Astoria, Oregon
When the Corps of Discovery departed from St. Louis in May, 1804 their mode of transport was a 55 ft. keel boat and two flat-bottomed pirogues. These took them to their first winter camp at Fort Mandan, North Dakota. The following spring they left Fort Mandan in six dugout canoes that they had hand-fashioned from cottonwood. These took them to the Rocky Mountains, which they crossed on horses obtained from Shoshone Indians with the help of Sacajawea. Their final float (with frequent portages) to the Pacific Ocean was made in five dugout canoes, which they had carved from Ponderosa Pine. In the upper left we see a reconstruction of the canoes in which the party reached the coast, where they built their winter quarters, named Fort Clatsop. There they must have encountered the elegant and functional canoes carved from red cedar by the Clatsop Indians. Today we visited the reconstructed Fort Clatsop. We were privileged to find local Indian craftsman Tony Johnson at work on a red cedar canoe, using traditional design and techniques. Lewis and Clark must have been struck by the contrast, as we were.
When the Corps of Discovery departed from St. Louis in May, 1804 their mode of transport was a 55 ft. keel boat and two flat-bottomed pirogues. These took them to their first winter camp at Fort Mandan, North Dakota. The following spring they left Fort Mandan in six dugout canoes that they had hand-fashioned from cottonwood. These took them to the Rocky Mountains, which they crossed on horses obtained from Shoshone Indians with the help of Sacajawea. Their final float (with frequent portages) to the Pacific Ocean was made in five dugout canoes, which they had carved from Ponderosa Pine. In the upper left we see a reconstruction of the canoes in which the party reached the coast, where they built their winter quarters, named Fort Clatsop. There they must have encountered the elegant and functional canoes carved from red cedar by the Clatsop Indians. Today we visited the reconstructed Fort Clatsop. We were privileged to find local Indian craftsman Tony Johnson at work on a red cedar canoe, using traditional design and techniques. Lewis and Clark must have been struck by the contrast, as we were.
