Clark’s party spent four days traveling along the river, covering 103 miles from where they first reached the Yellowstone searching for cottonwood trees large enough to make into dugout canoes. They finally found two that would work. Clark decided to stop at this point and rest the horses, but he had two men continue on down the river to possibly find better trees. The men went 12 miles and returned without finding better ones, so the party stayed camped where they were to make canoes. This was marked on Clark’s maps as canoe camp.
Canoe Camp should be named Yellowstone Canoe Camp. It was the last of four locations where the Corps of Discovery made dugout canoes during their travels.
The first place the Expedition made canoes was near their 1804 – 5 winter camp, Fort Mandan. Here they carved six dugout canoes from large cottonwood logs. They worked here most of the month of March at Mandan Canoe Camp. These canoes were used to replace the large keelboat that was sent back downriver to St. Louis.
Later, during the summer of 1805 the Corps of Discovery made two more dugout canoes from cottonwood logs near Great Falls. These dugouts were built to replace the failed collapsible iron-framed boat. This was the Great Falls Canoe Camp. When the Expedition left the Great Falls, they were using 8 canoes and no other type water craft.
In October of that year, after the Expedition had cached their canoes at Camp Fortunate and made their way across the Rockies on horses, they built five canoes on the Clearwater River near Orofino, Idaho. These canoes were made from “large pine” but instead of chopping them out to make their dugouts, they burned them out.
The plan was to use these canoes to carry the Corps of Discovery out to the Pacific Ocean then back to where they obtained horses to re-cross the Rockies. This would be the Clearwater Canoe Camp.
While they were at Camp Choppunish in 1806 Lewis set some men to work making a canoe for the purpose of fishing and to pass the river (Clearwater). A few days after it was finished some men used the new canoe to cross the river to do some trading. As they were landing the strong current caught the canoe filling it with water and sinking it. This large canoe, it would carry 12 men, was too heavy and even the best efforts could not raise it. Since they were near the Clearwater Canoe Camp, I include this canoe as being made in that camp.
Canoe Camp should be named Yellowstone Canoe Camp. It was the last of four locations where the Corps of Discovery made dugout canoes during their travels.
The first place the Expedition made canoes was near their 1804 – 5 winter camp, Fort Mandan. Here they carved six dugout canoes from large cottonwood logs. They worked here most of the month of March at Mandan Canoe Camp. These canoes were used to replace the large keelboat that was sent back downriver to St. Louis.
Later, during the summer of 1805 the Corps of Discovery made two more dugout canoes from cottonwood logs near Great Falls. These dugouts were built to replace the failed collapsible iron-framed boat. This was the Great Falls Canoe Camp. When the Expedition left the Great Falls, they were using 8 canoes and no other type water craft.
In October of that year, after the Expedition had cached their canoes at Camp Fortunate and made their way across the Rockies on horses, they built five canoes on the Clearwater River near Orofino, Idaho. These canoes were made from “large pine” but instead of chopping them out to make their dugouts, they burned them out.
The plan was to use these canoes to carry the Corps of Discovery out to the Pacific Ocean then back to where they obtained horses to re-cross the Rockies. This would be the Clearwater Canoe Camp.
While they were at Camp Choppunish in 1806 Lewis set some men to work making a canoe for the purpose of fishing and to pass the river (Clearwater). A few days after it was finished some men used the new canoe to cross the river to do some trading. As they were landing the strong current caught the canoe filling it with water and sinking it. This large canoe, it would carry 12 men, was too heavy and even the best efforts could not raise it. Since they were near the Clearwater Canoe Camp, I include this canoe as being made in that camp.
RSS Feed
