June 2006

National Lewis and Clark Reenacting Group To Visit Kentucky

Since 2003, The Discovery Expedition of St. Charles has been following in the footsteps of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, portraying the famous explorers and their men. The group’s mission is to rediscover the legacy of Lewis and Clark and to provide a rich and genuine living-history experience through discussions and demonstrations.

The Discovery Expedition of St. Charles will visit three Kentucky locations this fall. First will be Historic Locust Grove in Louisville on November 5-8. Next, on November 9-11, the reenactors will encamp in Frankfort at Riverfront Park. On Saturday the 11th, the group will depart for their final stop in Kentucky at Cumberland Gap National Historic Park from November 11-13. At each site, the reenactors will construct an 1803-era encampment featuring educational demonstrations and hands-on activities.

Both Lewis and Clark traveled directly through the commonwealth in 1806 on route to report to President Thomas Jefferson in Washington, D.C. Click here to view a map of Kentucky's Lewis and Clark trails.

More information about the Discovery Expedition of St. Charles, Missouri can be found on their web site at www.lewisandclark.net/.

Homecoming Update: Great Programming is Being Planned!

The citizens of Cloversport, KY will get an early start at the 43rd annual Sacagawea Festival on August 5- 6, 2006. As a complement to the festival’s customary array of games, contests, and music, a Lewis and Clark educator will be on-site telling stories and leading canoe rides.

Kentucky’s Lewis and Clark homecoming will also feature some great multi-media presentations. From September 16 to January 15, 2006, the Louisville Science Center will feature the IMAX film Lewis and Clark: Great Journey West. The Rauch Planetarium at the University of Louisville will also present Lewis and Clark by the Stars, a film that highlights the role that celestial navigation played in their exploration of the Northwest Territory.

From August 12 to December 1, 2006, the Museum of the American Quilter’s Society in Paducah will feature the exhibit Lewis and Clark: Quilts Inspired by the Corps of Discovery. This exhibit will interpret several aspects of the Lewis and Clark journey such as their spirit, strength, courage, perseverance, character, diversity, and mapmaking ability.

Historic Locust Grove in Louisville will feature a number of Lewis and Clark programs in 2006, beginning September 6 with a lecture by James Holmberg of the Filson Historical Society. Artist Ed Hamilton will speak on October 4, and November will feature a visit by the Discovery Expedition of St. Charles, Missouri, as well as lectures by William Clark descendant, Peyton “Bud” Clark, and author Stephenie Ambrose Tubbs.

October 6, 2006, is a big day for Frankfort’s Lewis and Clark story. A highway marker about the 1806 Frankfort Palladium newspaper article that first announced the safe return of the Corps of Discovery will be unveiled at noon at the Sinclair Mall downtown. In addition, at 2:00 p.m., the Kentucky Historical Society will hold its public opening of the Filson Historical Society exhibit Lewis and Clark: The Exploration of the American West, 1803-1806.

Big Bone Lick State Park will present the twenty-first annual Salt Festival titled, “Lewis and Clark: The Homecoming” on October 13-15, 2006. Chautauqua characters will be present, and educational activities will focus on Thomas Jefferson’s commissions to Lewis and Clark to collect bone samples from this internationally recognized prehistoric fossil repository.

The Filson Historical Society will present a variety of programming to commemorate the return of the Corps of Discovery. A field trip will commence on November 3, titled, “Lewis and Clark at the Falls of the Ohio.” Next, a “Clark Welcome Home at Trough Spring” will occur on November 5. On November 6, the Filson will present a program with James Holmberg and Clay Jenkinson about the tragic death of Meriwether Lewis. Finally, November 8 will feature “York in History and Poetry” with James Holmberg and poet Frank X. Walker.

More information on Lewis and Clark programming in Kentucky can by found at www.lewisandclarkinkentucky.org.

200 Years Ago on the Lewis and Clark Expedition . . .

- William Clark, June 30, 1806
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The Corps of Discovery experienced some of their worst suffering in making their way over the Bitterroot Mountains. Deep snow delayed the explorers on their homeward- bound journey in 1806 for about a month. Heading for the Pacific in 1805, they had experienced great hardship due to cold, snow, hunger, and mountainous terrain. They were not sorry to put the mountains behind them!

Created by executive order and administered by the Kentucky Historical Society, the Kentucky Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission seeks to educate Kentuckians and the nation about Kentucky's important role in the Lewis and Clark Expedition; assist governments and organizations with their Kentucky- related Lewis and Clark bicentennial events and projects; and perform other duties that will highlight and commemorate Kentucky's significant contributions to this historic achievement.