A Convenient Place for Making Salt

A Convenient Place for Making Salt. . The Corps of Discovery, under the command of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, established their winter quarters at Fort Clatsop on 7 December 1805. “We haveing fixed on this situation,” Clark noted, “I deturmin’d to go as direct a Course as I could to the Sea Coast. . .to look out a place to make salt.” Although Clark was indifferent to salt, the rest of the expedition wanted it to season their bland diet of fish, elk, and dog. , On 28 December 1805, the expedition’s commanders sent five men “with 5 of the largest Kittles” to establish a salt making camp on this beach. Two men from this party returned to Fort Clatsop eight days later with a salt sample that pleased everyone. The expedition’s saltmaking camp operated until 21 February 1806, and produced 3 1/2 bushels of salt (nearly 28 gallons). Although personnel varied, three men were usually occupied boiling sea water to make salt. “With the means we have,” wrote Meriwether Lewis, “we find it a very tedious operation. . .we keep the kettles boiling day and night.” , ”Willard and Wiser. . . .informed us that it was not untill the fifth day after leaving the Fort that they could find a convenient place for making salt; that they had at length established themselves... near the lodge of some Killamuck families; that the Indians were very friendly and had given them a considerable quantity of the blubber of a whale which perished on the coast... These lads also informed us that (the salt makers)... commenced the making of salt and found that they could obtain from 3 quarts to a gallon a day; they brought with they a specemine of the salt of about a gallon, we found it excellent, fine, strong, and white; this was a great treat to myself and most of the party.” - Meriwether Lewis, January 5, 1806 , Salt Works . , To get to the Salt Cairn walk North along the Promenade three blocks to Lewis and Clark Way. The Salt Cairn is on Lewis and Clark Way 100 feet east of the Promenade.