1, 1803
Giant cane, noisy waterfowl
Near this date, the expedition passes present Owensboro, Kentucky—then named Yellow Banks. Fellow traveler Thomas Rodney describes giant cane and numerous waterfowl in this area.
October 31, 1803
Clark's contraction
About this date, Clark suffers a “Contraction of the muskelur Sistem” which would stay with him as they move down the Ohio and up the Mississippi. They are likely near present Rockport, Indiana.
October 30, 1803
Ohio River lowlands
On or near this date, the expedition reaches the region where the hills recede, and the Ohio river lowlands commence. One week earlier, Thomas Rodney’s batteaux ran aground in only three inches of water.
October 29, 1803
Low water hazards
In low water, hidden bars, dangerous whirlpools, and poor channel options make navigating the Ohio in the vicinity of Stephensport, Kentucky difficult. By 1929, all these hazards had been mitigated.
October 28, 1803
Winding Ohio River
On or near this date, the expedition passes the Blue River Hills and goes around the big bend near present Leavenworth, Indiana. The bends are twenty miles long by water but only six miles by land.
October 27, 1803
Salt River whirlpool
On or near this day, the expedition boats pass the mouth of the Salt River 25 miles below Louisville, Kentucky. There, a whirlpool presents a significant river hazard as described by other travelers.
October 26, 1803
Into the 'wilderness'
The expedition leaves the Falls of the Ohio bound for Fort Massac near the mouth of the Ohio. Fellow traveler Thomas Rodney says there is “nothing but wilderness on both sides of the river.”
October 25, 1803
Last day at the falls
Today is the last full day that Clark and Lewis are at the Falls of the Ohio. In Washington City, the House of Representative debates and then votes to ratify the Louisiana Purchase treaty and conventions.
October 24, 1803
Indian mounds
While preparing for departure from the Falls of the Ohio, perhaps the local Indian mounds piqued Lewis’s interest. They are described by fellow traveler Thomas Rodney and later by ethnographers.
October 22, 1803
Louisville, Kentucky
At the Falls of the Ohio, Clark and Lewis are recruiting soldiers and preparing to leave for St. Louis. In Washington City, the House of Representatives prepares to ratify the Louisiana Purchase treaty.
October 21, 1803
Louisville viewscape
Lewis and Clark prepare for departure from the Falls of the Ohio. Other travelers describe the area’s geography including Clarksville, the home site of Revolutionary War hero George Rogers Clark.
October 20, 1803
Louisville shipyards
In Louisville, two new recruits officially enlist, and the shipyard at Bear Grass Creek is described by fellow traveler Thomas Rodney. In Washington City, the Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase treaty.
October 19, 1803
Clarksville Fossil beds
In Louisville, Gibson, Shields, and Shannon officially enlist as privates in the “corps of volunteers for North West Discovery”. The Clarksville fossil beds are described by contemporary travelers.
October 18, 1803
Jefferson limestone
While Clark and Lewis prepared for departing Louisville, Lewis likely examined the unique ledges of Jefferson Limestone that create the series of dangerous rapids called the Falls of the Ohio.
October 17, 1803
Wine with Col. Rodney
Clark and Lewis share wine with Thomas Rodney whose bateaux is moored at Louisville. Rodney mistakenly thinks Clark’s brother, George Rogers Clark, is William’s father.
October 16, 1803
A "Terrable place"
Lewis and Clark are at the Falls of the Ohio preparing for the expedition’s next stage. Fellow traveler Thomas Rodney describes the craggy limestone lining the channels calling it a terrible place.
October 15, 1803
Piloting the Falls of the Ohio
Likely on this or the previous day, the expedition boats were emptied of cargo and navigated down the rapids at the Falls of the Ohio by court-appointed pilots. Also on this day, John Colter enlists.
This page was funded in part by the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, U.S. National Park Service.
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Lewis and Clark Trail Alliance
with cooperation and funding from the following organizations:
- Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
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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).