After the Louisiana Purchase expanded American territory and called for western scientific exploration, Charles Floyd joined the Corps of Discovery in the launching of its expedition party. Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark gave Floyd the rank of Sergeant and made him second in command next to Sergeant John Ordway.

On August 19, 1804, another member of the Corps described an evening with the Omaha Indians that caused Floyd to succumb to illness after participating in a dance that left him overheated. The next day, just outside of what is now Sioux City, Iowa, Floyd died of a ruptured appendix.

A journal entry from Clark following Floyd’s death stated, “We buried him on the top of the bluff, one-half mile below a small river, to which we gave his name.” Maps created not only by Lewis and Clark, but also maps made into the mid-19th century marked this section of the Missouri River, Floyd’s River.

In 1857, individuals of Sioux City proposed erecting a monument along the river after the eroded banks of the Missouri revealed part of Floyd’s remains and brought national attention to his commemoration.

In 1901, Floyd’s Monument became a reality. Standing at one-hundred feet tall, this white, stone tower resembles the Washington Monument on a smaller scale. In 1960, the National Park Service labeled Floyd’s Monument the first National Historical Landmark. Today the monument stands within a twenty-three acre National Park. Although Floyd became the only member of the Corps of Discovery to perish, his monument still stands as an example of the American success in its first steps across the West.

Credits and Sources:

Researched, written, and narrated by University of West Florida Public History Student Michelle Richoll.