On the Natchez Trace Parkway sits an unpretentious granite cairn topped by a broken column, indicating a life cut short. Under this monument, 200 yards from Grinder's Stand cabin, lay the remains of one of America's earliest heroes, Captain Meriwether Lewis, co-leader of the Corps of Discovery and Governor of the Upper Louisiana Territory. The Natchez Trace is a 444-mile-long route leading from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee. The trail was used by Native Americans, "Kaintucks," settlers, future presidents, and many others.

Early on the morning of October 11^th, 1809, shots rang out in Grinder's Stand where Lewis and his party stopped on their journey to Washington, D.C. Lewis died of two gunshot wounds. He was enroute to the capital to defend his expenditures as Governor, publish his expedition diaries, and meet with his mentor, Thomas Jefferson. Lewis's life ended on that fateful day at the age of thirty-five. Though many theories of his death exist, historical evidence supports the probability of suicide.

The Meriwether Lewis Death and Burial Site is located on the Natchez Trace Parkway at mile marker 385.9, north and east of Hohenwald, Tennessee. The site contains a 1930s-era log cabin and a short trail with interpretive displays explaining the history of the Trace and the life of Meriwether Lewis. Additionally, the park includes a free campground with no hookups, picnic areas, hiking trails, and restrooms.

Call 1-800-305-7417 or visit www.nps.gov/natr/index.htm for more information concerning operating hours, fees, directions, etc. www.google.com

Credits and Sources:

Content for this Next Exit History site sponsored by the Lewis & Clark Trail Heritage Foundation. For more information visit http://lewisandclark.org/.

Allen, Paul. History of the Expedition under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark. New York/Philadelphia: Bradford and Inskeep, 1814.

Ambrose, Stephen E. Undaunted Courage; Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbooks,

1996.

Brooks, Noah. First Across the Continent; The Story of the Exploring Expedition of Lewis and Clark in 1804-5-6. Project Gutenberg, 2013.

Dansi, Thomas C., and Robert Moore. Uncovering the Truth about Meriwether Lewis. Amherst: Prometheus Press, 2012.

Lewis, Meriwether, and Et Al. The Journals of Lewis and Clark 1804-1806. Project Gutenberg, 2013.

Lighton, William R. Lewis and Clark; Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Boston/New York: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1905.

National Park Service. "Meriwether Lewis Park."Accessed May 31, 2014. http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/lewisandclark/site38.htm.

Starrs, James E., and Kira Gales. The Death of Meriwether Lewis; A Historic Crime Scene Investigation. Omaha: River Junction Press, 2009.

Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. "Natchez Trace Parkway, Meriwether Lewis Park and Monument." Accessed Jun 4, 2014. http://www.tnvacations.com/vendors/natchez_ trace_ parkway_meriwether_lewis_park.

The National Park Service. "Meriwether Lewis." Accessed 06 14, 2014. http://www.nps.gov/natr/historyculture/meriwether-lewis.html.