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Frontier Forts of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

On 20 November 1805 William Clark wrote in his journal, “…one of the Indians had on a roab made of 2 Sea Otter Skins the fur of them were more butiful than any fur I had ever seen.  Both Capt. Lewis and my Self endeavored to purchase the roab with different articles.  At length we procured it for a belt of blue beads which [Sacagawea] wore around her waste.”  The scene depicted above is from a painting by Newman Myrah entitled “Bartering Blue Beads for Otter Robe”. (Fort Clatsop National Memorial Collection FOCL 000104 Cat. No. 698)

Camp River Dubois is located near Alton/Wood River, Illinois.  It has recently been fully restored by the Illinois Historical Society.  For additional photographs of Camp River Dubois, click here.

Administered by the North Dakota Historical Society, Fort Mandan is located near Washburn, North Dakota (38 miles north of Bismarck).  It features the most complete collection of personal items and equipment on display in any of the restored structures constructed by Lewis and Clark.  For additional images of Fort Mandan, click here.

Located just south of Astoria, Oregon just off Highway 101, Fort Clatsop is administered by the National Park Service.  For additional photographs of Fort Clatsop, click here.