For his birthday in 1804, Captain Clark wanted beaver meat. The Corps of Discovery co-leader penned an insightful journal entry while camped at present day Council Bluffs on August 1: “This being my birthday I order'd a Saddle of fat Vennison, and Elk fleece & a Bevertail to be cooked and a desert of Cheries, Plumbs, Raspberries Currents and grapes of a Supr. quallity. The Indians not yet arrived."

With a group of forty-six men travelling in a keelboat, after departing St. Louis in May of 1804, the Lewis and Clark expedition reached Council Bluffs at the end of July. They pitched their tents, fished, rested, and eagerly awaited encounters with the local inhabitants. They named this area after the terrain where the men held their first “council,” or meeting, with the Native peoples.

Two of the expedition’s interpreters, Army private Pierre Cruzatte and scout George Drouillard, conducted a search for the Otoe Tribe but had no luck as they found an empty village. However, on July 28, 1804, they met a Missouri Indian hunting bison with the Otoes. After several discussions, both groups agreed to meet and established the first-ever gathering between the Corps and American Indians near present day Ft. Calhoun, Nebraska.

While visiting the Western Historic Trails Center, guests can learn about other adventures of the Lewis and Clark expedition as well as about other travelers who braved the early routes across the American West. Visitors can trace the routes of these early adventurers and experience fascinating displays, sculptures, maps, and films. The Trails and Welcome Center is staffed and operated by the State Historical Society of Iowa.

Call (712) 366-4900 or visit http://www.iowahistory.org/historic-sites/western-historic-trails/ for more information concerning operating hours, fees, directions, etc. v

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/.

LewisAndClarkTrail.com. “Welcome to Council Bluffs, Iowa.”  Accessed June 12, 2014. http://lewisandclarktrail.com/section1/iowacities/CouncilBluffs/index.htm.

LewisAndClarkTrail.com. “Welcome to the Western Historic Trails Center.” Accessed June 12, 2014. http://lewisandclarktrail.com/section1/iowacities/CouncilBluffs/WesternHistoricTrailsCenter/.

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

Missouri Historical Society. “Teaching Units and Lesson Plans  - The Lewis and Clark Exhibit.” Accessed June 12, 2104. http://www.lewisandclarkexhibit.org/400/page4100.html.

State Historical Society of Iowa. “Western Historic Trails Center.” Accessed June 12, 2014. http://www.iowahistory.org/historic-sites/western-historic-trails/

Travel Iowa. “Western Historic Trails Center – Travel Iowa.” Accessed June 12, 2014. http://www.traveliowa.com/aspx/dest.aspx?id=6673.