Seeking a suitable location for a winter home in 1803 – 1804, Captain William Clark established the Corps of Discovery’s base camp on the east side of the Mississippi River. In his journal dated December 13, 1803, he wrote, "fixed on a place to build huts Set the men to Clearing land & Cutting Logs - a hard wind all day-flying Clouds, Sent to the neghbourhood, Some Indians pass." Nearby was a good harbor for boats, and close to the expedition’s westward launch point, the Missouri River.  Meriwether Lewis rejoined Clark several weeks later, naming the spot “Camp River Dubois.”

The expedition was careful to stay out of the Louisiana Territory until it was officially transferred to the United States. Meanwhile, the men spent the winter training as a military unit and recording their observations. President Jefferson’s first order was: "Beginning at the mouth of the Missouri, you will take [careful] observations." The two captains noted daily weather, climate, and astronomical changes.

St. Louis, Missouri, and Cahokia, Illinois, served as valuable sources of information and supplies. Key insights into conditions on the lower Missouri River came from fur trappers and explorers who preceded Lewis and Clark. Often, the camp hosted Indians, local citizens, and military contractors who provided their knowledge of areas where the expedition would soon be heading.

Exhibits inside the 15,000 square foot interpretive center include the cutaway, 55-foot keelboat, four themed galleries, a theater, and a gift shop. Volunteers portraying the expedition’s experiences in Illinois act as guides in the reconstructed Camp River Dubois.

Call (618) 251-5811 or visit http://www.campdubois.com/index.html for more information concerning operating hours, fees, directions, etc.

Credits and Sources:

Greatriverroad.com. “Visitors Guide to the Camp River Dubois Lewis and Clark Illinois State Historic Site.”  Accessed June 17, 2014. http://www.greatriverroad.com/lewclark/campriverdubois.htm.

Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. “History, Home, Location.”  Accessed June 17, 2014. http://www.campdubois.com/html/history.html.

Illinois Valley Public Telecommunications Corporation. “Lewis and Clark State Historic Site.” Accessed June 17, 2014.  http://www.illinoisadventuretv.org/index.asp?page=st&site=1169.

Lewis, Meriwether, William Clark, Bernard DeVoto, Stephen E. Ambrose, and Erwin Raisz. The Journals of Lewis and Clark. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997.

LewisAndClarkTrail.com. “Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center & Camp Dubois – National Trail Site One.” Accessed June 17, 2014. http://lewisandclarktrail.com/section1/illinoiscities/Woodriver/interpretivecenter.htm.