In the 2004 Discovery Expedition Re-enactment
The Lewis and Clark keelboat passing downtown Kansas City, Missouri, June 26, 2004

The Route of the BiCentennial Re-enactment of the Discovery Expedition
The X marks Parkville

The Lewis and Clark Discovery Expedition of 2004 at Parkville, Missouri...

The Lewis and Clark Keelboat approaching Parkville about 1:00 p.m. June 29, 2004...
This View from Smith's Point

The Keelboat left Kansas City, Kansas on the morning of June 29th
The two accompanyimg pirogues didn't leave until much later

They fired a cannon here, some slight smoke but we missed catching the big boom

They were working the oars coming into shore, but the main motive power was the 50 HP motor on the back
Did they have outboard motors back then?

Turning in just below Smith's Point, is that Captain Meriwether Lewis there?

The Captain waving and shouting some kind of greeting

And a few citizens of Parkville and elsewhere waiting to greet the travelers

This is the biggest crowd I have ever seen in English Landing Park
Maybe more on Main Street for the 4th of July Fireworks

There was a fife and drum corps waiting at the top of the boat ramp to salute them

And the crew disembarked to join the crowd at the top of the ramp

Some onlookers going down to the Keelboat to take a look

The main Ohio and Missouri River transportation that the Corps used was a 55 foot Keelboat
Which could be sailed, rowed, poled like a raft, or towed from the riverbank

The keelboat featured a "Commander's Pennant" on the stern
As well as an American flag hoisted to the top of the mast

The keelboat was powered by sails (whenever there was sufficient wind), as well as oars

In addition to the Keelboat, two wooden row boats called Pirogues were taken to hold men and supplies
These showed up a few hours later than the Keelboat

The Fife and Drum Corps was playing at the head of the ramp
But the crowd was so thick I couldn't get a picture

And I came back to the 'Encampment' on the second day

Lewis & Clark along with the Corps of Discovery
Departed from Camp Dubois in Illinois on May 14, 1804

In a span of 28 months, they covered 8,000 miles

They developed friendships with the Native Americans
And learned how to survive in some of America's most beautiful and treacherous territories

Several members of the enactment crew posed as actual members Of the first expedition
I didn't ask who these might represent

Some of the crew did camp out in these tents
But I read they might also wander off now and then to a motel for a shower or rest

I thought I recognized the gentleman on the left as Jim Reed
Director of the Parkville Nature Sanctuary, whom I had not met at the time of the encampment
I called him and asked, and yes, that is he...
And he said the man he is talking to is a member of the Expedition, maybe Captain Clark
I had read that a member of the crew did dress as a Mountain Man but I was unaware it might be one of the Captains

I did some reading and could not find that Captain Clark dressed like this
But I did read earlier that one crew member at least, did
Captain Clark was a tall red haired man, this could possibly be his re-enactor I would guess
Captain Lewis was later appointed Governor of Louisiana
And Captain Clark to Governor of Missouri Territory in 1813

The cannon pointing upriver just to the left of Smith's Point
That place named for a Parkville citizen... Domald Lee Smith!

And preparing a load for another cannon shot

Do you want to make it BOOM again?

All quiet on the morning of departure... The boats waiting for their crews

Not many in the crowd early but more came as noon approached

I managed to be waiting at the announced time of departure

Manning the boats in preparation for leaving

And Captain Meriwether Lewis preparing to board the Keelboat

Ready and waiting for the order to shove off

They were scheduled to leave Parkville at Noon sharp
You can hear the Clock chiming in the Park College Tower
As Lewis and Clark and Company depart from Parkville

Then Making the River bend West of Parkville, on to Leavenworth, Atchison and Saint Joseph

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